New-York tribune., 1918-12-12
Senate Leaders Find Opposi.
ton Is What Democrats
Desire to Shift Any Blame
Progress Will Be Slow
La Toilette Preparing Host
of Amendments, and Will
Talk at Great Length
By Theodore M. Knappen
Neir York Tribune
W0shin nnton Bureau

Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, Dec. 11.--Republican
Senators will make no partisan fight
against the revenue measure reported
by the majority of the FinaNce Com
mittee Leaders of the Republican side
of the Senate admitted this to-day.
After meditation and reflection, the
Republicans have concluded that the
wisest thing they can do is to refrain
from any real opposition to the Demo
cratic programme. This explains the
unexpected mildness of Senator Pen
roses minority report, presented to the
Senate yesterday, which is one of the
tamest documents on controversial
topic that the Senate has had in long
time.
Senator Penrose, after scouting out
the battle ground and observing the
Democratic dispositions, came to the
conclusion that the proposed Republi-
can policy of putting up a stiff fight
against the two-year revenue pro-
gramme was exactly what the Demo-
Gratis desired.
Democrats Dodging
In the first place, the Democrats, ac-
cording to this strategical conjecture,
would really like nothing better in
their hearts than to have the record
show that the Republicans had messed
up the revenue policy and administra-
tion of the country by refusing to bow
to the will of the majority.
In the second place, it begins to ap-
pear that there is q very strong busi-
ness sentiment throughout the country
in favor of knowing now what 1919
taxes are to be.
In the third place, taxation legisla-
tlon is such magazine of political ex-
plosives at best that the Democrats
would not object if they should be
forced into the position Of letting the
Republicans frame the first post bellum
revenue measure. The fact is, it is said,
that the Democratic leaders regret po-
litically that Secretary McAdoo and
President Wilson ever Endorsed the
idea of two-year legislation at this
time, no matter what its real merits,
and would therefore be very glad to be
compelled to let the Republicans as
sumo the burden and responsibility.
Slow Progress Expected
Finally Senator Penrose is rep
resented as having very lively per-
sonal interest in letting the Democrats
have their way, with nothing more than
little harmless ci.moufage opposition.
One of the chief objections to allowing
him to succeed to the Craftsmanship of
ehe Finance Committee in the next Con-
eress is the fear that under his drec-
ton the committee would frame up an
"old guard retrogressive revenue
bill Whether he would actually do SO
or not is beside the question. The ap-
prehension that he would is the source
of much opposition to him. Now if the
Democrats do the job, Penrose can't
do it. and one of the obstacles is re-
moved from his path to the chairman
ship.
Even with vigorous partisan oppos-
tion eliminated, however, the bill will
continue to progress very slowly
Senator La Toilette is preparing a host
of amendments and doubtless will take
up days of time in talking about them.
Some other Senators will propose
amendments and there will be rivers
of general speeches.
Bill Read in Senate
The forecast now is that it will be
about February 10 before the bill comes
out of conference.
The Senate took up this afternoon,
with less than a dozen Senator'S pres
ent, the monotonous task of reading
the revenue bill with the finance com
mittee amendments. AS the reading
proceeded, Senators who wished to offer
amendments asked to have preferred
parts passed over for later consider
alton. Senator La Toilette made prac-
tically all such requests, which indi-
Gates that few of the Senators have any
intention of opposing any of the pro- .
visions of the bill as such. The debate
will be chiefly on the general propo-
sition of formulating the taxation
scheme for 1919 as we'll as for 1918 at