The Pensacola journal., 1919-07-28
Democrats Hands Off Issue
Which Has Made and
Broken Political Parties in
the Past.
SWANSON COMINGTO
FRONT IN SENATE
Every Member of House is
Quizzed as to How Much
Liquor He Has Stored for
Impending Drought.
ey GEORGE II. MANNING.


Washington, DR.. c., July 27--Thc
democrats in the house of representa-
tives have decided to allow the repub-
licans TO take all the glory or censure
for the contemplated changes IN the
tariff.
Tariff tinkering has made" and
broken" political parties in the past
and the democrats have apparently
decided to take no part at this time
in handling such a highly explosive
matter. In the past, political parties
that appeared to have excellent pros
pect Of remaining in control of the
government indefinitely. have sudden
ly met disaster through tariff tiIil<-
ering. Changing the tariff rates is
considered one of the most precarious
occupations for political party.
The ways and means committee has
been for several weeks holding hear
ings with a view to bringing in a
bin to raise the tariff rates SO as TO
build q protective wall for manufac-
ture in the United States of dyestuffs,
potash, pearl buttons, magnesite,
chemical glassware. surgical instru-
ments and many other articles. Some
OF the hearings and meetings were
attended only by the republican menu
bers and at some of them the demo-.
cratic members OF the COMMITTEES were
also in attendance.
When the full committee met at the
call OF Chairman F1rdney Saturday to
draft a bill to change the tariff rates
Mr.. Kitchin, chairman OF the ways
and means committee under the dem
ocrats, and now the democratic lead
er on the committee, said that he and
his colleagues had decided to take no
part in the framing OF revisions of the
tariff. but would lct the republicans
have a free hand He and his demo-
cratic colleagues, in the best of humor,
then withdrew from the committee
leaving the republicans to work alone
Since Senator Claude A. Swanson,
or Virginia, took up the role of lead
er In the senate for the administration
In the fight for ratification of the
peace treaty many people who never
heard of him being prominently men
toned before in connection with in
ternational affairs, are asking who
and what he is.
Senator Swanson is the greatest
diplomat, mixer and hand shaker Of
the age. any of his friends will admit.
If you find a man anywhere who
does not have a high regard for the
senator the chances are ten to one he
has never met him. Swanson, unlike
many ready hand-shakers and mix
ers." is entirely sincere about it, He's
just smiling, quick witted. likeable
sort Of man with whom nobody has
ever been able to get real angry.
The senate democrats are quite sat-
isfied over the substitution of Swan
SON for Senator Hitchcock as leader
Of the peace treaty fight, believing
that Swanson is the right man in the
right place. If Swanson can't get the
League of Nations ratified by the
senate. without anybody getting
mad" they say then nobody can.
In Virginia, Senator Swanson's
state, almost every man. woman and
child knows the senator and he knows
them by their first, last and middle
names; knows their wives, husbands
and sweethearts and can remember
pleasant about their par
ents or other fond relatives always.
Senator Swanson served in the
house OF representatives from 1892 to
1908. and then got into the race for
governor. He was not so well known
in Virginia outside his own district
then. But it was said of him that
during his campaign on the stump he
was frequently met at the STATION Dy
perhaps one man who knew him and
him to the crowd, but that
before the day was over he had given
everybody in the village a hearty
and thousands would be at
the train to see him off.
He was elected governor and be-
came very popular during the four
years of his service. A few months
after the expiration of his term, Sena-
tor John w. Daniel died and Governor
Mann appointed Swanson to succeed
aim. He has been reelected twice
since.
Senator Swanson has a pronounced
southern accent He uses cote" for
court; 'repote" for report. and many
other words that true southern
gentleman would never think of giving
up.
He Is very much of a self made |
man. After attending public schools |
until he was is he taught in the pub |
lie schools for one year and then at
tended Virginia Polytechnical Insti- |
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