Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-21
COALITION FACES
SETBACK IN HOUSE
Is Expected to Win Most Bat
ties in Senate Fight
Over Tariff.
BY MARK SULLIVAN.

Victory of the Democratic-progressive
coalition in inserting the debenture plan
into the tariff bill throws this strangely
sea-tossed measure into yet another of
its many phases. The victory is en-
phatic and sensational. Those who won
it are elated. Yet 1t may be an illustra-
ton of the old adage of warning which
says, win the trick and lose the game,
win the battle and lose the war"
1t is not meant to imply that the
coalition will lose the game necessarily.
It is not meant to imply they will lose
the tricks that are just ahead. On the
contrary, 1t seems probable that the
coalition will win most of the tricks in
the battle about rates which now be-
gins.
That the coalition will win these rate
fights on pig iron, sugar, brick, cement
and the rest is by far the best guess.
There has been much talk by the Re-
publican Senators that the coalition will
suffer defections when 1t comes to vot-
ing on the rates.
It is a fact that many Democrats and
several individuals among the progress
sives are going to be greatly embar-
raised. Some of them are as eager for
some high rates as the most high
protection Republican from any Eastern
States. The voting on the rates is going
to test the consistency. If not. indeed,
the intellectual integrity, of a good
many of the coalition.
Coalition Controls Situation.
At the same time it is probable the
coalition will win the bulk of the fights
on rates. They are in command OF the
situation, and they have a comfortable
margin. They can give, so to speak, oc-
casional furloughs to those of them who
want to vote with the Republicans for
| high rates for individual industries
The coalition leaders, however. can so
| manage as to preserve majority for
! most Of the fights on rates.
Probably the bill will come to its end
| in the Senate with the coalition in
command. At that point. however will
| come the really decisive battle of this
tariff war. That battle will consist of
the tug-of-wsr between the Senate and
| House. For the purpose this struggle
| the Democratic Progressive coalition
has been weakened by its inserting the
debenture plan into the bill. The de-
benture plan will be one of the two or
three high points behind which the
| two houses will lock horns. The House
has already gone on record overwhelm-
ingly against the debenture plan
Their pride in their own chamber will
cause them to stand more sturdily
against the debenture plan than they
would have stood on the other points at
issue.
Moreover, there is subtle aspect OF
morale affecting the debenture plan
Everybody knows that many Of the
Democrats who on Saturday voted fol
the debenture plan did not really be-
lieve in it, Some of them said so pub
licly, others privately. Being opposed
to the debenture plan on principle, theil
motive for voting for 1t was merely u
take the trick" against the Republi.
cans. to put the Republicans -
hole"
This fact about the coalition victory
Is as fully known to the Lower House
as to anybody else. 1t will encourage
the House to feel justified in prolonginf