Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-08
BY WILLIAM HARD.

The Democrats today need IA Re-
publican votes in the Senate to de-
feat the present tariff bill on the final
roll call, and by a most remarkable
coincidence the number of Republican
Senator's thought capable of voting ulti-
mately with the Democrats, in certain
circumstances, is exactly IA.
1t is today a neck and-neck race, as
many observers here view it. between
the bills passage and the bills defeat.
The Democrats are reconciled to los
ing five OF their own number to the
Republicans These five are the two
sugar and red pepper Senators from
Louisiana, Mr.. Ransdell and Mr.. Brous-
sard; the two citrus fruits and spring
vegetable Senators from Florida. Mr..
Fletcher and Mr.. Trammell; and the
live stock Senator from Wyoming, Mr..
Kendrick.
The total number Of Democrats in the
Senate is 80. Thirty-nine minus S Is
81. Thirty-four is the presumed total
of f1rst-line. last-ditch, high-power.
low-tarif Democrats on the final roll
call. X
. The total number Of all Senators of
all compilations, Jeffersonian Demo-
cratic. Hamiltonian Democratic. regular
everyday Republican. Progressive cleo
ton day Republican, and Farmer =
Laborite. is 95. 1t should be 96; but
the sovereign State of Pennsylvania, in
consequence of a censorship exercised
over its political morals by the Senators
from other States, is getting along
without the presence Of Mr.. William
S. Ware in the Senate and Is obliged to
content itself there with the multiple
talents but single vote Of Mr.. David A.
Reed
A majority in a Senate of 90 would
be 40. A majority in Senate Of 95,
however, is only 48. With Mr.. Ware
Democrats need only 48 votes in order
to bring the present tariff bill to re-
lection.
We thus arrive at their need Of IA
Republicans. Retaining possession Of
"a of themselves, and acquiring posses
sion of IA of their hereditary enemies,
they would arrive at the perfect figure
Of 80 and would present Mr.. Herbert
Hoover with a senatorial death scene
which they sometimes believe would
cause him great perplexity and annoy
ance. In these calculations the
Farmer-Laborite Senator, Mr.. Henrik
Shipstead, of Minnesota, is counted as
a Republican Mr.. Shipstead, like Mr..
Borah, has voted with the Republicans
in/inatters connected with the organi-
cation of the Senate. He has been
defined in military language as Re-
publican A. w. o. L.-that Is, absent
without leave. The only difference be-
tween him and Mr.. Borah is tocularly
stated as being that he is absent on
election day as well as on the other
364. This slight distinction between
Mr.. Shipstead and an ordinary Progress
sive Republican is not thought seriously
to impair his senatorial Republican
standing, as illustrated and confirmed
by his splendid committee assignments
and by the personal affection lavished
upon him by that granite statesman.
". George Higgins Moses Of New
Hampshire, chairman Of the Republican
senatorial campaign committee.
Just the same, and in spite OF the
fact that ali Republicans, like all DEM
ocrats, are personally fond Of Mr.. Ship
stead, it is democratically-and, In
deed, generally-thought that the pres
ent tariff bill, II 1t retains its present
form and balance, will find Mr.. Ship
stead ultimately democratically voting
nay" This would give the Democrats
/ Of their, IA needed Republican allies
They think they will pick up 2 more
in such circumstances In North Dakota
Mr.. Frazier and Mr.. Nye.
They hope to CLEAN 2 more out OF
Wisconsin-Mr. La Toilette and Mr..
Blaine.
They anticipate. gathering an addi-
tional 2 on the politically fire-swept
prairies Of Nebraska-Mr. Norris and
Mr.. Howell.
they hold out confident arms to Mr..
Borah of Idaho.
They have accommodations all re-
served for Mr.. Brockhart of Iowa. They
feel certain that they are the destined
tariff home, this trip, Of Mr.. McMaster
of South Dakota.
Less certainly they feel that they
are also journeys end, on this OCCASION
for Mr.. McNaster's South Dakota SEN
atorial colleague, Mr.. Norbeck.
Still less certainly, and yet with q
strong pulse, they surmise that vote
their way may be forthcoming from
Mr.. Cutting Of New Mexico.
They then feel sanguine enough to
hope that rage against some excep-
tionally wealthy and exceptionally irrl-
tating beneflciaries Of the tariff system
may give them the vote OF that coura-
Reous and choleric character, Mr.. Couz-
ems of Michigan.
Finally they become 80 optimistic that
they foresee themselves Joined by Mr..
Pine of Oklahoma, who occupies the
unique situation Of being the only Sen.
ator who is wholly regular toward
the Republican party and wholly an ir-
regular toward the Hoover admins
tration. 81
: Having thus counted up to IL on the
Republican side, the Democrats today
entirely lost their breath and can count
no more. They need IL, and they cam
not imagine themselves getting more
than IL. Or, In other words. they must
get every last one Of all their Republic
can possibilities, or else the tariff bill
Is passed.
This being so, sudden gust Of wind,
one way or the other, may determine
the outcome. One such gust win begin
to blow next Monday. On that day the
direct legislative agents or lobbyists Of
all the important American farm or
ganizations In Washington will issue q
tariff statement. This statement will,
OF course, demand that the duties on
agricuituraf products be stu further re-