The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1907-08-16
WASHINGTON LETTER.

SSASs
Will Secretary Taft approve the plans
of the Republican leaders of the Senate
and House to postpone the revision of the
tariff until after the presidential election.
This is the question which is being dis.
cussed with great interest in political
circles here.
Before Congress adjourned the Republi-
can leaders, with the approval of the
President, entered into an agreement by
which the tariff was to be taken up and
revised at special session of Congress,
to be called in 1899. Even Represen-
tative John Dalzell, of Pennsylvania, who
is stronger in the faith of ''standpatism"
than Speaker Cannon, agreed to this
plan, and recently gave out an interview
describing the beauties of the scheme.
Senator Lodge in his recent speech in
declaring for revision was careful to
specify that there should be no revision
until after the national election. So far
as that is concerned the President is on
record in his message as favoring the
postponing of revision to the date fixed
by the Republican leaders.
But Secretary Taft has not declared
himself in favor of this postponement.
On several occasions he has intimated
that immediate revision is desirable. He
is regarded as more liberal in his tariff
views than even the President. He is
more impressed with the importance of
new tariff legislation than the President.
The President is SO deeply engrossed with
antitrust policies that he has never given
the tariff sufficient attention to have strong
convictions upon either side of the
question.
~
In his extended travels abroad and as
Governor of the Philippines Secretary
Taft has come face to face with the evil
effects of the Dingley schedules. He is
convinced ofthe necessity of the revision
The defeat of the Philippine tariff hill
last session was bitter disappointment TO
Taft, and he is just as anxious to see
other changes in the tariff.
Through late legislation and other anti.
corporations agitation, Speaker Cannon
and his 'stand pat" lieuteuants were able
to keep the tariff in the background in
both sessions of the last Congress. By the
promise of revision at special session
after the presidential election they expect
to repeat their performance. But if Sec
rotary Taft demands immediate revision,
postponement may become impossible.
Nv
Another broadside for the Standard
Oil Company is contained in report to
President Roosevelt by Herbert Knox
Smith, Commissioner of Corporations,
Department of Commerce and Labor,
which has just been made public. "Dis-
elimination in Prices is its title.
Astounding in invective, it pillories the
Standard Oil Company for selling its
products abroad cheaper than at home,
for maintaining the highest prices
possible in those parts of the United States
where it has complete monopoly, and
cutting prices relentlessly where it meets
competition; and for using its vast freight
traffic as club to compel railroads to pay
its high prices for lubricating oil. Finally,
as hint that the half has not been told,
Mr.. Smith closes his report to the Presi.
dent with this passage:
by your direction, in view of the pro
ceediugs of the Attorney General against
the Standard Oil Company, some of the
more detailed evidence secured by the
bureau regarding price discrimination is
at present withheld from publication; and
the same is true of other unfair practices,
the most important of which are the
maintenance of bogus independent CON-
panies. espionage over the business of
competitors, especially by bribiug rail.
way employees to disclose their shipments,
and deception as to the quantity of oil
sold.
Nv
Abitter political contest between former
Senator Edward W. Carmack and Gov.
ernor M. R. Patterson, who served two
terms in the House, is in prospect in
Tennessee, Senator Carmack is credited
with ambitions to return to his former
seat in the Senate. AS step in this
direction, it is said that he will become a
candidate to succeed Governor Patterson.
By electing him Governor, Mr.. Car
mack's friends expect to place him in
control ofthe party organization in Ten
nessee, and thus put him in position to
succeed Senator ]. B. Frazier, whose
term expires three years hence.
There is bitter personal fued between
Senator Carmack and Governor Patterson