The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-11-07
Characteristic Document VIII Be
Sent To Congress On Mat
ters Of Legislation
Big INTERESTS WILL NOT
KICK ON LEGISLATION
Underwood Is Slated for leadership
In Democratic Tariff Debate-John
Sharp Williams Has Lost In
terest In House Affairs.

Washington November 6-(SpeciaI)-
President Roosevelt is buslly engaged pre-
pairing his last regular message to Con-
gress. He is. of course, expected to
keep up the bombardment throughout
the session in special messages on every
conceivable topic. The first and last reg
ular message he will send to Congress
next month is described as characteristic
He will devote most of 1t to amend
ments of the Sherman antitrust act, ex-
tension of the power of the Interstate
commerce commission and greater navy
The tariff question will not be dwelt upon
at length, the President believes thar
will be one of the principal features
for Judge Taft to discuss.
At the White House this morning SEN
ator Aldrich. who will be the dominating
influence in the framing of tariff meas
ure. said bill could be passed at the
coming session but in his judgment final
passage would be delayed for an extra
session Immediately following the en-
trance of the Taft administration.
Democrats Blamed.
This delay Senator Aldrieh promptly
places upon democratic shoulders stating
the minority in the Senate would want
so much time to discuss the measure
that 1t could not be voted upon before
March A. It is thought here that nine
tenths of the democratic congressman
viii apploud a tariff bill that reduces the
Dingley schedules in the slightest de-
gree. The party will offer amendments
in committee along democratic lines and
impress upon the country the fact that
the changes whiek the republican party is
willing to grant are of little benefit Ia
the masses of the people, AS is alwavs
the case there will be pronounced differ
ences within the democratic party on GER
tain schedules but with tariff revision sem
timent so deep-rooted in the west. the
republicans will be less harmonious than
the democrats. The Diugley bill was
approved by President Mckinley on July
"A, 1887. after over four months debate
The new tariff bill will be made effective
on the beginning of the fiscal year. July
], next The election has made little
change in the personnel of the ways and
means committee of the House or the
finance committee of the Senate
Allison Is Missed.
In the death of Senator Allison the re-
publicans lost their best tariff man, while
on the democratic side Senator Teller will
retire.
In the ways and means committee there
will be material change on the re-
publican side.
AS for the democratic members Bourke
Cochran of New York and Granger OF
Rhode Island will not be In the next
House. Champ Clark of Missouri will be
] fad min uUfu
vacate the banking minority place ot
ways and means. Underwood of Ala
bama ranks next to Clark on the COM
mittee and If PRECEDENT is followed he
will have charge of the democratic side
in the tariff debate. While he comes from
an iron and steel district there is
better democrat in the House that Mr..
Underwood and he is fully competent to
lead his party in the right direction
the tariff issues.
Tariff Legislation.
So much will be written within the next
few months on tariff legislation that 1t
may be accepted that when the bill be-
comes law 1t will be found that the big
protected interests will be very well sat
isfed.
The steel trust, for instance which has
reaped harvest for the last 10 years.
will not offer stubborn resistance to a
reasonable" cutting down of the steel
schedule, and other infant industries"
feel much the same way about IL. That
the tariff is to be reduced at all is sonne-
thing to be thankful for The pity of it
is that the poor old democratic party,
which drove the republicans to take re-
vision position, gets no credit for ii.
Child Labor Bill.
1t will be recalled that a few days be-
fore the close of the last session of Con-
r1aa aip1aa Of 1aA
upper house committee on education and
labor, gave a promise that his commit
tee would at the beginning of the short
session, take up consideration of the child
labor questions, and that bill would be
reported This pledge was not made till
after the senatorial leaders had agreed to
it. Senator Beveridge was insisting on ac-
ton On his child labor bill, and his ur-
gency compelled the promise of considera-
ton later 1t is expected, in view of the
Presidents vigorous advocacy of the Dis
trct Of Columbia child labor bill last ses-
sion. that in the coming message he will
be especially earnest in asking that what
ever can be done in the way of national
child labor statutes be done without de-
lay TINS question is certain to be pressed
during the coming session, for Senator
Beveridge has aroused widespread sem
timent which will exert influence from all
parts of the country.
The democratic senators will generally
oppose the measure, as it infringes upon
the rights of the states, and Is believed
by them to be Il question for the state
legislatures.
Williams Is Dispassionate.
81 haven't an index finger to point to
the future of the democratic party at this
time. said Representative John Sharp
Williams the leader of the minority and
senator-elect from Mississippi. The fu-