The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-12-11

was so with the Wilson bill and again
with the Dingley bill. But not only
are standpatters in the saddle in the
Senate and the House, but they are
now standpatters, who enjoy very annie
able relations and who think along
about the same lines Thew have been
cooperating as never before in the
preliminary work of gathering data
for ''scientiic revision Ga favorite
Standpat term just now, and it may
happen that they will break some rec
ords next summer in cooperating to-
ward the speedy enactment of a new
tariff law.
The men who will figure as leaders
at the extra session can easily be
named in advance. For the House
there viii be Speaker Cannon, Chair
man Serene E. Payne and Representa-
tive John DalzelI of the Ways and Means
Committee, and Democrat or two,
chief of whom viii be Champ Clark
of Missouri, slated for minority lead
er. The other Republican lieutenants
in the House will have small chance of
gaining much notoriety. as matters
look now. They are men identified
with other committees which have
I
viii Tolerate No ''Butting In
1t is only once in decade or there
abouts that the Ways and Means Com
mittee has chance to get into the
limeIight-when the tariff is being re-
| vised-and it naturally keeps all the
glory for itself. They viii resent any
Quitting i'm except from the Speak
or m nf Ff,lf
Appropriations Committee, for in
stance, must sit with folded hands. OF
course, an individual member, or two,
who bestirs himself greatly, may gain
some notQriety and, perhaps, some rep
utation of Importance, in connection
with the: proceedings, but it is very
improbable that anyone in the House,
except the Speaker and the Ways and
Means Republicans, will exert any
notable influence in fashioning the
bill.
The Senate leaders will be chiefly
three-Senators Aldrich of Rhode Is
land, chairman of Finance; Hale of
Maine. a member thereof, and Culber-
son of Texas, who will be the leader
of the Senate minority. There is more
probability of individual Senators, out
!
ing some positive influence in shap-
ing the tariff bill than of a like oc-
| currence in the House.
The Dinglev law was enacted under
very similar circumstances to those
under which the Payne law will be
passed. It's chronology may therefore
be worth while, as indicating some
| thing of what may be expected of next
/ ox-4ro or
| first. session of the Fifty-ffth Congress
was called to meet March 10, 1897, by
| President Mckinley, eleven days after
he was inaugurated Representative
| Dingley of Maine, chairman of Ways
and Means, introduced bill No. 379,
seto provide revenue for the govern
ment and to encourage the industries
| of the United States,' on March IS.
It had been prepared by the Republi-
cans of the committee previous to that
time. and No. $40 represented the de-
liberate Judgment of the committee.
It was formally reported to the House
Friday, March 10, there having been
a meeting of the full committee IN
the meantime, at which the Democrats
of the committee were given the
courtesy of having a first look at the
measure.
Discussion on the Dingley Bill.
The House debate on the bill began
Monday, March p, and was concluded
with the passage of the bill March 81.
The House had met at 10 clock daily
and had held evening sessions from 5
till IL for purposes of debate. Ihe
Senate received the bill April l and
II was Immediately referred to the
Finance Committee, which reported 1t
back to the Senate May 4. The Sen
ate debate on the bill, which had VIZ
tuallv been rewritten by Senator Al
drich. was not concluded till July Z.
The conferees were forthwith appoint
ed. but did not reach an agreement
till July 10.
Senate and House thereupon entered
into a debate on the conference report,
and it was July 81 before that report
had been finally accepted by both
houses. 1t was signed by President
Mckinley the same day, which day the
extra session adjourned.
+! While both branches of Congress
were almost as strongly Republican
then as now, the chances favor more
| speedy enactment at next springs SEES
sion President Taft viii likely have
the Payne law by the middle Of June,
| perhaps earlier.
| The Wilson law was enacted at the
regular, or long session, of the FIFTY
third Congress. 1t assembled December
4, 1898, and lasted till August % OF
the following year. The Republicans
have become very chary of framing
tariff bill at regular session of Con
| gress. 1t can be done only at the long
session, which meets in December,
after a President is inaugurated, and
generally runs up to within a few
months of the next Congressional cleo
| ton. The formal party claim always
| is that there is not sufficient oppor-
tunitv for calm deiberation over
tariff bill at a regular session, but
! stronger reason is that if the people
| get mad when they at last find out
what tariff law contains, there IS
time for their anger to cool before
| election, provided the work is done IN
an extra session. Otherwise with pub
+! lie sentiment aroused right in the
midst of a campaign, the party that
enacted the tariff law will almost GER