Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-12-03

is pledged, thorough revision Of the
tariff being one of them.
1t is said with every show Of truth
that the progressive followers of the
| president elect are troubled lest their
| support Of the Ohioan for chief execu
| tive, with coincidental support Of Mr..
| Sherman for vice president, proves to
have committed them to Il program Of
| do nothing.
These things, therefore, have offered
| to Mr. Taft the alternative of accept
| ing the stand pat element of the dom
.inant party as part and parcel of the
administration or stirring party fight
| the equal of which for bitterness has
not been witnessed in American poll
tics since civil war times.
1t is noticeable that when the news
| of Judge Taft's equivocal attitude Of
mind became public alarm took pos
session of the politicians and newSpa-
| pers of reactionary tendencies, and
| they began to warn against splitting
the dominant party into warning fac
tiOns. Party harmony has therefore
| furnished texts for numerous homilies,
and Judge Taft has been abundantly
advised as to what will make or wreck
his administration.
The Lumber Schedules.
II l believe that the foregoing asser
lions will not be questioned by any
II candid observer in Washington, and,
looking at them from more partisan
viewpoint. Democrats cannot avoid
wonderment that any one could have
expected anything else to develop.
The election of James Schoolcraft
Sherman as vice president was in
dorsement of the stand pat Republicans,
and 1t is regarded as passing strange
that after such Endorsement has been
given with consent of the Taft Repub-
leans the president elect can consist
emily make war on his fellow candi-
date and those who obviously belong
TO the reactionary element of latter
day politics.
Apropos therefore, is the fact of the
current hearings before the commit
tee on ways and means. Quite gener-
ally public opinion In the national cap
ital has settled to the belief that the
committee l., committed to the holding
of pretended investigations. Champ
Clark, who will be minority leader
said to me in substance:
when John Dalzell arises in his
place and evinces intention to revise
the tariff thoroughly, then will | be
lieve that the tariff is to be revised
thoroughly. Under conditions of the
present moment, judged by conditions
as they have existed for some time,
/ these ways and means hearings ap-
I | pear to be tarcical. AT the best they
seem to be merely to make surface
/ showing of redeeming the platform
pledges of the Republican party. But
that the real evil Of too high duties Is
to be cured haven't the least idea"
l 1t is true however, that the entire
scheme relating to lumber duties Us
I prepared secretly through the ways
and means committee may be prevent
ed. Late in the week hints We're given
that the. incoming administration was
pledged to removal of duties ON sey
eral important articles of commerce
notably lumber, steel and coal A sig
nificant event of the week was thu
appearance before a meeting of lum
bermen In Washington of Forester
Pinchot. who quite fatty declared tina
he is at this time favorable to the re
moval of the duty.
| Conservation of our forests is tn,
fundamental issue underlying my pro
posal," Mr.. Pinchot said. IF there b.
another method better than removal 0
the duty whereby we may save on
forests from early destruction, shall
be glad to learn of it,
Inasmuch as Mr.. Pinchot is know
to stand high in the present admins
tration and to have equal weight witt
the incoming chief executive, his Ut
terances are properly regarded as IN
dicative of trouble for the stand pa
majority members of the ways an,
means committee, and it is easily with
in the bounds of possibility that thos
practical politicians who arranged 4
advance what should be the ney
schedules will discover that they bay
made promises which they came
keep.
1t is indisputable that precisely Il
IN same arrangement was effected wit
the sugar men rs with the lumberme
4 Likewise other Industries were inclu,
ed in the prediction and ante-sessio
plans. Pressure from the masses
4 the middle west and southern stat,
and the Pacific coast states is regar
I ed as the explanation of the change
1 conditions which may eventuate
j spelling the plans of the stand patte
1 and loading on to the broad shoulde
I Of Judge Taft the onus of party int
necine warfare which may go vii
him to the end of his administration
Election Aftermath.
william Nelson Cromwell, $4,000
is the official record of one mans cal
iii paign contribution to the Republics
fund this year. OF course this is til
same Cromwell who is now and h
been prominently connected with t
legal affairs Of the Standard OILS q
fairs and close to E. III. Harrima
Standard Oils railroad manager
AS election aftermath this single III
from the report of Treasurer SHIELD,