The Washington herald., 1908-05-17
WILL PROBE TARIFF
Senate and House Adopt Like
Resolutions.
DEMOCRATS CALL IT EVASION
Merely Prediction Pretense,
They DecIare-Sfr. Payne Tells just
What the Republican Party Be
Iieves IL Is Going TO Do-Protective
Principles Not I'm Danger, He says.

Both Houses of Congress yesterday
adopted practically identical resolutions
to carry out the promise of the Repub-
lican party to revise the tariff
Attention viii be called TO this action
in the platform to be adopted at the Chi
given that the revision policy will be
consummated in the Sixtieth Congress.
The Senate resolution intrusts the inquiry
to the Committee on Finance, and the
House resolution provides that it shall
be conducted by the Committee on Ways
and Means Each committee viii work
separately.
President Roosevelt was anxious TO
have the inquiry conducted by d joint
commission. part of its membership to
be appointed by the President. or the
experts to gather data to be of his selee-
tion. This scheme did not suit the Con-
gres5 leaders. however. They have been
opposed for a long time to the tendency
toward what is called government by
commission" and took the ground that
It was time to effect a change Their
argument was that as Congress is 10
have the responsibility OF revising the
tariff schedules, Congress should gather
necessary preliminary information in its
own way. and not be subject to outside
interference or influence.
FIIibuSter Delays Passage.
In the Senate the resolution was adopt
ed without a word of debate when It was
presented by Mr.. Aldrich. but the House
resolution. which was offered by Chair
man Payne, of the Committee on Ways
and Means. encountered the Democratic
hlibuster and was put through finally by
party vote. The text of the Senate
resolution. which is alcng the lines of
that adopted BY the House. is as follows:
Resolved That the Committee on Finance is au-
thorzed in connection with Investigations heretofore
ordered by the Senate wiih the Veg of promptly
securing The information necessary for intelligent
revision Of the Customs laws Of the United States.
to call 10 their assistance experts in tbs executive
departments q the government, and to employ such
other assistants they shall require and they are
especially directed TO report what further legislation
Is necessary 70 secure equitable treatment for the
agricultural and other products % the United States
IN foreign countries and they shall also, IN consd-
efaLoH EisaGESe rl Eat4o u ESla-
tive cost Of production in this and in principal ccm
peting foreign countries Of the various articles af
fected BY the tariff upon which changes IN rates OF
duty are desirable.
why Democrats Oppose 1t.
When Leader Payne brought up the
Ways and Means resolution In the House
and said a few kind words about the
Republican party's good intentions. the
Democrats came back wi h the claim that
it was asking no more tkan a Republican
scheme 10 postpone or avoid tariff re-
vision.
Mr.. Fitzgerald. OF New York, for ex-
ample, said that it was the forerunner
of Republican defeat in November.
Assuming a confidential air. Mr. Payne
told what the Republicans purposed to
do. There had been a panic. and more
excitement was coming through the p0lIti-
cal campaign, and it would be uuwise to
increase the country's perturbation until
after the elections were over. When the
Republicans had secured a majority of
the next House Cloud acclaim from Mr..
Pagne's associates) the Committee on
Ways and Means would be called together
to hear persons who knew something
about the tariff After that the Demo-
cratic members Of the committee would
be excused from attendance tgroansl
while the Republican members drafted
a tariff bill Then the bill would be sub
mitted to the Democrats
VIII stick 10 Protection.
'"ThA bin will be a revision of the
tariff. said Mr.. Payne. 1T viii be a
protective tariff, and. believe. a maxi
mum and minimum tariff, thus putting
us on an equality with France, Ger
many, and Russia in that respect. We
will go 10 the country with that bill, as
we went with the Mckinley and Dingley
bills, confident in the. belief that. like
them, It viii bring prosperity to ali the
people"
The provision in the resolution for an
inquiry into the selling prices OF Ameri-
can food products abroad was a con-
cession to the demand OF the Democrats
and some Republicans that this question
be investigated thoroughly.
The resolution adopted yesterday ac-
cepts in modified form Mr. Beverldge's 6
plea for expert knowledge in the invests
cation OF the tariff. He proposed to have
experts do the investigating and report
10 Congress. but the sentiment of Con-
gress leaders is opposed to further out
side commissions TO advise Congress, and
the decision to secure expert advice for
the committee in its researches is stated
to be In the nature of a compromise be-
tween this sentiment and Mr. Beveridge's s
ideas, which are shared by the Presi-
dent.