The searchlight. [volume] (Culbertson, Mont.) 1902-current, 1909-08-06
Western Senators Say They
Were Fooled by Tariff
Conferees
PRESIDENT NOT FOOLED
Claimed That There Is an Ebony
hue1 Person n the Wood
Pile in Bill

"dSnsuStOup ~. S.s AUG. 60 arm
Legislation has been delayed again by
the hide and leather question and as
result the conferees were called to-
gether once more today. The. SEES
sion was for the purpose of enticing
out into the open a certain ebony
hued person who was reported by
western senators to have been seen
lurking at the wood pile"
The westerners complained that the
feather schedule. as arranged by the
conferees with the approval of the
president. IL unfair to the states in
terested IN protected hides. 1t was
agreed today that some action must
be taken to conciliate them IL the
conference report Is to be adopted.
Without thought of serious obstac.
les In the path. Senator Aldrich
caused the report to be taken up to-
day as soon as the senate met.
AS Is usual, the senate leader and
his associates moved about to ascer-
tain whether there had been any
change or sentiment. They were not
long in learning that the charge that
there was ..joker" In the compro-
missed hide and leather question had
upset the comfortable majority they
had previously counted for the adopt
ion OF the report.
The difficulty appeared to be lack
of understanding between the confer
ees. the president and the western
senators concerning the condition I'M
der which the latter consented to
hides being placed on the free list.
The westerners claimed that they
bad been made to believe that all boots
and shoes of leather were to be duti-
able at 10 per cent and that all har-
ness was to be dutiable at 20 per cent.
When the conference report was is
sued 1t appeared that the reductions
applied only to articles manufactured
in chief part of the class OF hides
| which were to be made free of duty.
The reductions would not apply to
shoes. the uppers OF which were made
of calf skin, or to harness, the chief
value OF which was calf-skin.
Some OF the western senators were
extremely bitter in their condemna-
ton of the compromise. They said
| that they had been fooled, that the
president had been fooled and that
| the trick played on the consumer was
nothing short of buncombe. r,
Finding that the westerners were
not amenable to argument some Of
the senate leaders and some of the
| dissatisfied members, hurried to the
White House. There all were inform
| ed that the president had not been,
fooled. He was reported to have told
all of his callers that he fully under
stood the character of the compro-
mise.
1t Is declared by the conferees in
defense OF their action, that the
course pursued was necessary from a
parliamentary standpoint To have
reduced all boots and shoes. they
said, would have compelled the re-
submission Of the question to the
house. In confining the reductions to
articles manufactured from hides re-
| submission OF the paragraph was not
necessary for the reason that the hide
paragraph was In controversy between
the conference committee with a
range Of action from free to a duty
Of Is per cent.
Senator Aldrieh was among those
who called Mt the White House. when
| he returned to the Capitol he issued
| call for a session OF the conferees,
| including the house republican men,
| beers. They assembled at $3.50 p. m.
The western senators were ushered
into the conference chamber singly,
or In pairs. Audiences were given
to Senator's Heyburn, Warren. Carter,
Sutherland. Brown. Borah and
Bourne. Invitations Rad been issued
to senator's Dixon. Eurkett and Clark
OF Wyem'ing. but they did not accept.
Senator Aldrich and Representative
Payne stated uneauivocallv that the
language employed in adjusting the
hide controversy was not "ioker."
An effort was made to reach an un.
Outstanding with the men from the
cattle raising states. They said that
the word had gone out over the west
that free hides had been given for
cheaper shoes and harness and that
their constituents would not be salts
fed with any other bargain. Sena-
tors Brown and Borah both had let
ters fro mthe President bearing upon
the alleged Joker" The senator's
read these letters to the conferees.
The letter to Senator Borah was In
reply to one he had written. The
president asserted In this letter that
the leather and hide schedule as
sdonted by the conferees. was lust as
he had understood It He said that
his understandir was THAI the re-
duction on leather goods should be
made on those manufactures OF the
hitherto dutiable hides and should