The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-04-16
THE SIEGE OF CONGRESS.

THE SIEGE OF CONGRESS.
The New York Times fails to see
where the Payne tariff bill meets the
demands of the general public The
following editorial in part, appeared in
the Times in it's issue of Wednesday
last:
One fact stands out clearly in the tar
lit namely. that the contest
that has been waged over the Payne
bill has been chiefly between great spe-
cial interests, and the demand for re-
lief for the public generally has been
used mainly, SO far as 1t has been con-
0idered at all, as means by which one
set of interests could impede Or weaken
another set. Congress, not only since
Its meeting in extraordinary session,
but ever since the ways and means
committee began its hearings, has been
bcsieged by the representatives of pow
erful and wealthy corporations seeking
to retain or to increase their favors.
So far as the action of the House is
concerned, the besicgers substantially
the Pnyne bill of any consequence was
the amendment which was supposed to
place petroleum and its products on the
free list, and this was practically nullj-
fled by blunder, or trick, since cor
rected. It is a striking indication of the
conditions prevailing that the opinion
OF representatives was about equally
divided as to whether trickery or
laundering had taken place. 1t is not
now worth while to trace in any detail
the actual provisions OF the Payne bill.
or the changes that have been made in
1t. 1t has been overhauled by Mr.. AL
drich's committee, with the result that
the Dingley duties are for the most
part restored. It will still further be
modified by the senate: when the two
bodies finally send their work to a coll
ference committee the real shaping of
the tariff will take place. 1t Is worth
noting. however, that the scheme of
maximum rates devised by the Payne
committee is reserved for further con-
siderAtion by the senate. and that its
Inevitable practical effect. if enacted,
will be to revise the tariff up and not
down.
The besiegcrs of the House have not
neglected the Senate. They will now
concentrate all their energy and influ-
ence upon that body. The degree Of
resistance their efforts will encounte:
may be judged from the provisions of
the Aldrich bill. The representatives
of the protected interests may well feel
that they have already won their vic
tory-they have but to keep what they
have won. The schedules prepared by
the senate finance committee exhibit
in curious light the report that SEN
ator Aldrich, after conference with
the prcsident, had pledged himself and
his party to q genuine reduction of tho
tariff. What we get is not a reduction
OF the tariff, but a reduction of the in
creased rates which the ways and
means committee had the hardihood to
report
Notwithstanding all the fair prom
ises Of the campaign, in spite of the
specific and obviously sincere declara-
lions of the president, the republican
majority in congress has put upon the
boards once more that fine old farce of
the tariff revised by its friends. 1t is
presented in the same spirit, by many
of the same actors, and with the same
familiar stage business as the commits
sion revision of 1883. and the Mckinley
and the Dingley revisions of 1880 and
1897. A genuine reduction was prom
Used. a reduction that should lift bur-
dens from American industries aud
the American consumer the demands
of the people and of the manufacturers
were to be needed. and revision was in
good faith to be undertaken. AS re-
suit we get first the Payne bill, in
creasing the tariff taxes upon many of
the common necessaries OF life. and
offering slight reductions on iron and
steel. In respect to which it has been
stated on the highest authority that no
protection is needed. The Aldrich
committee takes this bill and contents
itself In most instances with q substi-
tuition OF the Dingley duties for those
which the ways and committees had
advanced This is not revision. it is
restoration. return to the present tar
III. which public opinion had COLI
demned and which the republican par
ty had admitted to be burdensome and
extorttonate. The playing of this
farce In this manner might well bring
Z grin to the faces OF the craven I'm
ares In the rotunda OF the capitol
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