The Washington times., 1909-04-02
Bosses Fighting Desperately
to Prevent Vote on Tariff
on These Articles.
TWO PET MEASURES
MIGHT BE BEATEN
Whole Contest Would End Shortly
If Members Would
Give In.
Bv 7. C. WELLIvER.

The tarln bill is beng held up IN the
House and the submission OF rule de-
Iayed, not because Of the inability OF
the managers to secure agreement Of a
majority OF the memhe-v. but because
the leaders are determined that they
viii not permit two changes in the bin.
These are:
l. 4 vote on a motion TO strike out
The countervailing duty on petroleum.
and its products.
2 A vote on a motion to Increase the
beer tax from 81 to S1.5O per barrel.
If the managers would consent TO put
these two propositions into a rule. along
with the other features they have been
saying they would concede, they could
write a rule in ten minutes that would
command majority OF the House, and
be adopted.
Dare Not Permit Vote.
For some reason which has not been
explained in any great detail by any
body in authority, the recognized
leaders OF the House are determined
that they viii not admit these two
propositions to their rule. Tney are
determined that the countervaiIing
duty on oil shall not be stricken out
by the House. They know that to
submit IL 30 a vote would result in
its overwhelming defeat. They know
that IL is now accepted almost uni
versalIy as huge donation to the
monopoly and the profits of the Stand
ard Oil Company.
Not daring TO permit vote on it, and
being determined that il shall remain in
the bill. they are holding of agreement t
on a rule in the hops that the conces-
H. -, -.
&c by pressure from the country for
early action on the bill, may carlse the
opposition to- weaken and consent to a
rule which viii omit any votes on these
propositions.
Leaders Block Action
4 careful study Of the sentiment OF
the House and the results WI ich have
been achieved by the meetings OF State
delegations. has resulted In the conclu-
sion that the House Is now being held
up by its own leaders on these two
items. The leaders are giving out the
story that they don't dare offer a rule
at present because they haven't the
votes to adopt it
They seem to gloat over the fact that
they are not strong enough to pass the
rule They throw tn responsibility on
the insurgent members, whom they
charge with stopping the proceedings
and menacing the country's business by
standing out against a rule. Meanwhile
they are making the u, most effort to
drive the recalcitrants into supporting
a rule without the beer and oil amend
ments in il. by urging that delay is
running business confidence and threat
entng TO OveTturn the Republicans in
the next Congressional elections.
ic 80 Irg 80 Of e
situation. The ao-called insurgents are
not holding up the bin They ara
ready 10 vote for a rule-When they can
get a rule that will permit the ma iority
oF the House TO settle a few highly inI-
| portant questions.
Management's Plans.
The management or the House is not
really fighting TO line up a majority
! Of the House for a reasonable rule. II
| is trying to force the House into a posi-
tion where fl will accept a rule that
will not let It vote on beer and oil
| Standard OIL
! That is what the opponents Of the
| bill declare with the greatest vehe-
mence.
/ The leaders are making concessions
/ The Ways and Means Committee has
| agreed to put coffee and tea back or
|
/ on hides: the countervailinC lumber
duty will be dropped out by the Ways
| and Means Committee Votes Will be
/ allowed TO decide whether the House
| wants free lumber or the present tar
! if OF 81, or the committees proposal
Of 81. Iron and coal may have a vote
/ gloves and hosiery will probably get t.
/ The wooden schedule may be permitted
| q test in the House.
/ But beer and oiI-Standard Oil--never
| The leaders are determined. They viii
/ win unless the members of the House
! keep their nerve and understand eX.
/ actly the game that Is being played or
| them by their leadeTs-the same lead
| ers who barely more than fortnight
/ ago. by dint OF the support OF the Tam
many and Standard oil influences, were
able to suppress the rules Of insuv-
/ rection only by the smallest ma jOrlty.
Somebody to Profit.
| s''Why are they so determined that va
! shall not have a vote on the oil duty
| or the beer tax?" demanded a Repub
Iican from a Western state. Il can
guess. except that when the bill was in
troduced here it was common repor
that the beer tax had been taken dowr
/ and the oil tax put in as a result of Z
deal with somebody in connection with
that rules fight.
I'VE know that it was accepted. be
I lleved and not denied, for a week be
J fore the bill was reported, that COFFEE
and tea were to go free, that oil wa:
TO be untaXed, and that beer sta'
would go up a half dollar. We know
that certain votes were delivered from
unexpected quarters TO save the HOuS'
Organization I'm the rules fight. w
know that the bilTs introduction wa
delayed day after all was ready 70
IL
And we know shat when Il came n
1t had reversed all expectations oI
these items. IL taxed oil and left bee
at the old figures: ii still cOntainei
the taxes on tea and coffee. What W
are trying to find out Is the connec