Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-07-03

| meetings of the finance committee,
which did not complete It's report on
the tariff bill when that document was
| returned to the Senate April IL last, 50
that the debate might begin forthwith.
The senator's of the finance committee
have been in the thick of the battle
almost every day since the tariff bill
was delivered into their hands. AS Is
usual when responsibility is placed up
on group of men, only part of them
bear the brunt of it. The bulk of the
tariff work has been done by Senators
Aldrich, Penrose of Pennsylvania; Hale
of Maine; Lodge of Massachusetts; Nc
Cumber of North Dakota; Smoot of
Utah. and Flint of California. Bur-
rows of Michigan and Cullom of Illi-
nois, are very old men, not in robust
health, and have not taken so active
part in the revision as others of the
finance committee McCumber, Smoot
and Flint are younger senators but
Smoot and Flint especially have done
vast amount of hard work in the pre-
paration of the bill. No one of them
has worked harder or more asSlduous-
ly and efficiently than Senator Smoot,
the Mormon apostle, who had mar
row escape some years ago from being
ousted from the Senate because of the
howl of religious disapproval over the
activity OF the Mormon hierarchy IN
Utah politics.
Senator PcnrOSe has not been featur-
ed much in connection with the tariff
bill, but has been one of the strong
men in the committee. His is one of
the large manufacturing states of the
Union, which means that hundreds of
manufacturers have come down here to
see him about duties and that thou
sands Of letters have been written him
on the same subject He has been best
known during the tariff discussion for
the occasional thumpings he has adj
ministered to Senator La Toilette, the
leading Republican insurgent. Never
before, however, has Senator PenroSe
been so attentive to his legislative du-
ties and never before has he compelled
his colleagues in the Senate to recog-
nize his ability to such a degree. He
has studied tariff thoroughly and has
good familiarity with the subject.
The senator's from the manufacturing
states have had their troubles every day
in the week while the tariff has been
under consideration If those senators
happened to be members of the finance
committee their troubles multiplied, for
constituents who have a senator on the
finance committee expect him to get
about anything he wants Experience
has shown that the finance committee
senators have done a lot of favors for
other senators and have generally failed
to get much that they wanted themselves.
Senator Root of New York has had his
hands full, for New York is a great man
ufacturing state and the manufacturers
have been darkening the doors of the
senator's office day in and day out ever
since he took the oath on the fourth of
March. Sometimes they have worn him
to fragile and he has left the Capitol
at the close of a day. for which his official
salary is $25. but for which, If he had
beer practicing law in New York. he
might with an expenditure of less ener-
sy, mental and physical. have earned $3.50
if not $500. Senator Depew has borne lit
tic of this tariff work, as he is now a
very old man-past 10 years of age.
New York. Pennsylvania. Illinois. Mass
achusetts. Ohio and Connecticut are
among the largest manufacturing states
of the union and the senators from all
of those states have had a harder time
the senators who come from agricultural