Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-05-07

senate today, the lead schedule being
under discussion.
Senator Bristow made a strong fight
against increases over the duty pro-
vided in the house on the ground tnat
such increases would unnecessarily IN
crease the cost of paint, whlch the
farmers use extensively.
= During the discussion, senators BeV-
eridge and Gallinger engaged in a
sharp colloquy, during which Mr.. CAL
linger accused the Indiana senator OF
linger accused the Indiana senator OF
Senator Cummins addressed the SEN
ate in favor of lower duties, especially
in the iron and steel trade He de-
clared that the people would take mat
ters in their own hands if the law did
not check monopolies.
Predicting that failure to pass the
tariff bill providing lower duties on I'M
ports would provoke a political contest
for another revision of the tariff, SEN
ator Cummins delivered notable
speech.
Mr.. Cummins' Speech
1.-THE bill now before u.s. said Mr..
Cummins twill not be accepted by
those who have favored revision Oh
the tariff as either a fulfllment of the
party pledge or as a settlement of the
controversy.
"If this bill or anything substantially
like it becomes a law l predict that
campaign for lower duties will begin
the moment the extraordinary session
of congress adjourns and Will continue
with increasing zeal until the judgment
entered in the court of public con-
science is also entered in the journals
of congress.
1T gives me no pleasure to utter
this prophecy, for l have earnestly
hoped the revision now in progress
would end the dispute for years to
come, and that the business of the
country would enjoy the peace and
tranquility which is impossible dur
ing the existence of movement mate
rally to change duties upon imports.
II have heard it said over and over
since we began this discussion, not of
course in public debate, but in private
conversation that there are but few
people comparatively who were inter-
ested in reduction of duties.
Voice. viii Be Heard
II know that the voices of those who
are clamoring for an increase OF Gus
tom house taxation are more distinctly
heard in the corridors and committee
rooms, but there will come a time pres
emily when the clamor of the millions
who want relief will sound like the
roar of a Niagara from one to the
other"
Mr.. Cummins said he had heard it
said many times that the people who
know whether duties were too high or
too low.
This skepticism of the Judgment of
the common men is a fundamental mis-
take often made and always atoned for
in sacxcloth and ashes"
Continuing, Mr.. Cummins said;
1.-THE last administration will be re-
nembered so long a the history of our
country is preserved for it's victories
In the struggle for rate regulation and
for corporate fair dealing.
1.-THE work has just begun, and I
sincerely hope the present administra
ton will be no less distinguished than
the last one for its energy in dealing
with these perplexing problems
lone part however, of the program
was assigned by common consent to
this administration and its conspicu-
GUS leader assumed without hesita-
ton the task of tariff revision.
People Know Best
"The people know what they want
with respect to revision, just as well
as they know what they wanted with
respect to railways and to industrial
combinations, and their intelligent,
educated, patriotic instinct is just as
certain with respect to the tariff as it
was with respect to transportation or
monopolies.
''If we fail now substantially to re-
duce the duties upon the important
schedules we but postpone the justice
due to the people, Justice which,
thanks to the genius of our institu-
tions, they have the power to enforce
and which in the fullness of time they
will enforce"
Passing to the consideration of the
lumber schedule, he said it made lit
tie difference whether there was
duty or not so far as the preservation
of the forests are concerned. With
respect to the cost of production in the
greater part of the United States at
least he said, the Americans had the
advantage of the Canadians and
duty was only necessary to equalize a
disparity in rates of transportation
4 Mr. Cummins secuted the idea that
: adherence to the wool schedule was
necessary in order to maintain the
protective principles.
"And / intend to defend my faith"
he continued. with all the vigor of
which l am capable.
Not the Whole Thing
1.-THE finance committee, composed Of
honorable, intelligent, bright-minded
and experienced men, is still not the
ark of the covenant of Republican doc
trines 1t is not the only repository
of Republican faith"
Senator Beveridge Joined Mr.. Cum
Minis in asking from the committee on
finance an explanation of the fact that
by making it apply to narrow widths.
Mr.. Flint OF the committee replied
that the answer would be made in due
time and added that If members of
the finance cornrnittee had the ability
of the senator from Indiana they would
give the answer off hand"
1--WE must have a better answer
than that" retorted Mr.. Beveridge.
There are three members of the
finance committee here. The senator
from Iowa wants to know why this
rate was raised 100 per cent, and 1
think he has a right to know"
Mr.. Smoot explained that the oil
cloth duty had been put up to protect
the American producers.
Mr. Cummins said the stock of the
United States Steel corporation had
gone up so high because of its unlaw-
full profits.
''IJnlawful from a moral standpoint"
he said. He further declared that from
moral standpoint the profits were
dishonest. He said that a corporation
could not produce a single ton of steel
more cheaply than could its constitu-
ent companies or than the so-called
independent companies can.
He denied 1t was cooperative to any
extent saying its employees had BEEN