The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1909-04-23
SENATE DEMOCRATS
WANT TOBACCO TAX
LEFT At SIX CENTS
THINK THAT FARMER SHOULD
COME IN FOR SOME
PROTECTION.
TRUSTS OPPOSE THIS ACTION
Minority Will Not Be Bound on Ger.
tain sehedules-smalI Number %
Amendments Causes Comment.
Only Ten offered.

WASHINGTON, April 1.-THE
Senate Democrats have agreed To
stand solidly against the action OF Sem
ator Aldrich in striking from the
Payne bill the provision removing
the tax OF cents on leaf tobacco in
the hands of the farmer. The matter
was brought up in conference by SEN
ator Payner, of Kentucky, who ex-
planned to the Democrats the neces-
sity of united action. Only few OF
the Senators present, those from to-
bacco-producing States, understood
the question or knew a subject so vital
to the tobacco growers was contained
In the original bill.
While a number of Senators have
received letters from the tobacco In.
terests asking them to respect the
efforts being made to reinstate the
provision placed in the bill by the
House, there seems to be no doubt that
the Democratic side will unitedly OPP
pose the Aldrich programme. The
House members from tobacco grow
ers' States are quite enthusiastic over
the action of the Senate Democratic
conference, and they are hopeful or
being able to pick up enough Repub-
lican votes to put up good fight
against the organization.
The Democratic conference Friday
was harmonious throughout. The dis
cussion pursued wide range OF sub
iects. but there was little reference to
specific schedules.
Reports to the effect that there
would be an effort to bind the minority
on certain schedules of the bill are
without foundation. These reports
had particular reference to the lum-
Der and hides schedules AS a ma
iority of the Democrats are In favor
of a revenue" duty on both materials,
some discussion arose as to the WIS
dom of attempting to get a united
vote. 1t was decided, however, that
If there was an attempt to bind the
minority members on one schedule.
the advocates of some other schedule
would come forward in the interest
of a duty on an article they sought
to Get protected, with the result that
there would be an interminable mix
up, a small minority being constantly
at daggers' points with the body OF
the Democratic Senators.
The conference is, therefore, such
In every sense Of the word and is not
binding caucus. Only on the gem
eral propositions, upon which most OF
the Democrats are agreed, 1t is to be
expected that there will be unanimous
votes. These include the income tax
feature, the reduction Of duties to
minimum on the necessities OF life,
perhaps horizontal reduction OK
about one fourth in the motion TO re-
commit. and, as adopted Friday, the
removal of the tax on leaf tobacco.
The information conferences now
being held by the Senate Democrats
indicate that they are much more har-
monious than the Republican side OF
the chamber. and the votes are ex'
pected to show that the Democrats
will put up a better front than the
Republicans.
rlxtnU nnOn the
small number of amendments so far
intended to be proposed to the Payne
Aldrich tariff bill At this period IN
the legislature status of the Dlngley
measure fully 100 amendments were
pending, whereas only ten have SO
far been offered. The day Is, OF
course, young and the usual number
may be forthcoming OF the ten
amendments, Bailey, of Texas, has ln-
troduced one, the income tax provis-
ion. Stone. of Missouri has intro
duced his Philippine amendment; Bev-
eridge. of Indiana. an amendment tax
ing the transfer OF property; Cum
minis an amendment taxing non-eom-
petitive articles, while Senators New
lands and Brown have introduced
minor amendments. In addition Sen-
ator Daniel, of Virginia, has intro
.duced an amendment taxing the gross
eceipts of corporations IL per cent.
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