The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1909-05-07
SMALL PROGRESS
ON TARIFF BILL
CUMMING MAKES EXHAUSTIVE
PLEA FOR A DOWNWARD
REVISION.
ENGAGED IN COLLOQU|ES
With Republican Senators-Amusng
Incidents Come Up-Beverdge
Enters Discussion. Favoring
CumminS.

Washington May C.-But small
progress was made in consideration
of the tariff bill by the senate today,
the lead schedule being u"der discus.
sion. Rristow made a strong fight
against an increase in the rates of
the schedules over the duties prOvid.
ed in the house, on the ground that
increase the cost of paint which farm
crs use extensively During the Il s,
ICussion, Bcveridge and Gallinger en-.
gagged in a sharp cOll0quy during
which GalIirGer acused the Indiana
senator cf advertising his own wares.
Earlier in the day Cumins address Il
the senate in fabor of lower duties es.
pecially in the iron and steel schal
| Iulcs. He declared that the people
would take matters in their own
ha-1s if the law did not check the
monopolies, and said Z that in that
event convenient lamp posts would
be found,
Advocating 4 downward revision OF
| the tariff, Senator Cummins, in the
course of his speech on the Aldrich
/ bill, engaged in sharp colloquies with
other republican senators over certain
provisions of the pending measure.
He comerded the recent speech Of
his colleague, Dolliyer, attacking the
bill. He denied yhat the Finance
committee composed of honorable
intelligent, bright minded and expe-
nant of republican doctrine II is not
the only repository of republican
faith"
Stating that he was one of the "re-
publleans who had fought for il ite
vision of the tariff, Cummings de.
cIarod, mot a single Member Of that
committee had been among these re-
lpublicans who had demanded a reyis
ion of the Dngley bill They did rot
! believe revision was necessary and it
was no wonder that they should not
now favor changes in duties"
Cumirs asked the finance commit
tee to explain why the duty on oil
cloths had been doubled by making il
appear to narrow widths, and was
joined in this request by Beverdige.
Flint, of the committee, replied that
the answer would be made in due
time AID added that if the members
of the fnancc committee "had the
ability Of the senator from Indiana
they would give the answer off hand -
1--WE must have a better answ ar
than that, retorted Beyeridge
There are three members fro mthe
finance committee here The senator
! from Iowa wants to know why this
rate was raised 100 per cent and /
think he had right to know"
81 want to call the attention of the
scrator from Indiana TO the fact that
teh duty on chloroform has been re-
duced fft yper cent, interposed Me-.
son amid general laughter.
at is evident that that reduction
had no effect upon the senator from
Irdiana'. said Flint
Smoot explained that the oil cloth
duty had been put up to protect the
| American producers hut before he
had concluded he was interrupted by
Cumns who said he did not care TO
give way to a speech, and wanted IN
lexplanatior less thrcadbare. He want
ed to protect the home manufactures
but he wanted 10 know why these du
ties had been raised
Cummins stated that he had In I
special opportunities for understand
ing the affairs of the American Ste,
ard Wire Company Owen inquired
how he had acquired such special ir-
formation.
Il was attorney for the company"
replied the Iowan.
Scott inquired whether the senator
had received his fee as attorney in
money or in stock
"If ! had lived in West Virginia"
responded Cummins. "and had been
surrounded with the Influences prevq-
lert there, | fear I would be ashamed
TO answer; but as I live in Iowa
where there is an honest atmosphere
can reply that my pay was in cash.
and ! had nothing whatever to do
with the capital stock issued" Fur
Ither replying to Scott. C1lmmirgs said
the stock of the steel corporation
had gone up so high because Of IFS
unlawful profits.
Unlawful from a moral standpoint
IL mean. he said. He further do
clared that from a moral standpoint
the profits were dishonest He 81
THAT the corporation could not pro
lduce a single ton Of steel more cheaf-
" than could its constituent com
panies He denied that IL was COOP
D.. rstive To any extent. saving that rs
employees had been allowed TO pur
Ichase stock, as any one else could do