New-York tribune., 1909-05-08
SLOW WORK ON TARIFF
Il DINGLEY DUTY KEPT.
VOte on Lead Contents of Ore
Real Struggle To-day.
[From The Tribune Bureau ]

LFrom Tribune Bureau
/ Washington. May After all day debate COW
ering phases Of the tariff question. the Senate
late this afternoon voted. So 10, favor of the
Dingley rate of u cents pound the lead con-
tents Of ore. It the confident expectation of
the Republican leaders that this paragraph would
be adopted early in the day, and that many other
paragraphs would be favorably considered Sera-
/ tors Clapp Owen and Bacon interfered with this
programme by making general tariff speeches. and
some Of the Republican insurgents contributed to
the delay by demanding further information con-
cerning lead and its products. In the end every
vote recorded the Republican side in favor
of the Finance Committees recommenda tion, and in
addition Senators Hughes of Colorado and MCEn-
cry, of Louisiana Democrats. voted with the ma
jorty. Senator La Toilette withheld his vote, ex
planning that he had interest In some lead bear
ing property. and doubted the proprety of voting
The real struggle Will come tomorrow, when the
Senate resumes consideration Of the paragraph in
the chemicals schedule which provides for a duty
of 2Ts cents pound white lead and white pig
ment containing lead. The Republican progress
siveS' were satisfied vote for the Dingley duty
on the lead contents of ore. but will make ag
gressve fight reduce the differential lead prod
i-ucts- Senators Bristow. Cummins, Stone, Nelson
and others made speeches to-day in favor of lower
duty on white lead, and Mr.. Cummins announced
that he would offer amendment to reduce the
on this article from u cents 10 4 cents. Sena-
tors Aldrich, Borah Warner. Hepburn, Smoot and
Sutherland the principal defenders of the lead
duties. They took the position that the Dingley
duty lead in the would be of no avail 10 the
mining industry if the dfferential on lead products
was not maintained
The Republican leaders are annoyed over the
slow progress of the bill They hoped to dispose OF
at least two schedules this week but unless prog
ress tomorrow is more rapid than it has been for
the last few days the chemicals schedule will not
be finished when adjournment IS taken to-morrou
afternoon. II is probable that an effort viii he
made next week TO force night sessions. This will
be stubbornly resisted by Senator Bevertdge and
others. Following adjournment this afternoon an
informal conference of the Republican members Of
the Finance Committee was held In Mr. Aldrich's
room. While definite plan formulated It
was the sense of the conference that something
must be done 10 facilitate consideration of the
bill.
MR. CLAPP WARNS LEADERS
Senator Clapp started the debate to-day with an
attack on the Senate bill because It failed he said
10 respond 70 the promise of the Republican party
for downward revision. He appealed to the Re
publicans TO redeem their promises and declared
that the enemies Of the protective system would
make Il tariff law two years hence If the Repub-
licans failed to obey the popular mandate. IF
thought We were here merely to affirm the Dlngley
law would pack my grip and go home once"
he declared.
Mr. Ciapp said that Congress should have taken
up one schedule at time. in which event there
would not have been the great excitement and the
opposition that when all the tariff schedules
are taken FOR consideration.
The promise OF the Republican party. he said
was that the tariff should be revised downward
and he asserted that this promise had been made
in response to positive demand. He said the
position Of the protected interests was that we
should let well enough. alone" and on the part Of
the consumers that the tariff should be revised
You can't tell me- he added that the latter
demand did not mean that the tariff should be re
vised downward. To take any other position IS
mere boys play. nothing less than farce. and
not required participate in such farce as
the mere re-enactment Of the Dingley rates. The
people understand that are to have a revision
downward: the men who made the platform under
stood it, We understood it Everybody understood
It, and no amount Of sophistry otherwise
plain the popular demand and the party promise
If ths promise for a revision that would mean
the maintenance Of the Dingley rates than are
confronted by the righteousness OF the Chief Ex-
ecutive calling Congress together 10 revise some
thing that should stand unchanged until the end
Of time. When the people made the demand FOR a
tariff revision downward there suggestion
that these industries sufficiently protected
II the demand for revision did changing
the duties downward it did not mean anything and
indulging in farce now
Declaring that II Congress should fail now to
lower the tariff rates the Democratic party would
be put a position revise It years hence Mr.
Clapp said he did not wish 10 threats but mere
ly tell the truth
The American people," he added. have deter
else viii dsappoint them. II may be in your power"
he said, faced the Republican Senators TO
act contrary the wishes OF the people but
you 90 that years from this tariff
viii he revised not by the friends of protection |
but by the enemies OF protection
Mr. Clapp followed by Senator owen who |
spoke at length in support Of the constitutonay !
income tax law.
Mr.. Bacon's tariff speech came Unexpectedly |
while the Senate considering the lead para
graph. The Georgia Senator, who has been twitted /
considerably by Republican Senators because he |
faYors a high duty lumber and long staple |
cotton made dutiable, made a general attack on |
the protective system. He said it meant the rob }
Dery Of the American consumer to increase the |
profits of the producers and pointed out certain
incOngruities in the Woollen schedule. Senators |
Aldrich, Burkett and Gallinger disputed statements
OF the Georgia Senator TO the ad valorem duties
in the woollen schedule, and denied his charge that
the duties high on things consumed by the |
poor and low those purchased by the rich. In
closing his speech Mr.. Bacon obtained permission |
to have printed ia the Record an editorial ap- |
pearing in The Tribune to-day, which, he said,
well illustrated the general feeling among Republi- !
cans that the Senate bill does not meet the prom
ises of their party.
When the lead schedule again taken up for
consideration Senator Stone of Missouri. took issue
with his Republican colleague, Mr. Warner. on the |
duties provided, declaring that the rates of the
House bill were sufficient to protect the great lead
industry OF his state. and that increases made by
the Committee on Finance were unnecessary for
that industry.
Senator La Toilette read from newspaper
statement of agreement among the lead inter-
ests of the world by which they were assured of
harmonious action in fixing prices. The statement
also declared that the Guggenhems and other
great lead producers and manufacturers were in
cluded in the combination.
Just before the Senate adjourned the vote on