The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1909-06-03
Special Session VIII Hardly
Adjourn Before
August Let.
DEMOCRATIC INCONSISTENCY
President Taft and the Eastern
Judgeship - The Aftermath as
Seen by . Prominent Republican
He Blames the Republican Pat
ronage Machine for the Party's
Loss Of the Jndgeship-Other In
teresting Notes On the Judgeship
Matter.
Washington, ID. c., June /, 1903.
Especial to The Caucasian.)

"oSAn6sons II. 1-s June Is isUS,
Especial to The Caucasian.)
The extra session with its much
discussed and much misunderstood
tariff bill drags its weary length
apace. A few weeks ago the tarifs
leaders confidently declared that
they would finish the bill and ad-
journ by the middle of June. A week
ago the most sanguine fixed July lst
to July 18th, and now none dare to
hope to finish before August 1st.
This prolonged discussion OF the
tariff bill has been due to the fact
that the stand-patters and high pro-
tectionists who want to revise the
tariff upwards instead of downwards
are determined to have their way;
while on the other hand there is a
well-organized, well-informed and
fighting force in Congress which is
determined the bill shall not pass
without the most thorough investi-
cation and ventilation to the end
that the pledges of the party and of
the President may be kept by MAX
ing substantial revision down
wards.
Thus the war will go on between
those who are determined to revise
upward and those who are deter
mined to revise downwards, and it
seems that in the end the high pro-
tectionists will be forced to yield uR-
less President Taft himself shall
weaken, which no one expects.
If the high protectionists would
agree tomorrow to prepare a bill
in harmony with the Republican
pledges in the last campaign, the
bill could even now be passed and
Congress adjourn by June 18th, the
first early date mentioned.
Democratic Inconsistency.
1t is difficult for visitor to Wash
ington to look on from the gallery.
hearing the speeches and see the
votes on the various schedules, to
determine which side is Democratic
and which side is Republican, and
indeed to determine whether or not
there Is any Democratic party left.
A number OF. Southern Democrats,
including Senator Simmons of North
Carolina, are out declaring in favor
of high protection on certain articles.
The Democratic platform declared
for free lumber. The House bill
put a duty of one dollar per thou
sand on lumber. Senator Simmons
recently voted with the extreme high
protectionists to raise the House
rate to two dollars per thousand.
This view did not surprise those who
followed Senator Simmons course in
also voting for a ship subsidy in vi
olation of his party pledges.
On how many articles Senator
Simmons and other Southern Demo-
Gratis will join Senator Aldrich and
the high protectionists who are
pressing for extreme duties remains
to be seen, but 1t is generally under
stood here that Senator Aldrich is
confident of majority of the Demo-
cratic votes on almost any schedule
where he may need their votes.
How much truth there is in this,
We do not know; but there are indi-
cations that seem to look that way,
We shall see what we shall see.
President Taft and the Judgeship.
It is reported here that when
President Taft recently visited Char
lotte that there was only a handful
of Republicans present, and that
this was very noticeable, inasmuch
as his trip followed closely after his
appointment of Democrat for the
Eastern Judgeship.
One thing is certain, from the in
formation that constantly comes here
from the State, and that is, that
every Republican in the State, out
side of the pie-brigade. openly ex-
pressed their disappointment and
chagrin that the President should
have been so far mis1ed as to appoint
any Democrat for Judge when there
were a number of Republican law.
yers equal in ability, in character
and in every qualification. to say the
least, to Judge Connor or any Dem.
ocrat.
The Presidents high ideal, as an
nounced in his Augusta speech, fol
elevating the judiciary, met the ap
proval of every American citizen wor
thy of the name; but the great re
gret is that he should have beer
misled into misapplying that princi
pie in this case. It not only was no
necessary for him to appoint Dem
ocrat Judge In this instance, but thu
result is a gross injustice to the Re
publicans of the State. for it adver
tised them to the world as not hav
ing within their ranks a man fit fo
this position. and every one know
that the reverse Is the fact.