The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-04-23
Secretary of Commerce and
Labor Authorized to Com
pare Tariffs of France,
Germany and y. S.
LEADERS, SINCERITY
is NOW QUESTIONED
Certain Republican Senators
Are Now Very Suspicious
And Protest the People Are
Being OoubIecrossed.

Washington, April 23.-The senate
adopted resolution calling on the Sec
retary of commerce and labor for 3
comparative statement of the tariffs
of the United States, Germany and
France.
Several discordant notes were heard
yesterday in the tariff revision chorus,
with which the senate is being enter
tanned these days, under the leader
ship of Senator Aldrich, of Rhode
Island.
The notes were discordant because
they were struck by republicans, for
1t is but natural to expect the aver
age democrat to oppose features OF
the pending bill in which his consti-
tuents are not particularly interested.
Three or four Of the republicans
protested against the Payne-Aldieh
schedules-that is. some of them-and
charged that the leaders of congress
pie, who had every reason to expect
that the revision would be primarily
for their benefit, instead of serving
the special welfare Of certain indus
tries and interests.
Incidentally it cannot be repeated
too often. that selfishness is the pre-
.aemiaatinG 6otes4S ~ Payne hill. -
we'll - In the measure reported by
Senator Aldfich from the finance COM
mittee. Neither can 1t be stated too
many times that If the masses Of the
people expect to deprive any material
benefit from the legislation that is
now being formulated it. behooves
them to make known their desires in
a more emphatic manner than they
have yet exhibited. Protests against
schedules, which will tend to preserve
high prices of everyday necessities
and to keep up the cost of living,
should be made now in order to be
effective. A month from now they
will be too late.
"vox Populi!" 10 Heard.
"vox Populi!" was heard on the
floor of the senate yesterday after
noon, when Dolliver of Iowa and Mel
son Of Minnesota, whose. republican
ism is unquestioned, demonstrated
against the manner in which the re-
vision bill was being constructed.
Dolliver sarcastically predicted that
when 1t was completed it would be SO
much like the Dingley bill that, unless
materially modified, it would look like
its twin. The people would then won
der what was the great emergency
which impelled President Taft to call
an extra session of congress
1t was his understanding that, when
the special session was called, the
Dingley rates were actually going to
be revised downward for the benefit
Of the masses of the people, but neith-
er the Payne bill nor the Aldrich sub
stitute seemed to serve that particu.
lar purpose. Dolliver called special
attention to the cotton schedules, and
pointed out their iniquities.
The democratic party should be
forever grateful to Knute Nelson, the
hardy and unprotentious Norwegian
for administering a dose Of Prussic
acid to campaign slogan which has
been worked to frazzle by the repub.
licans.
Nelson also was protesting against
the make-believe revision which Al.
drich is trying to Jam through the
senate, and. in the course of his caus.
tic remarks, discredited the claim
made on the stump by thousands OF
republican orators during the last Is
years, that the Wilson, German tariff
law, passed by democratic congress
In 1894. was primarily responsible for
the hard times. which. happily. came
to close soon after the election OF
Mckinley in 1896.
Charged to Free Silver.
Nelson said frankly that the CHIEF
cause of the panic in 1893 and the en-.
suing year of distress was the agita.
ton over free silver. and prosperity
was restored because the election OF
Mckinley insured the establishment
Of the gold standard
1t would be just as reasonable to In.
sist that the panic OF 1907 was attri
butable to the Dingley tariff as that
the preceding panic was due to the
Wilson-Gorman act The panic of two
years ago was caused by Wall street,
Nelson said.
To the democrats. Nelson's candid
statement was as the breath of life to
: man asphyxiated. and 1t may be TAX
en- for granted that his remarks will
b sprung on the republicans hereaf.
ter whenever they are audacious