The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-04-03
Dissatisfied Members OF Con-
gress, Both Democrats and
Republicans, Are Making
Dark Threats.
DEMAND THE CHANGES
THEY WANT IN BILL
Political Lines CrumbIe Before
The Demand for "Protec-
ton" Against All Foreign
Competition.

Washington, April 3.-How to cir
cumvent the Ways and Means commit
tee is problem to which fully two
score republican members of the house
are devoting themselves with frantic
energy.
Conferences are being held to frame
up combinations to defeat some of the
schedules in the Payne bill, and also to
prevent the adoption of important
amendments, which the committee ex-
poets to report next week after the
close of the general debate.
The coal and lumber interests, whose
objections to the bill have been ex-
planned before, are extremely active.
Threats are being made by republican
representatives who are dissatisfied
with these schedules to form an alli-
entirely unless concessions are made
to them. But it happens that party
lines will be disregarded when it comes
to voting, for among the democrats
there are as ardent protectionists as
among the republicans.
No Plan Of Action.
In this connection it is worthy of
remark that the democrats are pursu-
ing anything but a concerted plan of
action, and apparently are missing a
fine opportunity to make political cap
ital for use in the next congressional
elections.
The democrats are just like the re-
publicans when forced into a position
of mixing business with politics, for
then politics becomes merely incidental
to the more important question of con-
serving the business interests of the
country, or Of particular localities.
Desperate Opposition.
Coal and lumber are mentioned in
the foregoing merely as illustrative of
the desperate character Of the opposi-
ton on the part of members of both
parties to schedules which are Objec'
tionable to certain constitupencies.
Political lines crumble before the de-
mand for protection" against foreign
competition. and the representatives OF
a great variety of interests are on the
ground to facilitate this disintegrating
process. Interests large and small
are represented in large numbers, and
there is feverish activity to induce the
Ways and Means committee to modify
many of the Payne schedules.
Failing to secure what they want
these business agents will appeal to the
senators to give them what they think
is their right under the policy of pro-
lection" to American industries. Sen
ator Aldrich, the chairman of this
committee on finance of the upper
house. went to New York yesterday
partly to escape the numerous impor.
tunities which are coming from bust
ness men who are dissatisfied with the
Payne schedules.
Reach Agreement.
Before he left the city, however, the
senator had talk with the president
and the two men came to an agreement
in regard to a material change in the
maximum and minimum tariff actor
Of the house bill. The provision al
present is designed to work automat
icalfy and confers upon the president
that is, the executive branch Of thu
government,-practi no discretion
airy authority with respect to the en-
forcement of the maximum rates
against foreign countries which prac
tice tariff discrimination of any sor'
against the United States.
y,,iffoo wil1 modify
this so as to give the administrator
specific power in the premises. Thi:
will be done by making the minimum
rates applicable to all entries for pc
riod of 10 or IL months, and then th'
maximum rates will apply to all coun
tries which have been unable to show
that their tariff laws do not favor thi!
country to the same extent as ever!
other country. These demonstration
will have to be given by the diplomatic
representatives of foreign nations WHIT
are stationed at Washington.
Taft Approves It.
The president is also in hearty sym
pathy with that section of the Payne
bill which provides for the fixing o
the actual valuation of importation'
at the ports of entry in this country
instead of as shown in the invoice:
prepared abroad. This. in his judg
ment. is one of the most important fea
lures of the measure, for there have
been gross and outrageous undervalu
atoms on the part of European export
ers and American importers.
The debate in the house yesterda,
was strikingly indicative of the dissat
isfaction with particular schedules o.
the Payne bill. 1t was also illustra
tive of the fact that Democrats II
many instances are as thorough pro-
tectionists as republicans when tar
IF law is being framed. although they
occupy different positions at Other
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