Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1909-04-02
WASHINGTON LETTER.

From Our Regular CorresPendent.l
Washington, D. G., March 27.-The
eff'rontery of the Republican members
of Congress when there is tariff grab
in sight knows no bounds. Not only
is there an insistent demand that the
duty of 81 a thousand on lumber be re-
stored-the Payne bill places it at.Sl a
thousand-but even the advocates of
a specific duty on oil, in the interest it
is assumed of the Standard Oil Com
pany, are clamoiing loudly for more
protection than the bill affords. This
movement is being led by Representa-
tive Vreeland OF New York, but he has
associated with him Representative
woodward, Hughes and Hubbard OF
West Virginia, Joyce OF Ohio, Mondell
of Wyoming, Campbell of Kansas,
Tener, Wheeler, Langham, Cooper and
Bstes Of Pennsylvania, and number
others. Their claim is that free trade
in petroleum would benefit the oil wells
of Mexico to the deteriment of Ameri-
can industry. Those men have been
advised by the Republican leaders that
they had better rest content with the
countervailing duty already in the
Payne bill and which affords ample
protection to oil producers and refiners
for, says Chairman Payne and his asso-
ciates. if the House ever gets chance
to vote on the question, oil will be
placed on the free list as sure as fate.
Probably there was never a more
powerful lobby gatheredeein Washing
ton than that which represents the
lumbermen. Any member VI Congress
who is willing to attend, and there are
few who have refused, can enjoy din
nsr costing S. a plate, at the expense OF
the lun Der lobby and the representa-
tives of the industry "open cham
pagne,u costing 81 bottle every even
ing for those who will accept their hos
pitality. High prices have been offer
ed, and in some instances paid, to news
papermen whs would publish argu-
ments In favor of the higher duty on
lumber and every correspondents mail
is flooded with matter which it is hoped
he will send to his paper to help along
the game Of restoring the higher duty.
For the member of Congress and the
newspaper correspondent who are not
particular how they vote or what they
write these are halcyon days in Wash
ington.
Representative Champ Clarke, the
Democratic leader, has scored the
Payne bill from end to end and Chair
man Payne and his associates on the
Republican side did not enjoy the ex-
posture of the measure which Mr.. Clark
made, but that was two days ago and
now all is forgotten while, il the truth
must be told, there are some Democrat
ic members, men who take their orders
from Tamm any Hall, who will vote
with the Republicans on many Of the
schudles and, worse than that, they
will vote with the Republicans for
rule which will render impossible full
and tree expression Of opinion by the
of the House on the various
schedules.
The present plan of the House lead
ers is to secure the adoption of a rule
which will make it impossible for
members to get vote on any amend
'nent which is not reported by the COM
mittee on Ways and Means. The lead
ers realize fully that many of the mem-
5ers would not dare to go on record as
'avorlng snch provisions as the duty on
oil, for instance, and so they purpose to
ave them from the embarrassment by
he adoption Of rule. This means
hat the members will vote for a rule
putting gags in their own mouths and
hen vote for the bill in silence, and if
their constituents criticiss them for not
they will say "Why under
the rule / could not help myself"
When Colonel Roosevelt went to
Africa he took with him two Of the
lew sselectric sighted rifles which a
man named Leary has just invented.
These rifles have two tiny electric
lights, opposite the front and rear sights
Of the rifle respectively, and shaded
from the marksman's eyes, and they
are operated by small battery in the
,unstock. Much Of the shooting in
Africa will have to be done at night,
by moonlight, and it is expected that
The lighting Of the sights in this way
will greatly facilitate good marksman-
ship.