Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-29
CO[[APSES WITH FEAR LEADERS ARE PUZZLED
Kdnaper Is Terrorzed by PerpIexed Over Tariff Stua
Throng at Sharon. ton in the House.
CROWD FOLLOWS TO JAIL CONFERENCE Is PROPOSED
Unmoested
Willie Whitlas Home Wants It Soon.
HEARING AFTERNOON CLAMOR FOR AMENDMENTS
of Bill
nandB Mercer
NotW o at Times
PerpIexed Over Tariff Situa-
tion in the House.
CONFERENCE is PROPOSED
Speaker Cannon Wants Action and
Wants It Soon.
CLAMOR FOR AMENDMENTS
Resumption of Debate Upon the Bill.
MI. James Favors Suspension
of Duties at Times.

The cloud of perplexity and embar
rassment which has hung over the
House leaders in their efforts to pass
the Payne tariff bill intact was as
dense as ever today. 1t may have a
silver lining. but it is not yet appar
ent The leaders are cropping their
way. one foot a time, and with the
fervent prayer for guidance in their
hearts. They know that somehow,
some time. in some way. they are COM
ing out all right; they've got to, that's
ALL
Yesterday was day of conference
without result. Like old Omar in the
Rubiyat. they held much argument
with learned men, but come out tine
same door that they entered. They
are at it again today, with furrowed
brow and anxious mien.
The question is how to pass the bill
without having it walloped out of all
shape by amendment. and yet how is
this to be done without sacrificing the
men whose constituents are clam
oring for such amendment? 1t Is not
mere pride of authorship which ami
mates the ways and means committee.
and through them the House leaders.
in the desire to pass the bill intact; it
is a realization of the fact that it
would be impossible to frame q bill
which would please everybody, and
that somewhere along the line there
must be an authority to decide upon
bill which is a compromise on the part
of all factions.
Some interests must inevitably yield
to a reduction of duties, some sections
must suffer what they consider dis
elimination. Each interest and section
believes in having the other section
and the other interest do the suffering.
The leaders do not see at this time just
exactly what course can be followed to
compose the dissensions among repub-
licanS.
Calling in Absentees.
Representative Dwight, the whip" Of
the majority. is calling in the absentees
to be on hand by next Thursday. 1t is
explained that they are needed anyhow,
as quorum is daily lacking. 1t Is de-
sirable, moreover. to have them here to
get their views on the course OF proce-
dure. A caucus may be held, but Is
widely deprecated.
conference of republicans. without
binding qualities, Is also under discus
sion. This plan would be to get the re-
publicans all together and discuss their
difficulties, sound the sentiment and
evolve suggestions. Later CAUCUS might
develop from the showing made in the
conference-or it might not.
No one in the coterie of leaders is try
ing to drive the House AS czar. Speaker
Cannon is a total failure He is the
mldest hammered despot one ever saw
He doesn't ask much; all he wants Is
action. and that of the speediest kind.
Delay is costing the business of the
country $1O.OUU.OoO a day." the Speaker
is reported as remarking to friend to-
compromise. and feel sure the repub.i-
can party in Congress realizes that fact
and will get together on a bill to be
passed by a majority of republican votes"
Mr.. James Attacks the Bill.
What may be the last week of gen.
eral debate on the tariff bill was be-
gun in the House of Representatives to-
day. The session convened at 10 o'clock
with every prospect Of a busy day of
speechmaking.
Declaring that the Payne bill "goes
one step further in the pillaging of hui
manity," Mr.. James of Kentucky asked:
What is a reasonable profit that the re-
publicans claim the measure would al
low. Who shall decide?" He asserted
that the so-called reasonable profit was
to be upon watered stock and fictitious
values.
Mr.. James characterized the tariff on
farm products as "a delusion and q snare
ana most cOnSOmnldte fraud.
Mr.. James attacked the maximum and
minimum features of the bill strenuously.
He declared that the plan of the tariff
was that of Furnishing the American con-
sumner because the governments across
the sea will not deal fairly with American
manufacturers. Your whole vision" he
said, .'only includes the manufacturer"
Proposed Suspension Of Duties.
Mr.. James announced his intention Of
offering an amendment which would
bring relief to the consumer. That
amendment. ne said, would give the
President authority to suspend the import
duties on commodities or articles of mer-
chandise of foreign make, where the val
lIe of similar commodities or articles Is
enhanced in consequence of any trust or
monopoly.
Let us punish the manufacturer" he
exclaimed, IF he fails to deal fairly with
the people, He insisted that wherever
the maximum rate shall be applied II
would wipe of the free list at least fifty
articles. He denounced the sugar and
tobacco trusts. and argued at some length
for an income tax. declaring 1t to be most
fair and equitable.
Speaks for Coal and Lumber.
Holding to the view that the bill con-
tanned provisions which injuriously af
feet two of the great interests Of his
state. Mr.. Cushman (Washington) the
new republican member of the committee
on ways and means. pleaded for better
protection to American lumber and for
duty on coal
He favored the ample protection Of
American industries.
An altitudinous tariff wall has no ter
rors for me-" he exclaimed. The demo-
Gratis. he said. had characterized the bill
iniquitious. but although there were
some features not entirely to his liking.
he did not condemn 1t whole. He
asked where was their substitute. at the
same time remarking that II was easy to
criticisc. but that IL took genius to
create. II would be. he declared. an in
teresting contribution TO the political lit
eraturc of the nation to have printed
side by side in deadly parallel columns"
exactly what bill the democrats proposed
as a substitute for the Payne bill.
Mr.. Cushman declared that the condi-
III. ms We're far better today than they
were under democratic rule.
Cushman's Statements Disputed.
His statements were disputed by Mr..
Weisse fWis.p, who declared that in the
last eighteen months 10 oer cent of the
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