The Detroit times., 1909-05-27
PLEDGE IS
BROKEN IN TARIFF
ADJUSTMENT
Republican Leader of Wisconsin
Says Aldrich Bill Revises Upward
and Every Man Who Supports
1t Is Guilty of Bad Faith.
People Asked for Revision Down
ward and Speakers Pledged This
From Platform.
IA TOILETTE.
BY gibson GARDNER.

WASHINGTON, ID. c., May 81
What DO think Of the tariff"
Senator La Toilette looked at his
Questioner and was silent. Then he
looked about the room-his study
piled with open books, Uttered with
pamphlets, strewn with corded-up man.
uscript aud typewriter copy.
4 That's what you THINK" was sug.
gested. Volumes
He nodded
The Aldrich bill is
Bad"
why? In what respect more than
another"
Il can't at the moment think Of any
respect in which II isn't bad"
Which way does II revise-up or
DOWN."
Upward. have the figures. !
shall make II a matter OF mathemati-
cal demonstration before this business
Is over
Isn't that what the people want?"
DO the people want the burden Of
taxation laid more heavily ON their
Gacks?"
But the people asked a revision
OF the tariff and the Republican party
promised that"
Revision downward. That Is what
the people asked. And that is what
the platform makers pledged outward
ly. And that is what was-in fact
pledged by every candidate and party
man who made speech on this sub
iect. II is nonsense 10 pretend that
this Is not true"
Then somebody is guilty of bad
faith?"
Every man who supports the Aid
rich bill IL guilty OF bad faith
But they say the bill will be i'm
proved In conference"
II have seen bills improved In con-
ference before. | remember how Mr..
Aldrich sent the emergency currency
act to conference with Ave improve
ments which had been added In the
senate. And | remember how IL came
back stripped of all Of them. incluc-
ling that for strengthening bank re-
serves, and then-in the rush AMI
urgency OF winding up the business
|of the senate-it was approved. Tnis
is the Aldrich way"
you don't think tariff laws should
be made behind closed doors?"
Nor any other kind of laws. Pub
|licity is the one great safeguard TO the
! r copies liberties. | propose to fight
1.-The effort to suppress debate"
Are there efforts OF that sort?"
There are Every dav the inter
Tests which Aldrich represents In the
IN
matter TO the closed-door conference
|committee stage. They don't like this
talk. Mr.. Root sneers at senators
Ewho talk--'for home consumption.
talk for home consumption-and for
1.-The consumption OF all the homes in
the United States. The people ought
to understand that they are being
robbed would like TO talk to them
until they understand that they are
|beiug fooled: that they are being lied
Ito by Aldrich: that they are standing
like patient pack-mules while the
Aldriches, Roots and Gallthgers OF the
senate add more pounds to the bur
|den OF taxation-more dollars 10 the
|poor mans cost OF ifyfng
"Is Aldrich great tariff expert?"
II venture to assert that Aldrich
.cannet supply the fundamental data
necessary TO defend the schedules
which he has prepared. BY that
'mean that he cannot defend his bill
even according to the standards laid
down in the party platform. He does
mot know the simple fundamental
Things essential to be known in franz
ling a tariff He has met inquiries by
levasion.
And yet this is the man who asks
the country to take the bill reported
from the seances OF his finance CON-
'mittee and swallow II without ques-
|tion This Is the man whose hench-
men are going about inveighing
.against people who insist on asking
about increases in the tariff schedules
and the finance committee suggests