The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1909-05-26
TiREsOME TARIFF TALK.

The prolonged discussion of the
tariff bill In the senate is giving the
business interests of country ."that
tired feeling" Information to that
effect was volunteered by James J..
Hill, the we'll known railroad msgnate,
during q recent visit in Washington,
who expressed the opinion that busi-
ness conditions would be greatly i'm.
proved by prompt action on the tariff
bill and the adjournment of congress.
In the neutrality-suspicious. criticism
and Misrepresentation to the contrary
notwithstanding-it is believed the
new tariff measure, when enacted, will
be 10 improvement upon the present
law. which has been in effect about
twelve years. The prediction Of IRE.
sponsible newspaper critics that
sufficient republican votes to pass the
bill will not be forthcoming, is dis-
cussed by the St. Louis Globe. DEMO-
crat in these remarks:
Az in nearly all tarriffs party lines
have been broken on the divisions on
certain duties in the Senate in the past
week. Some Republicans have voted
against the bill as it was shaped by
the Finance Committee. A few Demo.
Gratis have sided with the mass Of the
Republicans. 1t was the same way
when the Dingley tariff vas in our
of formation in the Senate. 1t vas go
also with the Mckinley bill of
1890. While the Republicans voted
against the Wilson.G orman Democra.
tic tariff Of 1894 as q whole, many Of
them voted for some of the advances
which made in the Senate over
the rates which appeared in the bill
as 1t passed the House.
Senator Cummins, when in the midst
Of his protest the other day against
certain duties in the bill, took pains
to say that he would vote for it In its
final shape, regardless of whether he
approved it in all its details or not.
This will be the position of Messrs.
LsFollette, Bristow, Dolliver and the
rest of the republican ''in surgents."
On the passage of the completed bill
the republican line will be unbroken.
The republicans have q majority of
twenty.eight in the Senate, but this
margin would be very narrow if all
the republican DIRECTORS to certain
provisions in the bill should go over
to the democratic side when that
comes up for final action.
No danger of this sort, however, need
be apprehended. While the Louisiana
senators and one or two other Demo-
Gratis will probably vote for the bill
in its completed shape, it will have
enough republican support to give it
a broad margin without any of this
aid.
1t is said that the presidents in
fluence in favor of downward revision
will be felt in the Senate in the clos
ing days of the discussion. Parti-
cularly will 1t be exerted IN the con.
ference committee, where a long fight
is expected between the two branches.
Always there is an exciting struggle
in the conference committee on tariff
bills. 1t vas so among the republic.
ans in the Dingley bill of 1897, in the
Mckinley act of 1890, and In the
Tariff Commissions bill of 1888.
Many newspaper readers recall the
weeks of conflict between the repre-
sentatives of the democratic House
and Senate in the conference commit
tee of 1894. The measure of 1909 can
not escape this ordeal. Among the
ten republicans of that conference
committee of sixteen members how
ever, the influence OF Mr.. Taft, it il
understood, will be active.