The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-02-08

as the tariff Is concerned, Aldrlch
still controls the senate.
The Democrats, in house or senate,
are in no position to offer real oppo-
sition to any Republican tarlf bill
in the coming session. There will
be the usual heavy oratorlcal bonn
bardment, but IL the Republicans
should suddenly interrupt the thunder
Of deunciation with an ultimatum to
"toke the tariff and revise 1t your
selves or else shut up" a PAINFUL sill
ence, heavy as tho dome, would set
lie down upon the capitol and the
footprints in the mud outslde would
all point away from That building
The footprints would be far apart,
too, indicating lengthy strides.
When the Republican members of
the ways and means committee after
the open hearings drew aside from
the Democratic members to draft the
party bin they followed time honored
custom, but they overlooked great
opportunity. III they had invited
Champ Clark, Underwood, Bourke
Cochran and the rest to join with
them in drafting the Payne bill those
Democrats would have been in a
tight place.
Prayers have been offered in Ozark
mountain churches for a duty on
zinc, Florida loudly demands protec-
tion for circus fruits, Alabama is as
fussy about the steel schedule as
Pennsylvania Texas shrieks at every
mention of free hides, Louisiana has
sugar and rice to look after and the
larger portion of the minority mem
bers in both houses would be afraid
to so home after helping to frame
such a bill as they will loudly demand
in speeches en- the floor. They will
deliver the burning words which they
are now digging out of quotation
books with one eye shut in a genial
wink toward their colleagues on the
Republican side. The Republicans
will wink back. According to the
code. the Democrats are entitled to
grab as mach protection for their
home products as they can get away
with, and to Shrek about protection
being robbery meanwhile. That is
politics.
There has probably never been a
time in tariff history when the hy-
pocrisy of this attitude was so frank
ly recognized, and accepted, as IN this
present revising. The Republicans
are ust as badly muddled, split and
discrganized as the Democrats, and
they have both sympathy and envy
because the Democrats don't have to
be responsible for bill. 1t IS the
present intention Of Champ Clark and
his colleagues not to frame one,
especially If the Payne bill begins as
a radical revision measure. Instead
they will point with pride TO this, as
concession to which the Democrats
have forced the Republicans and de-
nonce 1t for not going far enough in
specific cases.
Everything in this situation, both
parties disorgan!zed and at sea as to
policy, the general pressure for pro-
tecdon the country oyer distressed
and anxicus business slowly recoy-
erlnS from panic times, and revision
sentiment vague and lacking definite
expression in terms of schedules, to
help Senator Aldrlch with his pur-
pose to pass conservative bill
There is The added argument Of a
growing deficit in the treasury and
the expenses of the government rap
id!y mounting to help him. Even
he Democrats, seeking political cap
tai, must face the fact that revision
must proceed with an eye on the
revenues.
The ready Republican answer to
demand for s!ashes in certain sched-
ules will be: "Weil, where would
you get the money!" And Champ
Clark passively stool for the two bat.
tleship bin which the house passed
recently while many of his followers
voted in favor Of It,.