The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-07-09
TEN MEN ARE EXPECTED
TO FRAME Up A GAME
Some Leaders Expect Complete Fail.
ure of Committee and That Taft
VIII Have To Reconcile
All Differences.
BY WATTERsoN srEALEY.

Washington, July -(Special.)-With
the republican party in absolute control
of both branches of Congress, the Payne
Aldrich tariff bill, as 1t now goes to con-
ference, forms a piece of legislation so
utterly at variance with the expressed
pledges of the republican party as to
make one stand aghast at the audacfty of
the party's legislative representatives In
stead of reducing tariff rates the repub-
lican machine in the Senate has actually
increased them.
When the bill is agreed to in confer
ence 1t will be found that 1t does not
materially differ from the law now on
the statute books
In general the large increases made by
the Senate have been brought about by
Senator Aldrich with view of trading
with the House
Probably a majority of the amendments
made by the Senate Senator Aldrich has
no idea of maintaining. After a show
of fight he will consent to their reduc-
ton. a reduction which will generally
mean the re-enactment of the old Ding
ley rates.
The Biggest Farce.
The conference will form the biggest
farce of all and President Taft is put
down to play the star part. During the
course of the comedy it should always
be borne In mind that the conferences.
committee has nothing to do with the
items that have passed both the House
and Senate. AS these agreements en-
brace a big majority of the items In the
bill the measure already stands CON
demned in the eyes of those who expected
a reduction of rates; for an absolute con-
cession on the part of both Senate and
House to the lowest rate enacted by either
the one body or the other would still
leave the whole bill far short of a tariff
revision measure. So for all practical
purposes the tariff bill is pretty well writ
ten and In the hands of the President.
In the meantime, according to the pro-
gramme, the 10 republican members of
the conference committee are to get to-
gether and frame up a himfam game, de-
signed to make the people believe that the
concessions which are going to be made
by the Senate and the House, on the COM
paratively few items in conference. are
the fulfllment of the party pledge for
tariff revision. 1t is expected that for
a day or two some very gloomy reports
will come from the conference committee.
The story will leak out that there Is no
chance for an agreement. and that 1t may
be another Wilson BILL when the confer
ence committee was in session seven
weeks, two committees considering the
measure and being discharged.
Taft Is the Arblter.
About this time Senator Aldrch and
Representative Payne are going to carry
their troubles to the President, and the
upshot will probably be that they will
consent to abide by what the President
believes is right.
The President will be told that it is
impossible for them to reconcile their diff
ferences, that they have done everything
to bring about an agreement without sue
cess, that Congress cannot adjourn with
out passing a bill, and that they come to
him as a last resort to referee the dis
puted points.
There are not a few public men in
Washington who believe that there has
already been a repeal of this last act,
and that the President and Senator AL
drich are In agreement on two or three
of the schedules close TO the Rhode Island
senator's heart. In these, il is reported,
he will sustain him. the Rhode Island sem
ator In return gracefully yielding on other
disputed points.
Then there will be congratulations all
around. the Payne -Aldrich bill will be
declared the finest ever, and the consumer
told to go back to work, that he Is fast
entering upon a period of unexanlpled
prosperity all due to beneficient repub-
lican promises which have been made
good.