The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-04-12
THE DUTY WHICH CON-
FRONTS THE SENATE.

The Payne bill has passed the House;
better than when it was introduced, but
get most unsatisfactory measure.
1t has gone to the Senate, where a
substitute bill has been prepared, with
out reference to the contents of the
House measure, which will become the
basis of the Senate's discussion.
The Senate finally must decide, in the
next two months, what sort of revision
the country shall have.
If the Senate will encourage the eoun-
try to do so, it viii be glad to put a
clothespin on its nose, fan the odors
aside, and forget the Payne measure
and the scandals attendant on its pre-
Parstion, its consideration, and its pas
sage 1t will be well for the Republi-
can party if the Senate, in its wisdom,
shall decide to give this encoura cement.
The only way the Senate can induce
the country measureably to forget the
Payne measure, is to produce one so
vitality and fundamentally different
that the recollection of the Payne
measure will come to be thought of
only as a nightmare.
That means that the Senate must
take hold of its work with the de-
termined purpose to produce a measure
(Which shall give that consideration to
The public, the masses, the millions of
consumers, which was so studiously de-
MED in the preparation of the Payne
measure.
1t is useless now to defend the PAYNE
measure. Too much is known about
the influences that dominated its max
ing and its passage. 1t is too well I'M
derstood that as to oil, and lumber, the
tea and coffee duties, fhe hosiery and
gloves, the beer tsx, and many other
items, that the majority of the Ways
and Means Committee was not pleased
with its own measure. Those things
were forced into the measure by pres
sure which the committee dared not
ignore. II is not necessary to indicate
more plainly from what quarter the
pressure came. The pressure which
forces q great committee like Ways
and Means TO remodel a bill in the last
hours before introducing it can come
from but one quarter.
There have been times when, because
it could be done more or less in the
dark, an outrageous tariff bill could be
passed without bringing down full
retribution on those responsible. That
time is past The country knows SC
much about how the interests" have
controlled this business thus far, that
they will believe the worst henceforth
The Senate must convince the country
that it is undoing the wrongs of the
House measure. or else the country will
insist on Furnishing somebody.
There are conflicting stories as Ia
what the Senate will do. But there j,
no unce rtainty about what it ought ia
do, and must do. if it will save the next
House to the party in power. 1t must
revise the tariff in the interest of the
consumers. It must keep out Joker.
and snakes and elsndestine preference:
for powerful interests. II must cut out
those that are now in the measure.
k-is tremendous task that hsl
been turned over to the Senate. Tn,
bin must be better bill, in view OF
the fearful series of exposures which
has accompanied the House considera
tiOn of the measure, than it would
otherwise have needed to be. The coun
try is in hypercritieal mood. II vii
stand no nonsense