The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-06-08
TARIFF BILL WILL BE
READY BY MONTHS END
Some Fear the Debate Will Be Prolonged Until
the Fall, but Good Progress Is
Being Made.

especially large legislative bodies,
move slowly. There is always a vast
amount Of inertia to be overcome Of
course too many Senator's want to
make long-winded speeches. Nobody
denies that. And the vaunted free
dom of speech, of which the Senate is
very proud, is invariably abused and
the abuse is conspicuous when a great
measure is III hand. One hears vir-
tually the same speech iterated and
reiterated. II should be remembered
however, that the same thing happens
in the House Of Representative and
very, very much is said there which
contributes absolutely nothing to the
general enlightenment upon the ques-
ton at issue. There are some things,
however, which the politicians want
iterated and reiterated because that
helps drive statements home to the
minds of the people. The leaders re-
peat thing again and again on ex-
actly the same principle that a teacher
repeats an idea again and again to
the pupil.
Such proceedings pall upon the man,
who has grasped the idea when it
time to reach all parts of the United
States and to get a statement before
all the people and to impress it upon
them. The leaders know they make a
lot of folks very weary with their
asseverations but the end justifes the
means with them and the educational
campaign must always go hand in
hand with legislation of Importance.
For legislators know they must be
supported by public sentiment if they
wish to legislate successfully and,
during the proceeding they take care
to emphasize the principles upon
which they are working. The high
protectionists have been putting out
every conceivable argument in justifi-
cation of their position and likewise
the low protectionists, who come main
" from the middle western states, as
far as the Republicans are concerned.
That is why Senator Hale put out his
doctrine that it is not the manufac-
turer, protected by high tariff wall,
who raises the price of necessaries,
but the wholesaler. A score of like
instances might be cited in connection
with the Senate debate of the last
month
And when the last word has been
spoken and the bill has been signed
many of the malcontents, who have
been loudest in their censure, will look
back upon the events of two or three
months and reason that everything
has come out well. They might have
cut off some of the debate if they
could, but they will not look upon the
debates as entirely fruitless by any
means.
TIE Senate debates are making a
martyr-in the eyes of very many
Senators, even including those who do
not agree with him. That is Senator
Aldrich, of Rhode Island. OF course
he will get very little sympathy in
many parts of the country. To the
westward it is political advantage to
have denounced Aldrich and Aldrich-
ism.
But Senator Aldrich is carrying bur-
dens for many of his colleagues. These
are mostly Republicans, but there are
few Democrats among them. Some
Senator wants a duty raised or re-
tanned. What does he do forthwith ?
He hastens away to Senator Aldrich,
chairman of the Finance Committee.
He states his case. The merits of his
arguments are considered; also the
necessity of having that Senator's
vote to help drive the big bill through
the Senate. The request is granted in
! scores of cases. 1t is something that
a particular locality wants and the
Senator representing that particular
locality is ready to fight to the last
| ditch for it.
Other localities begin to cry out
| that it is to their disadvantage. The
! Senator who was originally back of
| the item is unknown to them. But
| Senator Aldrich stands forth as the
representation of that particular duty
and upon his broad shoulders falls all
! the blame. The Senator who asked
for it and urged it, sees no reason for
coming into the open and Saying that
he is the man who brought it about
That would not be practicable.
Most men would get jumpy an6
nervous under such a proceeding
They would answer back They might
stand few grillings in the Senate
| from Republican insurgents and Dem
ocrats, but some hot afternoon they
would snap gingerly at their critics
and show i'll temper.
For his calm and courteous bearins
under such trials the Rhodes Islant
Senator is really wonder. Whethe
men agree or disagr with his higl
protection ideas, they are concedin!
around the Senate that Mr.. Aldricl
has great patience and fortitude. o
course the Senators whose battles h
is fighting are especially grateful
: | They know that he has a lot of critic
upon his back and that the things h
is blamed fer are only in a compare
lively small part his own.
No one denies that senator Aldric
is a great standpatter and firm b,
lever in high protection. but even h
= would sometimes be willing to lower
duty. For example, some Easter
: Senators, who are his close friend
{ asked MIN the other day to lower tt
d duty on scrap iron. Very weH,'' sal
the Rhode Islander. Il think it ougl
y to be done. You had better see Sens
tor Burton of Ohio, and, also. Sc
. ator Root, of New York If they wi
consent there will be little difficult
) about it
Then the advocates of a lower du
- on scrap iron FASTENED off to see Sci
10 atOr Burton. II can not assent