Evening star., 1909-05-18
OTHERWISE MUCH DELAY
Putting Up Fight to Strengthen
the House Conferees.
RISING TIDE OF RESENTMENT
RSeports Brought Back by Repre-
sentatives Who Have Been Back
to Their Districts.

high rates, SO that this will at least bear
the semblance of an honest revision down
ward, and there will be an early vote. If
you don't. 1t may take iong time-way
into July, perhaps-to set forth our rea-
sons for the necessity of reductions"
This Is the gentle intimation which has
been conveyed to the finance committee
high tariff men by the republicans who
desire to send to President Taft for his
signature a bill which he can look In the
face without blushing. 1t Is not in the
nature of threat to flibuster. 1t is ex-
planned. A filibuster in this case would
react, 1t is felt. as the Senate leaders
would Immediately set up the cry that the
business of the country was being de-
layed.
1t is suggestion in good faith, it is
declared that the revisionists will not
submit to the imposition of the finance
committees high rates without exposing
the situation to the country and will take
such time in doing 1t as may be neces-
sary. Some Of the republican revisionists
expressed the belief this morning that II
the finance committee makes concessions.
vote might be reached early in June,
about the 10th, perhaps.
The insurgents are not content to be
put off with the promise that the con-
cessions are to be made in conference.
''sight unseen as they used to say in
Uncle Joe Cannon's district.
On the contrary, one Of the impelling
motives In the present vigorous fight be-
ing made in the Senate for lower duties
by the insurgents is to strengthen the
hand of the House cOnferees when the
bill gets into conference. The conferees
always lay great stress on the division
they are fighting to sustain the action of
their own chamber. The Senate insur-
gents desire to make It clear that the re-
vision sentiment is strong In the Senate,
and thus give good cheer to the House
republicans who are struggling for low
duties.
Resentment of the People.
Every day of delay in the Senate. it
is claimed by the revsionists. serves to
fix the attention of the country upon the
fight for lower duties, and increases the
pressure to be brought to bear upon Con-
gress. Some of the members of the
ways and means committee who have
visited their districts during the loafing
time of the House are bringing back
grave reports o. the temper OF the people
in the middle states. They say that there
Is rising tide of resentment against
the finance committees high rates.
For one thing, the revisionists are hav-
ing the support of the metropolitan press
in the middle section of the country.
Every Minneapolis and st. Paul newspa-
per except one. democrat and republican.
is berating the bill. The Chicago newspa-
pers, with the possible exception of one
afternoon paper, are tearing the Senate's
bill to shreds. st. Louis. Omaha, Kansas
City and the smaller cities are following
suit. The effect Is being reflected in COM
munications to congressman. The man in
the street who hasn't the time nor the in
clinatiOn to analyze the tariff question is
being impressed with the view that he is
getting the worst of it. somehow other.
at the hands of the Senate and he is be-
ginning to protest.
In its ''cloistered aloofness'' the finance
committee may find cogent reasons for its
high rates, but it's reasons are not being
made clear to the country at large. Some
senators fear that the committee may be
taking the attitude of the official of the
New York Central railroad In his cee-
brated remark as to the public. At any
rate it is fact that the Chicago Rec
examples, are reaching more people with
their comments upon the high rates than
the finance committee with It's justiflca-
tion of them.
With the Bill in Conference.
There is one danger in the proposed
plan of leaving the lowering of duties to
the conferees to which the revisiOnists
are not blind. The conference committee
will have the opportunity. if it chooses.
to force the acceptance OF rates which
might be Objectionable, on the ground of
closing up the bill. When the conference
committee gets the bill everybody will be
worn out with the tariff question: the
summer will be on them and all will be
anxious to get away
1t is in such a sitdation that the con-
ferees who are the best "stayers"
usually win their point. and there is sus
picion that the high tariff men are like
ly to be pretty good stayers upon this
occasion. The bulk of the schedules will
be offered for acceptance in gross and
separate votes will be discouraged. Many
a jolly little joker will find snug harbor
under this practice.
For these considerattions-and some
others-the downward revisionists in the
Senate are inclined to Insist that the
finance committee make a showing of
the promised reductions In the Senate and
before the bill gets into conference.
To put it perhaps brutally, but never
theless truthfully,' remarked a Senate
republican to Star man today, we
know that what we get from the high tar
fY men will be what we can take from
them by force; just that much and no
more. They won't give US anything which
they don't have to give us. And we pro-
pose to get all we can. so that this bill
will no: give the lie to the republican
party nor insult the intelligence of the
country by claiming TO be tariff revision
when il is not revision as the people
trusted the republican party to undertake
and charged William H. Taft to see
done"