The Washington herald., 1909-07-19

The tariff situation has resolved Itself
into the question whether President Taft
can obtain the votes Of enough Senators
to grant him the downward revision upon
which he insists.
This week will see the crisis In the
tariT battle. BY Wednesday or Thursday
the conferees OF the Senate and the House
will be ready to report. and II their
agreements with regard 20 the classihca-
ton Of raw materials is not satisfactory
TO Mr. Taft. it is pretty certain that the
House VII reject the report and tell its
representatives TO do what the President
wants
Hopes to Get Votes
The President believes that he can get
the votes he wants in the Senate in or
der 20 put coal. hides, petroleum, and
/ iron ore on the free list
| Members Of the Senate conference CON-
mittee are inclined 70 smile over the
| Presidents optimism. but are willing 70
give him every opportunity and as much
| encouragement as they can consistently
toward carrying out his programme.
! Taken as a whole, the Senate eonferees
are inclined TO sympathize with the Presi-
/ dents desire for free raw materials. BY
the people they are regarded as stand
patters Of the deepest dye: In reality
/ they want 10 mold a tarin law that will
be satisfactory 70 the country and insure
the retention OF the Republican party IN
power.
But In order 70 get the tariff measms
through the Senate the Republican lead
ers In that body had TO make promises
In order TO obtain the necessary votes
for the adoption OF the which the
II Finance Committee drafted They feel
now that whatever their personal incH-
nations. and with all respect 10 the atti-
tude OF the President. they cannot. in
justice 10 those TO whom the promises
were given, turn right about face and
/ make concessions that would offend those
upon whose support they had depended
They believe that 10 adopt such a course
would bring disintegration IN the Re
publican organization OF the Senate and
cause the long effort to enact a tariff
law 70 result In a fiasco.
Taft Knows Situation.
President Taft knows all this He un-
derstands the position in which the Re
publican members Of the Senate confer
ence committee have been placed, and is
not inclined 10 take them to task for
standing by those who stood by them
while the tariff bill was under considera-
ton. However. this knowledge has not
changed the Presidents determination TO
have certain classes Of raw materials
transferred 10 the free list.
He is working constantly with high
tariff Senators in an endeavor 10 bring
them around TO his point Of view, which
IS in effect that the Republican party
pledged itself in the last campaign that,
If successful. it would revise the tarin
in a downward direction The situation.
in the Presidents opinion. has risen above
Imere local or sectional considerations, and
should be adjusted on the principle of the
I greatest good 10 the greatest number. He
takes a cheerful view as 10 the outcome,
feeling sure that the House will stand by
him in what he wants. and will not per-
NIT any tariff law 70 be enacted which
does not meet with his approval
At first glance this position OF the
President may appear like a two-edged
sword but Mr.. Taft Is represented as
regarding IL as satisfactory condition
OF affairs
He is of the opinion. II Is asserted.
that the Senators opposed 70 putting
raw material on the free list viii not
be able 10 hold out against the insistence
of the President and the House Of Rep
IreSentatives.
Would Cause Delay.
Those who have the confidence Of tho
President are certain that the culmina-
ton of the present situation will be the
enactment Of a tariff law that will be
satisfactory 70 the President and, prob
ably. to the country.
They admit that things may assume
such an aspect that the House Will reject
the Is, cOnferees and tell its
own representatives to refuse TO concede
10 the Senate anything in the way OF
duties on raw materials
Such action by the House would neces-
sarily cause delay in the final passage.
Certain Republican Senators who are
interested in obtaining duties on the
( articles which the President wants
placed on the free list. say they VIII
never. never surrender. but their attitude
has not shaken the complacent feeling OF
Mr.. Taft that his position viii prevail.
Mr.. Taft has not been influenced 6y
( suggestions shat a compromise be az
fected through fixing duties on the raw
materials in which he is interested at
rates lower than those fixed by either the
House or the Senate. He wants the raw
materials admitted free
II may be that the couferees VIII decide
70 submit a report which will provide CSr
reductions in the duties on iron ore, hides.
and coal below the rates fixed by either
House.
II this happens, the President VIII ad-
wise the House leaders TO have the House
reject the report, and direct the conferees
to insist on free coal. free iron ore. free
hides. and. IN addition. free oil. without
the restriction Of the countervailing duty
Imposed by the Senate.
Two OF the House conferees. Representa-
ltives Mccall, Of Massachusetts, and Cal
derhead. OF Kansas, had breakfast with
the President yesterday. The two Con-
lgressmen had a long talk with Mr.. Taft
about what ne hopes to accomplish in the
way OF tariff revision. and found him con-
hdent that the outcome would be aS he
wished It.