The Hawaiian gazette., 1909-06-20
BELIEF OF SOME THAT THE
TARIFF BILL MAY BE VETOED

f, in the way of legislation so arouses
the country as a tariff bill and, at best.
the enactment of a new tariff displeases
a great number of people
If Western progressivism is destined
to win or even to have decisive iptiu-
ence in Republican councils, there will
be big trial of title to leadership one
of these days. Signs appear that such
where the tariff debate is dragging its
weary way along. The outcome of
the trial may determine the selection
of President before a considerable
number of years have rolled around.
The towering figures among the Sen.
ate progressives are young men. Cum
minis of Iowa, who has rapidly been
forcing some recognition of his leader.
ship, is the oldest-59. Dolliver is ST.
Bristow, As; Beverage, AZ; Borah, Al,
and La Toilette, "a. ALL however, are
old in political experience and\in polit-
ical campaigning, as the very fact of
their presence in the Senate demon.
strates to degree.
Senator Aldrich, more IN derision
than by way of compliment, addressed
Senator Beveridge, of Indiana, the other
day as the leader of the Republican
insurgent forces. The Westerners re-
fuse to accept him in that role, al
though his readiness in debate and his
ten years of service, in which he is the
senior of all insurgents, give him addi-
tional standing in their fractional
: deliberations. Thus far they have had
no real leader, but out of their numer-
Gus plans which have been brought for
ward more frequently during the extra
session than ever before, they are real
.izing their entity as a group and the
| necessity for closer organization.
! Senator La Toilette, of Wisconsin,
, who spoke with some pride in retort
during recent debate because Repub-
lican Senators cooperating with him
were now nine or ten, was the pioneer
insurgent in the upper legislative
branch. The mantle Of the insurgent
leadership has fallen upon him to a
, degree, although there again, one could
hardly say that the other insurgents
are any more disposed to follow him
than they are to follow Senator Bev-
eridge.
) If the elections next year in the West
) result favorably for the progressives,
| they may find themselves sufficiently
numerous in the Senate to hold the
balance of power They are now ten
) or twelve. When they are sixteen or
. seventeenth they ever grow to that
strength-there can be no question
about their potency in shaping legsla-
tion. They have gained strength and
they have also lost strength at the
extra session. Bristow and Crawford
were recruits, taking the seats of recog-
nized conservatives. But Crawford and
Q his South Dakota colleague, Gamble,
: appear to have gone over to Senator
! Crane g Macedonian phalanx and the
t progressives are whispering their fears
{ also about Senator Borah At least
S all three of these erstwhile progressive
: have opened book accounts with the
t Finance Committee, to borrow a phrase
: which Senator Hale used not long ago
t of Senator Beverage, voting part of
$ the time with the committee and part
n of the time against the committee.
Senator Cummins and Senator La
= Toilette have asserted themselves much
: toward establishing a leadership over
the little band. They have hit hard
I and deliberately in debate and have
persisted. 1t would probably be con.
coded that they stand forth as the
: two most prominent Republican reform.
: ers inside the Senate. Cummins is not
as strong a debater as Dolliver, is not
: gifted with the same torrential elo.
quence, but he has qualities of mind
that have commended him to the SEN
: ate generally, is a good mixer in the
: Republican cloakrooms-a quality not
to be overlooked-and thus far has com
manded the respect of his opponents
. without arousing their animosities.
Senator La Toilette, while as forceful
in his erusades for reform legislation
= as any one, remains the most cordially
a hated man on either side of the cham
: Der. This is not on account of any
personal characteristics, but because of
his unrestrained language in debate.
He has voted with the Democrats very
constantly ever since he entered the
,Senate-which would alone make him
hated by the Republicans-and does not
hesitate to speak in unmeasured denun-
citation of the Senate leaders of his
own party.
: The movement which these Senators
have guided is not confined to tariff.
OF course they have given revision
downward great prominence in the
Senate debates and emphasized it
tremendously before the country. Prob
ably they have already vitalized II as
an issue in the congressional elections
next year. But they will not subside
7 when the tariff bill has been enacted
+. into law. They have defined ideas
l about corporate and financial legisla-
: tion with which the next session of
Congress is expected to grapple. They
will be fully equipped TO harass the
J regular Republican organization when
il comes 10 amending the Sherman anti
, trust law and modifying the currency
; system after the Finance Commission
{ has made FeDOrf