The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1909-03-25
IN WASHINGTON

and instead OF lOI VI Jeoio"'i' nv
has produced a regular love-feast at
which all the Senators can pelt each
other with violets and compliments,
when not tremendously busy getting
out laws for the nations good. The
difference between Cannon and AL
drich is that when Cannon sees any
member opposing his organization he
goes for him with a stuffed club or
loaded stick, while when Aldrich sees
a recalcitrant he approaches him
with every mark of sweet and gener-
GUS love and puts him on the best
committee that has a vacant place.
Thus Senator La Toilette finds him
self Chairman of the Census Com
mittee, so that the peppery little fire
eater will be so busy he will have
to hush for a while. On the whole
Mr.. Aldrich must be a pretty wise
and astute sort of a despot or he
would not have such men as Root,
Lodge. Burton, Hale, and Beverage
in his ring" Possibly one reason
why the Senators are pulling together
so nicely this session is that they
all join together in finding fault with
the tariff bill as introduced into the
House by Serene Payne for the Ways
and Means Committee last Wednesday
They seem to think that the House
is amazingly poor at making laws,
and they intend to get busy and
frame a tariff law that will save the
nation and the Republican party.
TARIFF TALK.
II is risky to talk about what
will and what will not be done TO
the tariff, at this early stage in the
game, and yet the tariff is the only
subject that anyone in Washington is
interested in nowadays.
They were going to tax beer $3.50
a barrel. But just when Uncle Joe
Cannon was fighting like a mailman
to keep his hold on the House. the
beer men came down to Washington
with a large supply of money and
influence to help the Speaker win
mis- fight If he would see that the
tax was kept off from beer They
were going to take the protec-
ton away from coal-oil, so that
the Standard Oil Company would not
be able to make such enormous pro-
fits. But the Standard Oil people
came down here just when MI Can
non was frightened for his political
life and offered to help him If they
could keep their protection. The re-
suit was that beer will not be taxed,
and that the pitiful, struggling in
FAINT oil industry will not have its
tariff pap rudely snatched away from
it, Also Mr.. Cannon is still at the
head of the House. He was helped
not only by the liquor men but by
the Democrats. And not by ordinary
Democrats who are usually very
respectable citizens as all the world
knows, but by the "Tammany" Demo-
Gratis of New York City, the worst
political crowd in the history of
America. Also there were some
Democrats from Louisiana who are
not really Democrats at all because
they want high tariff and protection.
For the sake of the much needed
help which these men gave the
tariff on sugar will not be lowered,
and every workingman in the country
will pay two-thirds more than he need
70 for his sugar. The Democratic
leader. Champ Clark, is dealing pref
ty sharply with these deserters from
his ranks, and rumor has IL that they
are coming around to him with all
sorts of excuses and apologies.
However, Mr.. Cannon seems TO
have won his fight pretty nearly
entirely, for the present session. II
is safe to say that there will be a
general shake-up at the opening OF
the next session, but in the shifting
changes which are daily occurring there
is no telling just what the final re-
suit will be.
There are two sets OF tariff tax
es proposed by the bill,-a high set
for articles coming from countries
which charge high rates on goods we
send to them, and a low set for
countries who only charge us low
rates. This may get US into trouble
with some nations who thinks that
1t is too sharp and abrupt a manner
of treating them. The best tariff
system seems to be that of the Ger
mans. They arrange special treaties
with each separate country. 1t re-
quires lots of work but more than pays
for itself, just as it always pays a
man to make each bargain separate
ly rather than to put up an un-
changeable price rate and not adapt
it to the circumstances. But Congress
will not consent to the Convention
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