Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-06-12
INTRODUCES AMENDMENT ONCE
FAVORED BY ALDRIcH TO
SHOW HIM UP.
ioWAN's WONDERFUL MEMORY
FEARED BY OPPONENTS
Aldrich at One Time Took Same Atti-
tude on Wool Schedules That Pres
emit Insurgents Advocate Now-AId-
rich Attempts to Make Explanation
of His Change of Attitude.
Especial Correspondence.l

IcoVery OF the limit of senatorial pa
tience with practical jokes. He has had
a good deal of fun with Senator Smoot
In the processes of debate on the tex
tile schedules, and now he has under
taken to see how far he can go with
Senator Aldrich, which is a mighty
serious experiment to undertake.
Mr.. Dolliver has been in congress
a great many years. In fact he is one
of the oldest in service, having come
to congress only seven years after
Hale, Frye and Aldrich, the veterans
of the senate. He is the possessor of
wonderful memory and an omnivorous
taste for miscellaneous reading; and
his sense Of humor is not excelled.
When the tariff discussion opened
Mr.. Dolliver thought up lot of en-
barrassing things. For instance, he rec
objected that back in 1883 Senator AID
rich presented tariff commission bill
as an amendment to the Mills bill.
The Mills bill was democratic, and Mr..
Aldrich as a republican, was for some
other plan. He thought tariff COM
mission would be about the right
thing, just as the opponents of the
present tariff bill think the same. The
Rhode Island senator drafted a sweep
ing and excellent tariff commission
measure, which was supported by the
republicans but of course defeated.
In the lapse of twenty-one years and
the mutations of political conditions,
Ir;o ;,;
posed to tariff commission. Mr.. Dol
liver remembered the commission
measure of 1883, dug it up, and has
proposed it as the proper one to be
enacted now. He is fortified with able
addresses in support of it by the
strong men of the senate in that day,
and the men who are the republican
leaders now. He expects to have a
basket of fun with them when he
quotes their vigorous arguments in
favor Of the very measure they are
now opposing with all their might.
| But that isn't all. Mr. Delivers
memory also carried him back to an
other incident of the Mills bills legis-
lative history. He vaguely recalled
that Senator Aldrich was much dis
affected with the wool schedule in that
bill. 1t was the same wool schedule
that Mr.. Aldrich Is now supporting
with much enthusiasm; it was twenty
one years old in 1883, and 1t is now
twenty-one years older than it was
then; but the same old schedule. Mr..
Dolliver found that in 1888 Mr.. Aid
rich had the same complaints against
the wool duties which he Dolliver)
now has, and that Aldrich then intro
duced a scheme of recognizing the
whole schedule, which was quite in
line with the reforms Mr.. DoiiiveT now
wants to introduce into 1t.
SO Mr.. Dolliver saying nothing
about the vile purpose in his heart,
proceeded to make speeches attacking
the wool duties, and to demonstrate
just what was wrong with It, He drew
from the finance committee an ardent
defence of the present duties: Sen
ators Aldrich and Warren and Smcot
conducted the fight for the old rates,
and assured the senate that Mr.. Dolii-
YER was hopelessly wrong and that his
program would be ruinous.
And when they were comfortably on
record, Mr.. Dolliver offered, as SER
les of amendments, the very measure
that Mr. Aldrich had prepared in 1885,
1t was generally regarded as most
unfeeling thing to do. II am con-
strained to offer this plan," said Mr.
Dolliver, because it has the sanction
of high authority and the attractiveness
of age. 1t was prepared by the senator
from Rhode Island and urged rs a sub
stitute for the wool schedule of the
Mills bill in 1885,"
Folks gasped bit when this an
nouncement was made, and wondered
what MIR. Aldrich would do. 1t was up
to him to move. And he moved.
The Rhode Islander was never
touched. He calmly explained that
conditions had changed; that that pro-
posal was all right in 1888, as part OF
a general and consistent project Of
fered by the republicans at that time;
but today, inserted in disjointed way
in measure based on different the
ory, it was utterly out of place.
And when the roll was called Mr.
Aldrich voted against his plan of 1855
and his solid following went with him
1t didn't cost him vote. 1t was this
finest tribute yet paid to the solidarity
of the Aldrich organization.
But as a practical joke it was re-
garded as rather outside the bounds OF
strict propriety.
In line with the Taft policy of i'm
proving the instrum entalities for CIV
ing efficiency to governmental admin
istration, the president has determined
to call another convention Of the
states, looking to uniformity of legis-
lation on a wide range of subjects.
The gathering will be held in Wash
ington, Jan. S, 6 and z, next. 1t has
been called as result of initiation by
J the national civic federation, whose
} committee laid the matter before the
president.
The range of subjects which the
conference may discuss is almost in
finite. 1t includes all the aspects OF
interstate commerce regulation; uni
formity of marriage and divorce laws
among the states; uniformity Of laws
relating to commercial paper, in which
; already much progress has been made;
standardizing the employers liability
acts OF the state and the national gov
! eminent; unifying the pure food legis-
l lation, child labor laws, etc.
This conference, If the suggestion OF
] the president is followed, Will be COM
> posed Of men carefully selected fol-
: their experience and qualifications tic
; consider such a subject They will be
named by the governors OF the states
9 and territories. With them will NEE
: similarly equipped representatives Of
y. : ! the different departments OF the ma.