New-York tribune., 1909-06-13
THE SEN4TES MISTAKE.

One of the most puzzling developments of the
situat;on at Washington has been the inability
of the members Of the Senate Finance Com
mf1ep 10 see that they out Of touch with the
sentiment of the Republican party and the sen
fiment of the country The Finance Committees
tariff hill seems to have been framed with
singular disregard not only Of popular opinion
but of ordinary political caution. In dealing
with q problem like the tariff. affecting strong
IL organized local interests. il is of course diff
fcult for body as susceptible TO local pressure
as the Senate is TO subordinate special demands
10 the general advantage The Senate is more
or less particularist in spirit and tendencies and
is usually inclined 10 the narrower outlook
rather than the broader \ ct. in the history OF
tariff making the upper house has never had
a fairer opportunity than ii has had at this
session to drop partcularism and 10 exhibit
a liberal and an enlightened nationalism.
The Senate has followed. far, the purely
NEGATIVE policy of neutralizing the work of the
House and reshaping the Payne bill in the
image of the Dngley law. 1t may be urged
that II is the Senates chief function 10 put on
the brakes and to mitigate the radicalism of
the House. which generally acts more in accord
ance with current popular impulses. In the
tariff struggle Of 1894 the Democratic Senate
largely undd the work of the Democratic
House OF Representatives. But conditions then
favored such an obstructive course The coun-
try WAS greatly alarmed al the hasty and reck-
less measure forced through the lower branch
by Mr.. Wilson and his associates. The Wilson
bill was crude and an nmateurish attempt to
apply the doctrine Of free materials at the
expense of both protection TO the American pro-
ducer and income To the Treasury. Its enact
ment would have thoroughly unsettled Amer
lean industry and left the government with a
permanent deficit The Senate of 1894 had the
good excuse for remodellinG the House bill and
raising duties all along the line that sufficient
revenue had not been provided and that Amer
lean industry was being harshy penazed. The
Republican voters Of the country were unit in
indorsfng the Senates action, and a large ele-
ment in the Democratic party was equally
averse TO taking chances with so wretched
as the Wilson bill.
The situation to-day is entirely different The
tariff bill passed by the House Of Representa-
tiveS was accepted by the country as moderate
and rational protection measure. No nouceable
opposition 10 It developed in the newspapers,
Republican or Democratic. II could have been
accepted practically without change by the
Senate and made law with almost universal !
approval The Senate had no ground for charg-
ing that il failed TO produce sufficient revenue;
for on the Finance Committees own admission
the House bill promises 10 raise more revenue
than the Senate bill does. Mr. AdriCh est !
mated a gain for the Senate DR. t of few
millions through an increase of duties in the
wine and spirits schedule. but he struck OUT |
the Houses provision for tax on inheritances.
which was intended 10 raise about S2o"oo.0o0
The changes In rates made in the Senate have
as a whole simply nullifed the Houses at |
tennis 10 moderniZe the tariff. They have pla- |
Gated local and sectional demands but have |
sacrificed the political advantage which would |
have come to the Republican party from n |
prompt and united effort TO make good the |
promises Of the Republican national platform |
Of 1908 and To satisfy thH just expectations or |
the voters
II Is significant when "A leading Republican |
oevsnaner of the Middle West like The 81. |
.oIis Globe Democrat" with well known |
"stand-pat' proclivities. frankly says that the |
Senate has misunderstood Republican opinion. |
II remarked the other day:
If the bill passes the Senate in the shape in |
which the Finance Committee fashioned it there |
will be a hard fight by the House members OF |
the conference committee against It The |
President stands with Mcssrs. Cannon, Payne |
and DaIzeu on this issue and IS against Messrs. |
last named gentlemen may doubt this, but not |
many other Republicans do. AS the men who |
framed the bill in the House are just as robust |
as are the Senate's old guard. the
masses of the party. together with the Presl- |
dent, viii be on the side Of the House in the |
struggle in the conference committee.
That is. by the way the verdict Of an almost |
united Republican press. In ignoring such |
consensus of opinion the Senate has shown q |
lack Of political sagacity and alertness which |
IS not easily explainable.