The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1909-05-28
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER
Washington, D. c., May oath, 19o9
Mr.. Editor -


Mr.. Editor -
President Taft on his recent trip in
to the South predicted that Congress |
would pass the tariff bill and adjourn
by June goth. 1t is, of course, barely
possible that the President had some
inside information which led him to
make that prediction and that time will
prove him true prophet, but from
careful observation of the situation in
the Senate it is difficult to find warrant
fer such sanguine expectation. The
Democrats are not delaying the final
disposal of the bill. They realize, as
Senator Tillman said in debate, that
Senator Aldrich has the votes to do
practically what he pleases with the bill,
that further talk is waste of ii me and
they are ready to agree on day for
vote at any time. They are urging a
vote on the income tax proposition but
that Mr. Aldrich will not permit. Sena-
tor Bailey spoke unusually frankly
when he said on the floor of the Senate,
eve feel the ground slipping from un-
der our feet and we would like to vote
on the income tax amendment right
away" The ground is slipping from
UNI der their feet and that is why Mr..
Aldrich will not permit the mea-
sure to come to vote. He is convinced
that one by one the Republican sup
porters of the income tax proposition
will be picked off and that when the
vote finally comes it will be supported
by the Democrats and only three or
four Republicans. Senator Culberson
has dissected the tariff bill so that who
runs may read, has shown that it is not
an honest revision of the tariff and has
| made it evident that the Republicans
are in full control and, therefore, must
be held wholly responsible for the
measure by the people. There is real
ly> moth ing more for the Democrats to
do and they might as we'll vote now as
later.
The great obstacle to progress is the
progressive Republicans. That may
sound like a paradox but it is fact.
They have in their ranks men who live
by newspaper notorietY, men such as
La Toilette, Beveridge and Burkett.
These men miss no opportunity to ex-
/ y1o s,f fhair ,nf with
or expectation of changing a single
vote, but with the confidence that their
speeches will be reported in the press
and that thus they will gain something
in the public estimation. and until such
as these are satisfied that have nothing
further to gain from talking there will
be no agreement to vote.
The President has said that he be-
lieves satisfactory bill will come out
of the conference between the House
and the Senate, whatever may be the
character of the bill passed by the up
per house. This also may be true, but
it probably depends largely on what
is termed satisfactory bill. Only
comparatively short time ago Mr.. Taft
was an advocate of free lumber. He
said so himself. Now he admits that
he will sign a bill which imposes a
duty of dollar thousand feet on Inn
Der. Will that be his course with re-
gard to his other convictions? If he
Yields half of each of them and then
pronounces the tariff bill satisfactory it
| will not be revision downward worthy
of the name and that it will not be is
the expe ctaion of most of the Demo-
| Gratis.
Disquieting news from Cuba has
reach ed Washington and it is now
learned that the chief purpose of Secre-
tary of War in his recent visit to
Havana was to ascertain how much
foundation there was for the dsquiet-
ing rumors and to whisper word of
advice to the Cuban officials Unfor-
tunatelY, Secretary Dickinson was taken
i'll just as his ship, the Mayflower,
| reached Havana and he was unable to
land. 1t was, in fact, necessary to
hurry back to this country, without
even waiting for the Postmaster Gen
eral who had left here With the pur-
pose of joining Mr.. Dickinson in
Havana. This is one occasion of
considerable disappointment to the
administration although it is possible
Postmaster General Hitchcock may be
commissioned to conduct something
of an investigation and to impart to the
Cuban authorities the words of warning
Secretary Dickinson was expected to
convey.
The Secretary of the Navy has deter
mined to make complete investigation
of the question involved in the contro
versy which has rent the Navy Depart |
ment into factions ever since the re-
tirement of Secretary Newberry, and |
among all save those who were we'd
ded to the Newberry plan of navy yard
reor gsnization there is rejoicing. 1t is
believed that Secretary Meyer has
ample ability to solve the several pro-
blems accurately, that hewill bear in