New-York tribune., 1909-05-21
MP B4JLEY is IRRITATED,


Tho Hon -Joseph W Bailey is disposed to
criticise The Tribune for its comments on the
enactacle which the Democratic minority III the
Sapata made of itself last week on the vote upon
the iron ore paragraph in the pending tarln OIL
The Texas Senator says that Inc 1rIouhe -
engaged in a conspiracy to exploit the dlIerehCeS
among Democratic Senators and Representative
on the tariff ISSUE and that it has encouraged
other persons to exaggerate those dlHerehces- II
we have been the means of drawing genera at
tention to the inconsistencies of the Senate mi
nority's tariff policy, we are glad 10 nave thaC
service acknowledged. It is a genuine pubic
service to uncover the failure of the representa-
tiyeS of any party TO carry out that party
ayovved programme Our criticism was not per-
soual- nor was it intended to impugn the per
sonal motives of any Senator turtherlhore'
what we said was SO obviously true that we can
hardly he charged with cOnspiring to poison the
minds of others with artful misrepresentation
We said that the vote on the iron ore item
showed that the Democratic party in the Senate
had no iptplligihle tariff policy. Some or IT'S
members are high protectionists, some are mod
crate nrotectionists. some favor revenue duties
which will give incidental protection and nearly
all are willing to vote for protective rates on
articles in which their constituencies nave i
Special interest though favOrng reductions IN
duties on articles not largely produced III thelf
own states Most Of them are followers OF Iel-
eraI Hancock on the tariff issue. If 1t be a re-
proach 10 say that the Democrats in Congress
have cut loose from most of the tariff profess
sions and traditions of the Democratic party
that reproach is fully justified by the division
in the Senate on iron ore and the division III
the House of Representatives on lumber
The Democratic party for three generations
has fought high tariff duties and all duties
levied TO encourage domestic industry. It's pol
icv has been to abolish or reduce duties when
ever possible. The necessity of raising revenue
has at times somewhat restricted that pro-
yramme hut the party has stood. as a rule. for
lowering the general average of tariff taxation.
II has also in order 10 reduce the average.
strongly favored the free admission of raw ma
terials The Wilson tariff bill. admitted by
most Democrats to embody the orthodox Demo
cratic principle was distinctly bill for the
free admission OF raw materials. The last Dem
ocratic national platform named a number OF
raw materials on which no duties should be
levied. Yet Mr.. Bailey says that the doctrine
of free raw materials is protecuonlst hereSy
and that he will never vote for free hides, free
ore or free wool until the duties on the manu-
fact,1res into which these materials enter are
reduced although the natural first step toward
q reduction of the duties on the finished prod
nets is the removal of the duties on the raw ma
terials on account of which the manufacturer
gets a compensating extra allowance.
Eighteen Democratic Senators voted last week
10 put a duty on iron ore, and only ten favored
retaining the House provision admitting IL free-
That vote is a clear demonstration OF conflict
of Aeories on the Democratic side The Demo
cratic party is certainly split on the policy OF
reducing duties whenever it gets chance 10
reduce them and of making beginning, pretera-
bly with raw materials. Mr.. Bailey says that
the Democrats are more united than the Re
publicans But no vote on the Republican side
has shown a division on matters of principle.
Republican Senator's differ to the facts which
should govern in applying the rule laid down In
the last Republican national platform just as
the Republicans of the House Ways and Means
Committee differ with the Republicans of the
Senate Finance Committee as TO those facts
All are trying to apply in good faith the prin-
ciple that the duty levied should cover the dill
ferential in cost of production here and abroad
on articles which, if admitted, would seriously
compete with domestic products. one set of
Republicans does not subscribe loyalty TO the
nlatform doctrine, while the other set says that
the platform doctrine is rubbish Mr.. Bailey
reSents our criticism and the criticism Of Gov
ernor johnson of Minnesota and Colonel Henry
Watterson Yet it is as clear as day that he is
applying policies in tariff legislation which Will
great lights of the Democratic tariff reform
school at its perigee would have denounced as
involving party perfdy and dishonor.'