New-York tribune., 1909-05-31
TAFT TRUSTS LEADERS
CHAOS IN SENATE WITH
OUT ORGANIZATION.
President Realizes Menace to Tariff
Legislation Through OUerthrO1C
of 4Jdrich Po5Ccr.
From II, Tribune Bureau J

now made sufficient progress 10 oeiloilsIdOo
the complete chaos wlicl. would have reigned in
the Senate had the Republican organization.
headed by Senator AIdrich. been overthroUn.
and events have answered the oft repeated
question Why does not President Taft exert
his powerful influence To disrupt the Repuoll-
can organization and destroy the power of the
-Al6ricr CLIQUE President Taft is p firm ad-
vocs-e 81 revision Of the tariff downward, but
he realizes the necessity of dealing with this
great question through the organization. and he
has al along appreciated the menace, not only
70 the tariff bill and 20 the party, hut 70 the
business interests of the country which the
overthrow of the organization in the Senate
would constitute.
The Inconsistency of : ma iorItv composed OF
she progressive Republicans and the Democrats
has been manifested in numerous instances. but
sn none more so than in the case Of iron ore
Years ago there vas strong demand for re-
--iziou Of the steel schedule. strong that IN
1902 the late REPRESENTATIVE Babcockr Of Wis
censiu. introduced bill in the House putting
r.re on the free list and greatly reducing the
tariff IN steel and manufactures thereof Ihe
President has al along advocated free iron ore.
snd the House bill makes II free The Finance
s-cmrnirtee made the duty - cents ton It
sss supposed shat "f course the Democrats
-zroul6 ioin with the progressive Republicans 70
contrary : ma ioritz- Of the minority voted for
she duty OF D cents. and Judging by their ex-
rresslons. would have imposed an even hlgher
suts had they been in control Of the SITUATION
DEMOCRATS FAIL MCUNfBER.
In the case Of lumber. II vas generally up
posed that the Democrats would stand Rith the
progressive Republicans and support the amend
snent offered by Senator McCumber. member
Of the FIpa nee Committee who sought to make
lumber free. Instead. majority OF the Demo
Gratis voted against the McCumber amendment
Rnd will doubtless support the Finance Commit
see amendment putting on 6. duty Of 81 90
thousand feet. and would maintain the Dlngley
sste Of 81 they i'll control
Senator Bacon who Is outspoken in his ID
s-ocacy Of tariff for revenue only" proposed
greatly increased duty on long staple cotton. ana
viii doubtless command the support Of ma
soritv Of Democrats when the proposition Is
reached In the case OF the sugar schedules,
several Democrats voted 10 maintain the Dutch
s,clor standard and against decreasing the dif-
Serential and Senator McEnery spoke against
any reduction Of the duties When the agrlcult-
,lral schedules were reached most Of the pro
S-ressive Republicans voted for increased duties
on agricultural products and it is confidently
expected that Democrats and progressive Re-
publicans alike viii endeavor to retain the duty
on hides and even TO put it as high as the Ding
sey law.
In q word il has become obvious that were
=he organization in the Senate overthrown the
majority posed Of Democrats for the most
part with few progressive Republicans would
play ducks and brakes with the tariff bill that
rhey would maintain OF even increase the duties
on those products in which they interested,
while they mercilessly cut the tariff on the
r7roducts Of certain Eastern States IN the esti-
--ztion Of the President they would make
thoroughly inconsistent tariff bin, which the
House would refuse absolutely to accept and the
result would he = session prolonged throughout
she summer an ultimate result which would sat-
ts<v no one
BIPARTISAN COALITION DANGEROUS
on the other hand President Taft believes
shst in dealing with well organized and re-
soenxible majority be can present arguments
which will prevail when the tariff bill reaches
the conference stage, and that-and this is all
1naportant-such concessions as he secures
through the Senate oonferrees both personally
and as a result OF the influence Of the House,
would be through the power Of the Aldrich or
eanization accepted by the Senate. Were the
organization TO lose control Of the Senate there
would, in his estimate. be no assurance that his
work with the conferrees would avail anything
A coalition OF Democrats and few Republicans
avould probably prove unable or unwilling 10 up
hold the conferrees.
Not only have the Democrats proved insin-
Cerlty in their advocacy of tariff revision down
ward, but they have exhibited their usual in
ability 10 stand together and their customary
Willingness 10 subordinate everything 90 petty
political advantage To devote their energies 10
disrupting the Republicans and gaining tempo
gary political gIory rather than to promoting
what they deem proper revision. one that
would be beneficial TO the country at large
BAILEY JEOPARDIZI1S CAUSE
Even in the case of the income tax. Senator
Bailey who posed as its ardent advocate. al
though he was assured that the proposition en-
j9yed position Of singular advantage. pre-
5erred to 3eopardize the oause by precipitste ac-
Ion rather than bide his time with. the prons-
hility that ultimately lie would be compelled 10
share with Senator Cummins the credit for add
ing the proposition 10 the tarif bill
The President Is fail. alive 10 these deveIor-
snents he realizes tie advantage Of having
Etrong organization 10 deal with and t1,e r,e--
ace 10 be found in mob rule and 8 coalition ~
Democrats la FoiletteS iiristons and others
ef that scnool would be without leader and
IN tr.at respect would resemble Z mob T1a ix
c0lheent that ultimately there viii be an in
crease Of the dutE 0hicl the House imposed On
Lumber. that hides viii DC free that the d,,t>
iron ore viii be revised, or al least that
compromise Will result in materially lowering
the Senate 6"ty % - cents q ton, and that
others Of the Senate figures will be materially
reduced before the bin = submitted for his
signature; and he is. equally convinced that
these things viii be accomplished only because
the Republican organization has maintained its
supremacy, and that were ii otherwise chaos
would reign IN the upper house OF Congress and
no man could safely predict either adiourur,e,.