The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1909-08-19
ON THE STATUTE BOOK.
Republicans n Whole Well Salts
fed with Tariff MeaAure

ago. August 5, 1909, will be larger
datemark than July "a. 1897, the time
of the enactment of the Dingley law.
1t will be even larger than March 3.
1861, the day on which President
Buchanan, then on the eve of leaving
Office, signed the first tariff bill which
was ever passed by a Republican Con-
gress. From beginning to end the
session was exciting Beginning on
the same day, March Is, that the Con-
gress assembled which enacted the
Dingley law. the session lasted twelve
days longer than did that one. The
contests which the Payne bill aroused
were far more numerous and interest
ing than any melted by any previous
Republican tariff act. On several di-
visions each party was split. The Re-
publicans, who were the majority
alton, showed far more coherency
than did the Democrats On half
dozen items Mr.. Aldrich had the sup
port of more Democrats than rallied
around Mr. Culberson, the Democratic
titular leader in the Senate. On the
final roll call twenty Republicans in
the House and seven in the Senate
voted against the measure. This is a
much larger detection than had ever
previously been seen among the Re-
publicans on a tariff bill framed by
their party Two Democrats in the
House and one in the Senate-Louisi-
ana members in each case-favored
the bill.
But all Emergencies among the Re-
publicans are now ended. The extra
session of 1909 takes its place in his
tory. and the Republican party will
turn to new problems. Among the
enemies and the friends of the bill
there was much exaggeration, espe-
cially among its enemies. To look for
a tariff bill which everybody would
like would be a vain hope. A tariff
measure which contains 5000 items,
which deals with the interests of an
entire continent and which touches
the activities of 100000 900 of people.
must inevitably have some provisions
which displease many persons. Not
a single tariff measure from the one
which President Washington approved
on July 4, 1889, to that upon which
Mr. Taft placed his signature Oh Au-
gust 5, 1909, suited every member of
Congress in every provision. 1t would
be easy to find many items in the
Payne act which many Republic ans
and protectionists would like to have
altered On all of them, however,
there were differences of opinion
among good Republicans and devoted
protectionists, and there was an en-
deavor in each branch to harmonic
all the divergent opinions, as far as
practicable Unbiased. intelligent per-
sons must now concede that the har-
monizers, achieved a fair degree of
success. With the limited time and
facilities at their command the Ways
and Means Committee framed bill
which. on the whole, met the approval
of the country A tariff commission,
such as is provided for in the act
which has just gone into operation,
would have furnished the committee
body of facts which would have been
extremely useful, and which would
have made the work easier for the
committee and for Congress.
while | intend to vote against the
Payne bill, freely concede that, in
many respects, it is better than the
Dingley law" These are the words Of
Senator Ccmmins of Iowa, who was
one of the most active and outspoken
among the Republican insurgents. AS
the Ding'ey law was on the statute
book longer than any other tariff in
the whole history of the government,
and as the country during its days
reached a higher level of prosperity
than ii had ever previously obtained.
the Iowa senator renders an eloquent
tribute to the new law. The Dingley
act was on the books for twelve years.
If Mr.. Cusnmins' encomium be worth
anything the Payne law has a long
career ahead of it. In fact, the new
act. taking it as an entirety, is an ex-
cellent measure. The Republicans
who attacked it hardest while there
were any chances to alter it in the
provisions which they disliked will
now concede that it deserved better
treatment than they gave it. All of
them will support it on the stump in
1910 if it should be assailed by the
Democrats. But the Democrats will
make no fight against it next year.
Their party was split too near the
middle on many provisions in the act
to render an attack upon it in 1910
safe. Many Southern members of
Congress and many Southern news
papers says that their section now
needs just as much protection as the
rest of the country. Mining and man.
ufacturing are now among the South's
large interests. 1t wants tariffs which
bring something more than revenue
only" The uncertainty as to the
schedules now having ended, business
men can make their contracts for long
periods in advance and the wheels of
trade will soon be turning with their
old-time momentum.-St. Louis Globe
Democrat.