The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1909-07-02

The Tariff Out of Politics.
For years many Republicans and
Democrats have been anxious TO
take the tariff out of politics. No
body. however, expected to live to
see that done. Yet the Democrats
have done it in the past few weeks
in Congress. They have done it by
DESERVING their traditional position
on that issue and voting for high du-
ties. On the propositions to put
iron ore, lumber, hides and other
raw materials on the free list "a ma
jority of the Democrats who voted in
the Senate voted no. The Democrats
changed the House bill, which re-
duced nearly all the duties that It
touched, and gave the changes an
upward direction. Under the leader
ship of Mr.. Aldrich, the Democratic
senators tore up the Denver plat
form and repudiated Cleveland, Bry-
an and every other leader of their
party from the days of Robert J.
Walker down. Samuel J. Randall's
protectionist leanings surprised Re-
publicans as well as Democrats i'll
his day, but Randall was a free trad
er compared with McEnery, Daniel,
Bacon, Foster, Bailey and other
Democrats who have always been
in good standing in their party, and
all of whom supported Bryan in all
of his campaigns.
This will prevent the Democrats
from saying anything on the tariff in
the congressional campaign of 1910
or in the presidential canvass two
years later AS Senator Aldrich :
auXiliaries the Democrats have Civ
en- the tariff bill the ultra-protec-
zionist bent which many Of the du-
ties show. On only one important
proposition has Mr.. Aldrich been
beaten in the present session, and
that was on pineapples. He was
beaten because his Democratic al
lies deserted him and placed the
duty higher than he wanted to put
it. The sight of Aldrich on one side
and the bulk of the Democratic sem
ators on the other was an odd spec
tacle, but the country has just seen
it. An amendment by Taliaferro of
Florida increasing the duty on
pineapples to 1913 per cent above the
Dingley rate was opposed by Aid
rich, and most of the other upward
revisers among the Republicans, but
the Democrats carried the advanced
duty, and it will stay in the bill I'M
less the House conferees knock it
out. More than half of the Demo-
Gratis voted for a duty higher than
Aldrich thought was needed Cham
berlain, Simmons and many other
Democrats abandoned their old
leader, Aldrich, because they
thought he was getting to be a free
trader. And the Democrats defeat
ed him and the Finance Committee
on That issue. Senator Root declar-
ed against what he called 1.-The enor-
nous and altogether unwarranted
increase in the duty on pineapples,
Senator Aldrich protested against it
as being unjust and unnecessary.
But as the Rhode Islanders Demo-
cratic allies broke away from him
on this division they were able to
defeat him.
Whatever kind Of a hill the tariff
measure turns out to be when the
Conference Committee gets through
with it, the Republican party will
be responsible for it. But as all the
advances in duties which will be in
the bill have been placed there by
Democratic votes, the Democrats will
be prevented from making an issue
out Of 1t. They will be forced to
keep silent about the measure. "No
Democrat dare vote for duty high
er than the senator from Rhode Is
land, the most extreme protectionist
in the country, thinks is desirable"
said Senator Rayner of Maryland to
his Democratic colleagues when the
division on pineapples came. Yet al
majority of Rayner's Democratic
friends went right ahead and did
this very thing. Probably Rayner
things now there is no longer q DEM
ocratic party, and perhaps he is cor
rect. But men who still call them
selves Democrats have in the pres
ent session, gone farther in the way
of imposing high duties than the
most stalwart Republican. Despite
the blame which will attach to Mr.. |
Aldrich and his particular element !
Of Republicans for such advances
in duties as may remain in the bill |