The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-04-15
TARIFF FIGHT
Now On In Real Dead Earnest In
The Senate
HOUSE VOTE MERELY

Voiced the Sentiments of the Diff
ferent Sections-SenatOr Smith
Gives His Views on the Meaning
| of the Democratic Platform on
the Tariff Question.
The Washington correspondent of
| the Columbia Record says all inter-
est in the tariff bill has now shifted
to the senate, where it was known all
along the Payne act" would in
reality be drafted. The votes in
the house on the various schedules
have merely given voice to the senti-
ments of the sections represented,
! but in the senate each vote will leave
it's mark in the final reading of the
bill when it goes to the president
for his signature. The significance
of these senate votes is underscored
by the fact that the president has
made it clear that he has no idea
of vetoing the Payne bill, whether
it's real author be Mr.. Payne or Sen
ator Aldrich.
Aside from the general interest
the ultimate consumer has in the
prices of all articles he consumes,
the only paragraphs that are of any
immediate interest to South Carroll
ma, now that the duty on fertilizing
salts has been dropped out, are those
relating to sea island, or long staple
cotton and to lumber. The Payne
bill, as it passed the house, fixes
a duty of half cent a cubic foot
on hewn sided or squared timber, of
SO cents thousand On sawed boards
and 81 a thousand on sawed lumber
not specifically mentioned. Cotton
and cotton waste are left on the free
list
Democratic senators are planning
a fight to put duty on both these
articles, though Senator E. D. Smith
is emphatic in his statement that he
will not lend his support to any
measure that means protection even
| for local industries. He will vote for
duties on lumber and sea island
cotton, but only a duty fixed at a
revenue basis. Both these articles,
he said, ought to pav their share to-
ward the support of the government,
but there is no reason, in his opinion,
for taxing the whole mass of con-
sumers to benefit the comparatively
small number of people owning the
timber supply or raising sea island
cotton. 1t is question of the great
est good to the greatest number, he
said, and that, translated into prac-
tice, means a government supported
economically with taxes equally and
equitably levied upon all classes and
sections.
AS to the exact rate of duty this
equal distribution of the burden of
taxation would imply for lumber or
sea island cotton, Senator Smith is
not yet quite ready to say, though
he is going through the imports, ex-
ports and statistics of production of
both products to ascertain rate
satisfying his mind as fair. The 81
a thousand on lumber carried in the
Payne bill, he said, might prove fair
on investigation the figures might
show that the industry could carry
protection of So a thousand, and the
same thing is true of his attitude
on cotton.
The Democratic platform does not
in Senator Smiths opinion, forbid
a Democrats imposing revenue
tariff upon lumber. His interpreta-
tion of the Denver document is that
the present duties on lumber and
its products must be reduced to a
! fair basis of taxation. Il haven t
any idea the Democratic convention
meant to say that lumber should be
absolutely free of duty" he said,
"but simply that it should come down
from its present exorbitant taxa
ton.
The paragraph in the Democratic
platform to which the senator re-
ferred reads:
I'VE demand the immediate -.
poa' OF the tariff on wood pulp, pr
paper, lumber, timber and logs, ard
that these articles be placed upon
the free list.
The plan of the Democratic sena-
tors in general is one designed TO
harmonic the conflicting elements
of the party with a view to present
ing solid front in the coming fight.
They intend to bring in senators
from those States interested in a
duty on lumber and those interested
in a duty on hides by imposing rev.
enue duty on both Of these articles,
and in this way they hope to avoid
The desertions from the party that
made the Democratic fight against
the Payne bill SO pitiable in the
house. Prohihitory duties vii he
| brought down to revenue basis.