The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1909-05-14
OUR WASHINGTON LETT EHs
Washington, D. c., May Sth, 1909
Mr.. Editor -

Washington, D. c., May Sth, 1909
Mr.. Editor -
The tariff debate continues to occupy
the center of the stage in Washington
and as it proceeds bitterness between
the Republicans increases rather than
diminished. Senator Ald1ich, CHAR
man of the Finance Committee, has
undertaken to read out Of the party
every Republican who refuses to accept
the word of that committee as final
while Senator Dolliver and his collea-
que Senator Commins, have hidden
open defiance to the Republican leader.
Unfortunately the strength of the so
called Republican insurgents is some
what weakened by the fact that Senator
La Toilette of Wisconsin is their To-
uuacious ally and his presence IN the
ranks serves in large measure, with
all who know his real character, to in
iect an element of insincerity into the
insurgent movement. This is not only
unfortunate but unjust to the other IN
surgents who are sincerely striving for
genuine tariff revision and whose motive
is the public veal rather than self ad-
vertising and self glorification.
This first real test on the tariff sche-
dule came when the Democrats and
Republican insurgents undertook to ell
ect some saving to the consumer IN the
cost of paint containing white lead
The Senate divided 40 to 43 on the pro-
position of the Finance Committee TO
increase the rate on "orange mineral
from two and seven-eighths cents
pound, as fixed by the House, to three
and three eighths cents. The actual
vote As recorded sustained the commit
tee Al to 35, but as there were eight
pairs announced it is necessary to add
eight votes to each of these figures to
get the actual division of the upper
House. Of course, the Democrats voted
solidly for the lower duty, and the
following Republicans voted with them
Senators Bristow, Brow, Burkett, CraW-
ford, Curtis, Cummins, Deliver,
La Toilette and Nelson.
AS there will be many interesting
and important votes on the tariff bill
it is perhaps just as well to explain
here the method Of "pairing" customary
in both houses of Congress. When
ever a Senator or Representive finds it
necessary to be absent when vote is
taken, he seeks,to find colleague whose
views are so far opposed to his own
that the two men are reasonably GER
tain to cast opposing votes on every sub
iect, and having done so he arcur, dur
ing the absence of one or Other of them
the other shall refrain from voting
merely arising when his name is called
and stating that he has general pair
| with the absent Senator or Representive
| In this way the vote is not lost to the
side whose member is absent. AS prac-
tically every member of Congress finds
| 1t from time to time impossible, or at
least extremely inconvenient, to be
present throughout session in which a
roll call is liable to occur and so often
h.s to ask for pair, he will of course,
never refuse to make one when asked
| to do so by another. Votes given above
for instence, 81 Senators we're actually
present but eight refrained from vot-
| ing in order to protect the remainin 6
eight not PRESENT and the vote was re-
corded as Al to IS.
Representative Murphy of Missouri, has
| become thorn in the flesh of the Re
publican leaders. Speaker Cannon
seemed to assume that snarl and a
vigorous flourish of the gavel in his left
hand would drive Mr.. Murphy back into
obscurity and brighten him out of any
annoying insistence that his charges of
| malfeasance, against Judges Mcpherson
and Phillips of the Western circuit
court of Missouri, be given serious con,
sideration. Mr.. Murphy. it will be re-
called, introduced resolution calling
upon the Judieirrpy Committee to in
| vestigate certain acts CT these jurists
with a view to instituting formal i'm
parchment proceedings. Mr.. Cannon
| promptly referred the resolution to The
Committee ON Rules, of which he is
Chairman, where he expected to bury
| it for all time. Frank Hagerman, a
friend of the Speaker. and the attorney
for number Of Western railroads, gave
to the press an interview in which he
characterized Mr.. Murphy's charges as
IAN outrageous tissue of misrepresenta-
ton by one who has no knowledge OF
the facts" and Mr.. Cannon assumed
that Mr.. Murphy had received this
quietus. When the House met again,
however, Mr.. Murphy rising to ques
ton of personal privilege. which of
course made in impossible for the
Speaker to denline to recogoize him,
denounced Mr.. Hagerman, reiter ated
his charges and appealed to Representa-
tive Rucker of Missouri to confirm them
which Mr.. Rucker did, saying that
Judge Philips should have been impeach-
ed twenty years ago. Mr.. Cannon has
now referred the entire matter to the
Judiciary Committee which will not be
created until next winter and has thus
probably cffectually postponed further
action until the next session of Congress
With two members of the House, how
ever, making such serious charges
as that two United States Circuit
! Judges have been in collision
with the railroads, it will be
hardly possible to avoid an in
vestigation once Congress meets in re-
pular session Mr. Murnhu can cnnn