The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-08-05
Interest centers Upon Final
Vote Which Takes Place
This Afternoon
CONFERENCES AMONG
SENATOR'S NUMEROUS
Night Session Is Held at Which Dis
cusson of Tariff is Resumed but
With Very Little Progress
Toward Completion.

Washington, August 4-small interest
was shown in the tariff debate in the SEN
ate today, but night session was neces-
sary to allow progressive senators an
opportunity to eas fess their views on the
tariff bill.
Interest now seems to center on the
vote on the conference report, which will
be taken at p. m. tomorrow.
Conferences among senators were num-
erous. Several times Vice President
Sherman found it necessary to call the
body to order and insist that conversa-
ton be discontinued.
The effect of the maximum and mini
mum provision of the measure as agreed
upon by the conferees was the chief sub
ject of discussion during the afternoon.
Senator Beveridge, quoting the remarks
of Chairman Aldrich, undertook to show
that that senator interpreted the Ian
guage as reported by the conferees as
practically guaranteeing all the results
that could be obtained through the in
strumentality of a tariff commission. He
provoked prompt opposition to that view
by Senator Hale, who at great length
argued that exactly the opposite purpose
was in the minds of the House conferees,
whose views had been adopted. He in
sisted that they carefully avoided giving
any authority TO the President by which
he could gather information on which an
other revision of the tariff could be
based.
Concurrent Resolution.
From the committee on finance Mr. Al
drieh reported a concurrent resolution by
which, as soon as the conference report
has been voted upon, the hide and leather
schedule will be corrected, 1t is intended,
to meet the views of western senator's,
who dmanded lower duties on products
manufactured from leather.
1t looked as IL the Senate had gone on
a strike" when the hour to reassemble
arrived tonight. Vice President Sherman
raped the body to order al o clock, and
Senator Smoot at once called for al
quorum as the first business of the even
ing
There was but a sprinkling of senators
on the floor
When the suggestion for night session
was made by Senator Bailey, possibly for
the purpose of permitting 'insurgent'
senators to voice their criticism of the
tariff bill, Senator Aldrich and other sem
ators did not take kindly to the idea of
sitting up late to hear these speakers. At
o'clock the Rhode Island senator was
one of those whose absence was noted.
Quorum Hard To Get.
Some difficulty was encountered in get
ting a quorum at the night session. Fin
ally at $40 o'clock the sergeant-a alarms
was instructed to bring in the absentees.
For more than half hour Senate en-
ployes had been telephoning to residences
of senators to induce their attendance,
but with small success
Senator Lodge, entering the chamber,
made quorum. and the order to bring
in the absentees was abrogated.
Senator Cummins of Iowa was the first
speaker at the evening session.
The tariff has been reduced, Mr.. Cum
minis said, on iron and steel products
more than on any other schedule in the
bill. And yet he declared $50 far
as the people who buy iron and steel are
concerned they would have been quite
as we'll off if there had been no reduc-
tion whatever
He attacked various schedules of the
measure as affording no relief to the
American consumer.
Challenging the statement by Mr. Cum
minis that there had been no substantial
reduction in the BILL Mr.. Aldrich de-
clared that there had been 500 reduc-
tions of rates. 1t would be impossible,
he said, to show that these rates were
above q reasonable protective point.
Mr.. Cummins, having invited the Rhode
Island senator to visit him In Iowa, to
help him convince the people that these
rates were only high enough to be pro-
tective, Senator Bailey suggested that
when those two senators perform in
double harness he wanted to be there.
Political Discussion.
Drifting into a discussion of politics
Senators Cummins, Aldrich, Bailey Dick.
Beveridge and Smith of Michigan en-
tered upon a sort of experience meeting
concerning the political issue of 1896 Mr.
Aldrich insisted that the misrepresenta-
tion of the Mckinley tariff bill first
caused the defeat of the republican party,
and then resulted in the nomination and
election of Mckinley.
1T was the money question that con-
trolled that campaign, suggested Mr..
Beveridge
'It was the absence of money that con
trolled it," facetiously suggested Mr.
Smith of Michigan.
ION our side" interposed Mr.. Bailey.
Concluding his remarks. Mr.. Cummins
reiterated that he would vote against
the conference report
Senator Daniel in an extended speech,
renewed his complaint that he and other
democratic members of the finance COM
mittee had been excluded from a fair
participation in the consideration of the
tariff bill.
Mr. Daniel concluded with general
denunciatlon of the tariff bill and warned
the republicans that should the right
man arise to lead the democracy, victory
would be assured to that party.
At 11:41 the Senate adjourned until 10
o'clock tomorrow
Americans Are Safe.