The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1909-08-20
THE OWOSSO TIMES
EDMUND O. DEWEY. EDITOR.
OWbssO, FRIDAY. AUG. 10, 1909
s-s-.ss..
On the Statute Book.

VII tbU Stohut0 SSSN'
Meyer before was the passage of 9
tariffs bill awaited with such interest as
was that of the measure which went on
the statute book this morning. August
5, 1909, will be a larger date-mark than
July "a, 1897, the time of the enactment
of the Dingley law. 1t will be even
larger than March 8, 1861, the day on
which President Buchanan, then on
the eve of leaving Office, signed the
FIRST tariff bill which was ever passed
by Republican Congress. From be-
ginning to end the session was excit-
ing Beginning on the same day. March
is, that the Congress assembled which
enacted the Dingley law, the session
iastedtwelve days longer than did that
one. The contests which the Payne bill
aroused were far more numerous and
interesting than any melted by any
previous Republican tariff act. On
several divisions each party was split.
The Republicans, who were the major
ity party, and thus responsible for
legislation, showed far more coherency
than did the Democrats. On half a
dozen items Mr.. Aldrich had the sup
port Of more Democrats than rallied
aronn4 Mr.. Culberson, the Democratic
titulaf leader in the Senate. On the
final roll call twenty Republicans in the
Housesand seven in the Senate voted
against the measure. This is much
larger Reflection than had eyer previous.
~ beeK seen among the Republicans on
> tariff bill framed by their party. Two
Democrats in the House and one in the
Senate Louisiana members in each
ase-faYored the bill.
But all Emergencies among the Re-
pnblicans are now ended. The extra
session of 1909 takes its place in history,
and the Republican party will turn to
new problems. Among the enemies and
the friends of the bill there was much
exaggeration, especially among its enc
mics To look for tariff bill which every
body would like would be vain hope.
A tariff measure which contains 5000
items. which deals with the interests of
an entire continent. and which touches
the activities of 9O,OOO,OO0 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 on August 5,
1909, suited every member of Congress
IN every provision. 1t would be easy to
find MANY items in the Payne act which
many Republicans and protectionists
xould like to have alerted. On all of
them, however, there were differences
of opinion among good Republicans and
devoted protectionists, and there was
I'D sndeavor in each branch to harmon
ire all the divergent opinions, as far as
practicable Unbiased, intelligent per-
sons must now concede that the har.
raonizers achieved fair degree Of sue
csss With the limited time and facili-
hes at their command the Ways and
Means Committee framed bill which,
Oh 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
Fsyne bill, I freely concede that, in
many respects, it is better than the
DingleYlsw." These are the words of
Senator ummins, of Iowa, who was
one of the most active and outspoken
among the Republican insurgents. AS
the Dingley law was on the statute
book longer than any other tariff in the
whole History of the government, and
~ the country during its days reached
> higher level Of prosperity than it had
every previously obtained, the Iowa
senator renders an eloquent tribute to
the newlsw. The Dingley act was on
the books for twelve years. If Mr..
C,mmins' encomium be worth any
thing tho Payne law has long career
ahead Of it. In fact, the new act, taking
Il as an entirety, is an excellent
measure. The Republicans who attack.
"a it hardest while there were any
chances TO alter It in the provisions
which they dislked will now concede
That it deserved better treatment than
they gave 1t. Ali of them will support
4 on the stump in 1910 if it should be