Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1909-05-11
SKATERS OLD
SENATE CUSTOMS
New Members in Evidence in
Tariff Debate and Take
Active Part.

WASHINGTON, D. c., May IL
One of the most striking features of
the debate in the senate on the tariff
bin, as far as it has gone, is the sup
port which is being given to BOSS"
Aldrich by his young colleagues on
the finance committee.
AS always happens during consid-
Grafton of a great subject like this,
which affects every line of business
and practically every class of wages,
new leaders are being developed.
One would naturally suppose that
such veterans as Hale and Burrows,
both of whom have had previous ex-
perience in the preparation of tariff
bills, in the house as well as in the
senate, would be foremost in coming
to the assistance of Aldrich when he
is pressed for information.
Instead of that, the elder states
men have scarcely uttered a word
during the debate as yet, except to
interject objections to proposed rates
affecting certain of their home indus
tries. 1t is the kids of the COM
Smoot, of Utah, and Flint, Of
California-who are always ready to
rise in defense of the bill as reported
to the senate and are prepared with
reasons for the changes that have
been made from the House provisions
or from the prevailing Dingley rates.
Both of these men were appointed to
the finance committee only at the
beginning of the present session. In
the case of Smoot it was quite a
change from being the hunted Nor
mon Apostle" fighting for the right
to hold his seat, to the position OF
taking leading part in a tariff dis
Cussion.
But both Smoot and Flint have ap'
parently been giving close attention
to the mass of information that has
beeen submitted to the finance com
mittee on the various schedules. They
have acquired a vast amount o.
knowledge and they are quick to i'm
part it to their colleagues when th'
occasion offers. Smoot, it appears
not only knows a great deal abou
the chemical schedule, which includes
a number of articles which go int
the preparation of fertilizers ant
other matters of general use, but h
Is an expert on vol and woolens. HI
has been a wooden manufacturer ant
he started the other day to tell tn
senate all about it, from the time tn
wool was taken from the sheep
back up to the time 1t was made int
suit of clothes. He got tagged
however, and had to withhold his vol
luminous information until later.
Smoot and Flint both. had absorb
ed a lot Of knowledge about cottol
cloth and were ready to tell the sen
ate just why the rates are predicate
upon so many threads to an inch. Blu
inasmueh as that subject was only u
casually they had to defer their eH
plantation. They did. however, pre-
duce the interesting information tina
the changes in these schedules ha
been uniformly recommended by tn
government treasury experts an
were not the result of represents
tons by manufacturers.
But when the laurel is awarded
the most precoeious of new senator
II will rest on the brow of Hon. Dun
can U. Fletcher. OF Florida. 1t use
TO be the rule that a new senate
should be mum for a couple of Sc
sions. Within the past few yeal
hot-blooded radicals have asserte
their speech-making rights in
month or so from the time OF the