The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-08-04
Anvil Chorus Is Having a Busy
Time Now.
Have Opened on President and
the White House.
SAY HE'S FREE TRADER
High Tariff Advocates Point to
Taft's Training.
SAY HE'S FREE TRADER
Fear to Have Him Appoint Com
misSiOners as Proposed.

washington. Aug. 4.-1n ne more LIle
facts leak out as to the feeling in high
tariff circles in congress toward Presi-
dent Taft, the more interesting they
become. Speaking of anvil choruses,
there is one at the capitol which is do
ing a beautiful line of hammering at
the expense of the president. L devol-
ops that this was begun on the day that
% Republican members of the hOus, all
opposed to the removal of the duties
on raw materials. went to see the pres
ident and were told that the duties on
raw materials had to come down.
1t was at this time that the fate of
the tariff commission was sealed. When
the supporters of duties on raw ma
terials got back TO the capitol they
held a meeting. and in this, behind
closed DOORS there is good authority
for saying that there was a lot of plain,
unfurbfshed and interesting talking
about the chief executive.
One eminent high tariff advocate Is
said to have got up and denounced
Taft as a free trader. He recalled the
training in political economy TAFT had
had a Yale. In addition to the feature
OF the tariff bill which gives the presl-
dent the power to name tariff commits
sioners, to advise as to the adminlstra-
ton of the maximum feature of the law,
and to report information to congress-
this member said there was nothing to
prevent the president appointing any
number of commissioners and that IN
consideration of the views of the pres1-
dent it was dangerous.
1t was at this time, that the WORD
was sent out that the tariff commission
proposition had to be carefully guarded
and the provision for reporting to con-
gress stricken out. The plan was exc
cuted and the tariff commission propo-
sition made as harmless as possible.
President Taft was much aroused when
he heard OF it, but seems to have found
no remedy.
Senator Bristow of Kansas says he's
going to get at the bottom of this
business of what the tariff extracts
from the ultimate consumer. He's put
ting up building out at Salina and
is keeping books on the structural steel
and other steel and iron products he
uses.
says the saturnine Kansas statesman,
"Ill be able to tell Just how much
I've been robbed by the operation of
the steel tariff
question about the ultimate consumer
at last being awake on the tariff ques-
ton. He has been asked to go to a
small Kansas town to speak on tariff
at a farmers festival and is promised
an audience of 1900 people.
The idea of that many people getting
wrought up over tariff is convincing ev-
idence to BristoW that there's something
and that he's ripe for revolt.
Club women of Denver have determin-
ed and announced that two years hence
Colorado, by virtue of the votes of Wo-
men, will send a woman as an elected
delegate to the national house of rep
resentatives. If Uncle Joe" continues
In 1911 to act as moderator in the de-
lucrative sessions of the house, and
Il the lady from Colorado is there to
be moderated, it Will be indeed a
picturesque juxtapOsition.
Uncle joe is far famed for his !
politeness where the fair sex is con- |
cerned. He will be sure to see that |
Mrs Sarah Platt Decker or whoever |
it may be. is conceded the last word !
in any discussion, and he will not |
venture to become VituperatiVe or /
even unduly vehement in the re- |
straining presence of femininity. 1t |
is to be feared that the claws of the |
congressional lion will be clipped, and /
that to please the lady-and the thou |
sands of other ladies whom she rep |
resents-he will roar as gently as |
any sucking dove.
The effect of the election of a per-
feet lady to the house of representa- |
tives could only be for the general |
spiritual and ethical elevation of the |
members of that body-and especially |
the speaker of the house. In fact, /
if not in name, the lady is likely to
wrest from Speaker" Cannon that |
titular distinction.
peculiar situation has arisen in |
connection with the office of soil /
citor of the navy department. That |
office was held for many years by
Edwin P Hanna, of Salina, Kan, who /
died a few weeks ago. While the Of
flee was attached to the bureau of |
the judge advocate general of the /
navy the salary provided by congress
was at the rate of $4,000 a year. In
June. 1906, congress provided, for the /
n hon Of Mr. 10,
cum bent, that the solicitor in the |
office of the judge advocate general
of the navy shall hereafter receive an
annual salary of $4,000 during the
services of the present incumbent"
The question having been submit
ted to the controller of the treasury
however. that officer has given an
opinion that the salary of 1900 ceas-
ed with the death of Mr.. Hanna and
that no more than $2.500 a year can
be paid to the solicitor under exist
ing law. That compensation is not
regarded as adequate by the officials
Of the department. and congress will
be at once requested to remedy the t
situation by specifically providing in
the pending deficiency bill that the
solicitor shall be paid at the rate of !
$4,000 a year. The appointment of !
q solicitor is held up pending the
enactment of favorable legislation.
Rural letter carriers appointed for
service in Kansas: William Camp
bell and William Manages at Frank
fort; Harry E. Berger and Hattie
Berger at Sylvan Grove; Joseph NJ
Wellington.
Kansas postmasters commissioned:
Sherd Barcus at Roseland; Charles
L. Pettyjohn at Falmo.
On September Is the postoffice at