The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-04-05
FINANCE COMMITTEE
IS UNDER HIS THUMB
Colleagues Are in Complete Accord
With the Leader.-ln Fact the En-
tire Senate Moves at His Call.
Other Gossip.

WASHINGTON, April 5.-Nelson w
Aldrich, the senator from Rhode Is
land, is the most sought after man in
public life today. Up the marble
steps to the new senate office build
ing and down the long white corr-
dor moves the constant stream of
men looking for this quiet, elusive
senator. Why are they seeking him?
Because the finance committee is max.
ing a tariff bill-the real tariff bill
andhe is the finance committee. This |
committee has taken quarters in the |
new office building, and the architect |
ural arrangement sare such that only |
the initiated can find the boss of the |
senate" The committee has a suite
of eight, ten, twelve, fourteen-no one
knows just how many rooms. All
that is known definitely is that the
man who is making the tariff bill is
in the last room in the suite. People
do get to him, but they must have
the password. Many of the senators
who would like to explore the COM
mittee's headquarters have not yet
ben able to get in.
The eight men besides Mr.. Aldrich
who are admitted daily to the room
in which the bill is being made are
julius C. Burrows of Michigan, Boies
Penrose of Pennsylvania, Eugene Hale
of Maine. Shelby NJ. Cullom of Illinois,
Henry Cabot Lodge of Massachusetts,
Porter J. McCumber of North Dakota,
Reed Smoot of Utah, and Frank P.
Flint of California. Each of these men
is in complete accord with the views
of the chairman of the committee, Nj.
Aldrich. That's the reason they We're
made members of the committee.
In the room that leads to the "holy
of holes" are many clerks-experts
thew are called-who figure day
after day When the chairman of the
committee wants a bit of special in
formation bearing on the great work
in hand, he presses a button, and all
expert Immediately appears before
him. But the "boss of the senate
does not have to call for expert helr
: very often. He knows all the tariff
! through and through, and whatever
| the public-the consuming public
| may think of the bill when it comes
out q finished product, one may be
| sure that the senator from Rhode Is
land will be able to answer any ques
| ton that may be asked about any
| item or schedule.
| Many of the members of the senate
| are in badh umor over the methods
| that Are being employed by the Rhode
Island senator and his assistants OF
the republican wing of hte committee
but they hardly dare speak alou'
about it. And when the bill comes on
and senators begin asking question
about it. the Rhode Island man, If
ludJ quiet, COllN III 4llS NtAN VI ms " 1
| answer the questions so slilfully tina
criticism will be largely disarmed
:! One fact worth preserving for til
= benefit of the historian is that aftC
=. all these years of criticism of I'll
Rhode Island senator he never VIZ
more powerful in congress than he
today. Day by day the tariff discu
sion here at the capital goes roul
and round in a circle, and then SON
one hits the nail on the head
asking: What does Aldrich think
it?" Thht is the all important gu
ton.
Yes. l intend to offer an amer
ment providing for an income
when the bill reaches the senat