Evening star., 1909-04-29
|Senate Democrats Are Test
ing 1t With Their Toes.
SIMMONS is IN ALREADY
And Other Are Preparing for the
High Dive.
CUsSING THE RoBBER BAR0Ns
That's q Favorite Stunt of Southern
Sons-Consistency, the Jewel,
Not Worn in Senate.

why is it," wrote Sam Blythe. for
memorable occa sion. that the south does
not take q more prominent part in the
affairs Of the nation?" To which 1t was
answered.:
How can she. when the democratic
party disagrees with her upon every i'm
portant question:
There are indications that some of the
south's statesmen In Congress are begin
ming to chafe a little bit over the insist
ence Of the democratic party upon ex-
treme policies which are coming to De
recognized as detrimental to the material
| interest Of the southern states. This
tendency was markedly exhibited in the
House during the consideration Of the tar
If bill. when a number Of southern rep
resentatives voted openly for the high
protective tariff schedules beneficial to
their sections. and others sought refuge
under the tariff -for-revenue" dodge to
vote for a tariff which in fact is protec-
tive.
Oh Shame! Oh Horror!
A similar spirit is being manifested in
the Senate. Some of the southern sena-
tors will brazenly-ah, indeed, shameless
ly-vote for protection to their sections,
to the unutterable horror and scandal of
| the democratic party's heaven-born the
| ory-too ethereal in fact for the work-a-
day practical south. Others will content
| themselves with clinging to the doctrine
| Of tariff for revenue only. as In the
case OF lumber, being assured that such q
tariff is all the protection lumber needs,
| and SO will salve their political con-
oSsfa nd yorf he tioep fine nf
| party reproach.
AS a rose by any other name would
smell as sweet, vote for 81 lumber.
| whether in the name Of tariff for reve-
| other tariff robber barons whose ag-
gressions have set apace of prosperity
| in the NORTH will be just as acceptable to
those who are working for a harmonious
| protective bill.
"Come on In, the Waters Fine"
The wicked republican protectionists in
the Senate are having a lot Of fun with
their hesitating, hemming and having
southern brethren who want to make
| sure it's a tariff-for-revenue swimmln
hole into which they are about to plunge.
Come on in. the waters fine" they cry
| to the faltering southerners. Senator
Bacon OF Georgia is coming in, sure thing;
| he doesn't care IL they tell Aunt Democ-
racy on him or not. He says he is tired
OF her hectoring. anyhow. Senator Money
says he surely is coming in because he
knows it's tariff for revenue only; he
would scorn the plunge, however, il the
water were polluted with protection. SEN
ator Simmons Is in, enjoying the swim.
There are some others sticking toe in,
here and there. to test the water. but they
Will take the high dive. one after the
other. it is predicted, when it comes to
voting on particular items Most OF them
VIII first have made general tariff
| speeches. declaring their undying fealty
20 20 democratic principles and hurting de-
| that sort of thing. Circumstances alter
cases, however. and In this particular case
and for these special reasons and so
forth, vote for a little protection won't
hurt.
But oh, You Jewel!
Who was it who said something about
consistency and the jewel? He should be
on hand now to look 'em over in the Sem
ate and see the attitude of senators from
various sections. The Inconsistency is
not confined to a few southern states. by
any manner Of means. 1t crops out in
the northwest and in New England, and
in the middle west, too.
There's Senator Nelson, who is wailinr
over the monstrous duties on cotton
goods, woolen goods. glassware and crock
cry. You can wager that when the bar
ICY itcH Is NOtcQ upon ne Will be on the
job with the advocates of suficient duty
20 protect the Norwegian farmer in Min
nesota. Senator Nelson. however, has al
| ways been low tariff man on the bulk of
the schedules. When he was in the House
he had the temerity to vote for the Mills
bill and got into much disfavor at home
thereat.
Now, Aren't They Selfish?
In those days Minnesota. too. was for
protection on lumber. She was cutting
her own timber and building up great for
tunes. but now she is deforested and she
loathes the selfish man who would tax
lumber. But one could pick out -cases of
Inconsistency in every section, with New
England furnishing some of the most
glaring examples.
Senator Aldrich and his colleagues, who
are trying TO frame protective bill, are
| not taxing any man or any group with
| Inconsistency beyond pointing out that if
they desire duty on some article cher
ished locally they should recognize the
claim of the next man for protection on
his favorite. They are trying to get up
a well rounded bill which will give every
section a need of the benefit which they
and the republican party claim will re-
suit from the continuance OF the protec-
tive tariff system.