The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-06-12
SENATE DISCUSSES
TARIFF QUESTION
Fund for Investigating Present
Law Is Taken Up
NO REVISION IN SIGHT
In Handling the Matter OF the rund
Aldrich Defends the Law While
others Condemn 1t rs
Poor Affair

washington June 1.-THE discus
sion of the tariff in the Senate today
was not concluded. 1t came up in the
provision of the sundry civil appro-
priation bill providing fund of $751;
600 with which to enable the President
to investigate the operation Oh the
present tariff law. The discussion was
participated in by a large number OF
senators and took az wide range, which
everybody understood to be largely col
ored by political conditions.
Senator Clay opened the debate with
sharp democratic speech charging
that the measure was intended to de-
lude the insurgent republicans into the
belief that there was to be another re-
vision of the tariff which he tried to
prove by several republican senators
with some measure of success. He, was
supported by Senator Bailey on the
democratic side of the chamber. They
succeeded in bringing Senator Aldrich
into the controversy with the result
that he defended the present law and
succeeded in again bringing Senator
Beveridge to his feet.
The Indiana senator and the Ri ode
Island senator found opportunity to
thresh out their old controversy of
the authorship Of the Investigation pro-
vision of the Payne-Aldrfch tariff bill,
but with the result that each held to
his original contention. Mr.. Aldrich de-
clared that he and he alone had been
responsible for the provision.
While claiming credit for the tariff
commission bill of last session, the
Indiana senator asserted that but for
the general agitation resulting from
that bill there never would have been
an Investigation clause placed in tho
bill. Mr. Aldrich said he desired the
Information that the s250.000 would
elicit as a justification of the present
law any objects which he and numer-
Gus senators had pronounced the best
in any tariff law that ever was placed
on the statute books
All of the regulars expressed the
opinion that there would not soon be
a new revision of the tariff. Incidental
to the debate there were some anus
ing Incidents. Senators Bailey and
Johnston made reference TO the tele-
gram sent by Mr.. Beveridge to Mr..
Clapp after the close of the Indianap-
oils convention in which the Indiana
Senator was quoted as saying he had
Kicked the stomach off the tariff
BILL"
Mr.. Johnston construed the language
as meaning that Mr.. Beveridge had dis
turbed the epidermis of the abdominal
region of the tariff bill
Mr.. Hepburn was among the speak
ers, and Mr.. Hale called forth the ep-
tibet of 'insolent" from the Idaho SEN
ator by appealing to Senator Cummins
mot to wind him up again." when the
Iowa senator sought to interrupt his
Idaho colleague. Everybody smiled
over the incident.
The fact appearing that various SEN
ators still desired to be heard, Sena-
tor Hale reluctantly moved an adjourn
ment without reaching a vote on either
Senator Clays motion to strike out the
provision or on the final passage of the
sundry civil bill.
The senator from Maine expressed
deep regret that an appropriation hill
should be the occasion for such a poljt
ical debate.