The National tribune., 1910-12-22
THE TARIFF ISSUE.

Both Sides Playing for Position.
Preparing for a Big Tariff Bat
tie Next Year-A Tariff Com
mission May or May Not Be
Authorized.
The tariff issue has been flaring into
prominence at the Capitol. 1t is al
ready upon the floor of the Senate. in
the discussion of Senator Cumminss
new rule for schedule-by schedule re-
vision, and already in the Finance Com
mittee, where Senator Aldrich has
named a subcommittee to consider a
permanent commission bill. Tariff dis
cusSion is also already upon the floor
of the House, where during general de-
bate upon the pension appropriation bill
members improved the opportunity to
ring the changes on revision. And the
Ways and Means Committee, where all
tariff bills must originate, has been CIV
ing hearings to John C. Cobb, head of
q manufacturers association that is
clamoring for a commission.
Tariff bills galore are appearing in
the big basket, where members of the
House Introduce their measures for
Legislative consideration. None of these
can be taken up this session; none of
them will get farther than reference
to the Ways and Means Committee,
where "Uncle" Serene Payne presides
in pompous placidity. House bills die
with the end of a Congress, but your
ambitious Congressional politician likes
IL IT. H., Il.
an advantage to be able to declaim: Il
was the first to offer d bill" 1t helps
sometimes at home and even gives him
a slight prestige perhaps in the body
of which he is a member. 1t also
starts agitation and may help create
sentiment.
Big Tariff Battle Next Year.
In any event, all this running to and
fro at the present juncture il a tariff
connection is preliminary to the big
tariff battle of the next Congress. The
accession as we'll as the loss of respon-
Sibility is even now demonstrated by
the agility with which Democrats and
Republicans conduct themselves. A few
months ago, when tariff revision was
mentioned In Senate or House, the DEM
ocrats were pressing hard ahead and
the Republicans were holding back.
Now it is just the reverse.
Not but what the Democrats. seem
willing to scale the high protective
tariff down. They are. But the Re-
publican earnestness for Tariff Com
mission, all of a sudden, as well as a
Republican readiness in some quarters
to acknowledge that revision can we'll
be undertaken, arouses suspicion on
the minority side of both Congressional
chambers. The Democrats, of course,
want to play the game their own way;
the Republicans are enthusiastically
favorable to making eS much trouble
as they may be able.
The present jockeying for position
will, of course, be forgotten long before
the next House is hard at its task of
passing the first Democratic tariff bill
in 16 years. The fact that Democrats
OF the Senate and Democrats of the
House are resisting the creation of a
permanent tariff commission and a
scheduIe-by-sche rule is impor-
tant only for the moment They
have steadily resisted the author
ization of tariff board on the
ground that it was only a Republic
can subterfuge. Whatever the good
faith of the members of the present
Tariff Board may be, the Democrats do
not tire of recalling that every one of
its three members are Republicans and
that only Republicans are recipients of
the patronage which the Board has to
ocrat5 may or may not twelcome new
rule under which the Senate can enter
upon only SO much tariff revision as
the House indicates in its original bill.
but hey are unwilling to tie their own
hands now, more than year in ad-
vance of their tariff revision under
takings.
The Tariff Commission.
Statements of the last few days in
dicate an early vote by the Finance
Committee, of which Senator Aldrich
bill. These should be accepted with
caution. Senator Aldrich has shown
time and again that he Is exceedingly
crafty and that he knows how to speak
to the ear and break to the hope. AL
tho he said pleasant things in debate
to Senator Beveridge, of Indiana, he
smiles knowingly when the subject is
mentioned in private conversation.
The facts are that the Senate just
now is running along with very little
business. 1t is the period when almost
any old firebrand makes a commotion.
A great tariff debate could be easily
started, but Senator Aldrich "kisses off,
with soothing words. which do not def
nitely commit him, those of his col
leagues who are asking immediate
action. Bye and bye the Senate will
have plenty Of work to do-as soon as
appropriation bills arrive from the
House. Then IL will not be as difficult
as it would be now to thrust any kind
OF tariff discussion aside. That is one
OF the tricks of the legislative trade at
which Senator Aldrich is an expert.
Tariff Commission may or may not
be authorized at this session of Con-
gress. More likely it will not be. The
public demand for it has made the Re-
publicans discuss the matter more re-
spectfully than of yore, but It can be
put down as certain that If bill ad-
vances very materially the older Re-
publicans will begin to unsheath their
glittering blades and the measure will
have a merry time running the gaunt-
let
Senator Cummins's Proposition.
The regular Republicans have no hes
itatiOn about opposing the Cummins
rule, which insurgent Senators are ad-
yocating. They say it is playing into
the hands of the Democrats. But that
discussion will be allowed to drag itself
out at considerable length. The old
sters want to play" Senator Cummins
to the limit, show him the pitfalls that
beset new man who dares aspire to
! leadership, and finally convince him
how powerless he is when he does not
command the cooperation of his Re-
publican colleagues. 1t goes without
saving that Senator Cunrnina is yyeII