The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1911-08-09
DID NOT GET ALL.
From the Savannah Press.

How times change! The farmer
is getting all that is coming to him
from congress. Atlanta Journal.
Not all. For instance the farmers
free list bill, which was up before the
senate, failed because of one demo-
cratic vote.
Now, the farmers free list bill was
a very important measure. When
the reciprocity treaty with Canada
was proposed it was urged that many
farm products had been sacrificed by
admitting the same articles free from
Canada and that the farmer had real
ly been made to pay for the Canadian
agreement. Accordingly the farm
ers' free list bill was proposed as an
offset Since the farmers products
had been relieved of their protection
it was believed to be right and proper
to relieve the farmer of the burden
he was carrying in paying high prices
for certain articles used on the farm.
When this bill came up in the senate
yesterday it met a tie vote, thirty
nine for and thirty-nine against
This, of course, meant it's defeat
Senator Bailey of Texas, who had
blocked democratic tariff reform at
every step, voted with the republic
cans against the bill. He voted
against the Canadian reciprocity
measure, and he voted against the
wool bill. Whenever the democrats
make an honest effort to reform the
tariff they meet Senator Bailey on the
other side. This has happened three
times. He seems to be the uncompro-
missing foe of tariff reform as the
democrats understand it.
But another trouble came about
yesterday. We dislike to keep stress
ing this point or to play politics with
state official who evidently sees
his duty in different way from what
we do. But if Hon. Hoke Smith had
been in the senate yesterday the far
mers free list bill would have passed
just as it came from the house. lust
as it was prepared by the democratic
ways and means committee, Just as
1t had been adopted by the demo-
cratic representative and Just as it
had been endorsed by the democratic
senators. 1t is true that the bill as
amended still gives the farmers most
of the articles supplied on the free
list by the original bill. Most, but
not all.
The farmers free list bill would
have placed on the free list agri-
cultural implements, cotton bag
ging, cotton ties, leather, boots,
and shoes, fence wire, meats, ce-
reals, flour, bread timber, lumber.
sewing machines, salt and other
articles.
Meats were cut out, and doubtless
the beef trust was delighted. Effort
was made to exclude meats when
the free list bill first came UP in the
senate, but failed. One of the greatest
difficulties in the way of high living
has been the beef trust. The Kern
compromise, finally adopted, threw
out free meats, but the point is that
by the absence of one vote the demo-
cratic measure was lost and the enc
mics OF democracy were able to de-
1eat 1t. BY clever stroke the friends
OF the free list bill managed to save
| II from utter emasculation; but the
Dill has been sent to conference and
no one knows what will become of it.
Now, the position of the Savannah
Press has always been that this thing
and something worse was liable to
happen by the absence of one demo-
cratic vote in the senate. The time
is too important and the bills now I'D
FOR consideration too vital to take
chances. Senator LaFollette of Wis
consln, who comments the attitude
OF Governor Smith in staying awav
from the senate, is doing all that he
can to break down the democratic
scheme and schedule of tariff reform
He fought reciprocity up to the last.
he fought the wool bill to a stand
still, forcing the democrats to accent
| mis- amendment, and yesterday he
stood with Senator Bailey and the re-
publicans in opposing the farmers
Tree list bill. We hardly think that
| Governor Smith will be satisfied with
the commendation Of Senator LaFol-
Iette under the circumstances. Wis
| sonsin's statesman is doing his best
to break the back of democratic work
in reforming the tariff.
| The Press cannot be accused of
any efforts to mag" Governor Hoke
smith or to embarrass him before
the legislature or the people. We
are in sympathy with his progressive
measures before the Georgia legisla-
ture and support his general policies
or reform. But we submit now. as
we said at first, that mis- plain duty is
to go to the senate, to which he has
been elected