New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-05-13
From The Tribune Bureau
Wo chit, Utnn Ma

1
| HECKIJNG THE WITNESSES.-OHly
those who had the misfortune TO appear pe-
fore the Ways and Means Committee when
II was holding hearings on the Payne tarih
| bill to advocate a reduction OF the duties
can form an adequate conception OF the eA-
perience to which witnesses who favor the
Canadian reciprocity agreement and appear
before the Finance Committee In us sup
port subject themselves. The only member
OF that committee who appears TO be Sill
cerely in favor of the agreement is senator
| Stone. and he alone comes forward to pro-
| tect witnesses from the browbeating OF
those members of the committee who are
opposed to II. Those who engage In this
type of effort TO intmidate the witnesses
and to make them appear at their worst are
Senators Gallineer, Bailey Hepburn. Smoot
| McCumber, Clark (of Wyoming and SIM
mons. OF the other members OF the COM
mittee, Senators La Toilette Lodge, zen
rose johnson and Kern are non-commitai'
but they never raise their voices TO protect
a witness who is subjected to embarrassing
and intimidating methods by the buriy
Texan, the irascible Senator from Idaho, or
the more insdious Senator from New
Hampshire. The representatives or the
chambers of commerce of Northern New
York. who appeared In support OF the
agreement, were Ill prepared for the saw
age cross-examnation to which they were
subjected and stood the heckling badly
They stood by the proposition that the
people OF their section were enthusiastic for
reciprocity. but were somewhat deficient
when asked to explain why. Any one who
a TO c,,h,, u-hy no
ment should be rejected need have no fears
about coming before the Finance Commit
tee. but any one who wishes to appear in
support of It should take a course in elo-
cution. course in logic, and then spend a
rev months studying the methods of the
browbeatng lawyers in the lower courts, by
which time they may be able to acquit
themselves with credit Senator Bailey an
nounced to-day that he was arranging to
have certain cattlemen from his state ap-
pear before the comittee, and Senator Sim
mons said he would bring in certain lumber
dealers. The prospects are. therefore, that
the hearings will be prolonged considerably
more than was expected.
MR.. ROOTS PREDICTION. - Senator
Root predicted to-day that the Senate
would pass a single important measure.
the Canadian reciprocity bill. and then ad-
journ. Moreover, the Senator intimated
that adjournment might come considerably
earlier than has been generally expected.
The friends of the reciprocity agreement
| would be delighted If they could express
the belief that the reciprocity agreement
would be approved with as much confidence
as the Senator from New York. There was
probably never measure which so many
Senators were for" and yet which had
so many intense If not open enemies in the
upper house. The House expects to pass
some sort Of a bill readiusting Schedule
X, that dealing with wool and woollens,
and will then be camoring for adjourn
ment. There is, of course. not the slightest
expectation on the part OF the Democrats
in the House that the Senate will pass any
Of their tariff bills. In fact like the razors
that were made to sell, not to shave, the
free list bill would be absolutely impossible
Of enforcement IL IT We're passed by both
houses and approved by the President. 1t
was not drawn for that purpose. 1t was
drawn 10 sell-to sell the voters. Neither
is there any reason to believe that the
House will seek TO induce the Senate to act
on the reciprocity agreement The Demo-
Gratis have done their part TO put that
agreement into operation. They are, more
over, convinced that. however many
enemies it may have in the rural dis
tricts, it's defeat will go far to convince
the mass of the voters that the Republican
party is moribund, an aggregation Of
'standpatters." which cannot be relied on
10 give the people any relief from an ex
| orbitant tariff They therefore will he
rather glad TO see the reciprocity agreement
| fail. and unfortunately there is a large
number of Republicans who will be equally
glad, and there you are.
PRAYING FOR ADJOURNMENT The
torrid weather of the last few days has set
many hardened sinners in both houses to
praying for adjournment. With the Their
mometer lacking only Two points Of the