The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1911-02-09

Leading Democrats Believe It
Should Be Done One Schedule
at a Time.
THEIR ARGUMENT SET FORTH
Thorough Investigation Of the Numer
QUE Accidents on American War
Vessels Is Needed-stanley'S
Resolution for Probe Of
Steel Trust.
BY WILLIS J. ABBOT.

washington. - Among great
number of members of the house
with whom have talked find
that the overwhelming sentiment is in
favor of the plan of taking up the
tariff in the next congress schedule
by schedule and going before the
country with something accomplished
If not all-instead Of trying to ac-
complish all, as Senator Bailey has
suggested, and accomplishing nothing.
The following, should say, is the
dominant opinion among the Demo
Gratis, and as 1t is a sort of COM
posite picture of the views of many
men l will not ascribe it to any one
by name:
Ar9Mnsnt FOR PiecemeaI Revision.
There are many reasons why the
Democrats should not attempt to en-
act complete tariff bill. These are
some:
Il. The business community TO
which now the Democratic party ap-
peals more than does its historic rival
does not want the whole tariff ques-
tion reopened. 1t would probably bring
on business depression which might
be fatal to the party in 1912.
"2 Tho party is not fitted, and can
not be before the next session, to
bring in complete bill. The experts
who have been advising the ways and
means committees of the past have
been Republicans and high protection
lists without exception. A new organi-
zation cannot be built up during the
summer recess by a party without
power to employ statisticians and in
Vestigators until it comes into power
December 4 next.
"3. A bill reducing the tariff on wool
and woolens could be presented and
passed without arousing the bitter
hostility of the lumber barons.' A
later bill reducing the tariff on lum-
Der might easily be enacted without
awakening the steel interests to ac.
tivity. Lump them both and score
of others into one omnibus bill and
every interest menaced would log
roll with all the others and eventual
ly cause congressional impotence and
Democratic disaster"
Navy Accidents Need Probing.
1t is high time that something more
than merely bureaucratic investiga.
tion was made into the accidents" on
American men-of-war. quote the
word accidents" because it seems to
me that most of them are less acci
dental than the fruit either of faulty
construction, or of bad discipline
among the crews. The latest one was
on the battleship Delaware, in which
nine men were killed by the explosion
Of steam tubes in the boiler. An In
vestigation, solemn. serious and made
picturesque by much gold lace and
many brass buttons, is now being held
by the navy authorities.
What does the board of inouirv an
pointed in this particular case inves
tigate? Will it go back of the mere
question of the methods employed in
the stoke-hole of the battleship or will
1t proceed to look into the character
of the tubing, the boilers and the 9th
er vitals of the ship furnished by its
builders?
Getting After Steel Trust.
The most interesting and far-reach
ing investigation ever conducted by
a house committee is foreshadoweC
by the action of the committee or
rules in the matter of the Stanley res
olution providing for an investigation
of the United States Steel corporation
more briefly and accurately known a.
the steel trust. This resolution ha,
been pigeon-holed in committee fo
seven months, but has finally been re
ported to the house, where it will I'm
doubtedly be adopted, though probabl,
after bitter debate. It's author doe
not mtnce matters either in describin,
the purposes of his resolution or ex
planning its necessity.
Restraint of Trade CHARGED.
The steel trust, he says, is abso
lutely criminal trust, not organized
to manufacture steel, but merely t
maintain prices through methods O
combination in restraint of trade. Tit
absolute uniformity of prices amonl
all the subsidiary corporations show!
that. Somebody on the COMMITTEES
asked Mr.. Stanley if the facts-or al
legations-presented by him to tn,
committee were we'll founded, wh,
he did not take them to the attorne,
general instead of asking for a specia
committee Of congress. His answe
was calculated to make that distiu