The Sentinel=record., 1911-07-29
DEBATE ON
 COTTON BILL
REPRESENTATIVE UNDERWOOD BEGINS ARGUMENT FOR cor
 TON REVISION.
Minority Report Presented by Rep resentative Payne of New York Underwood Denies La
 hor VII! Suffer.

Washington, July S.--Debate on the democratic cotton schedule revi- sion bill was begun in the house today by Representative Underwood of Alabama, chairman of the ways and means committee. which prepar- ed the bill. No date was fixed for though it is believed it will end We'd nesday with a vote on the day fol- lowing.
 The minority report was presented today by Representative Payne of New York, leading minority member of the ways and means committee. 1t expresses opposition to the bill be- cause 1t does not furnish protective duties for a great American industry and 1t is frankly admitted that 1t is not intended to do so.' The report says:
 There IS no demand for such leg |islation at this time, but on the |contrary the country appreciates the sound reasoning that asks postpone ment of revision of the cotton sched- ule until after the report of the tariff board has been received. Its inevita- ble tendency will be to destroy the business confidence of the country" Representative Underwood said the cotton schedule revision proposed by lthe bill would save American consum- CTS s209,000,000 a year. He denied that labor would be injured in the least by the proposed tariff reduc- tions.
 The only basis on which the Re publican party has stayed in power, he declared. has been false ap- appeal to the laborers of the coun- try making them believe they were receiving more wages because of D protective tariff than they would oth- lerwise receive.~
 | He insisted that tine duties levied under the Republican tariff had lamounted to from 100 to 300 per cent Iof the labor cost of the goods and that the laboring man had received a very small percentage of the added duty.
 The charge had been made that Mir. Underwood said the democratic revision was radical measure.
 T am anxious, he continued, if we have the power to do so, to re-
 duce every schedule in the Tariff bill to a strictly revenue basis. But in reaching that point am not dis posed to be radical. If We enact this Ibin I don't think We ought hastily or unduly to agitate the country again with constant revisions.'
 Three roll calls were necessary during the afternoon to keep . quorum in the house to listen to the discussion. Only two others spoke the bill. Representative Roberts of Nevada, against. and Representative Bathrick of Ohio, for it. Mir. Rob- erts urged awaiting reports of tbe tariff board.
 When the democrats are not dis cussing free trade on the floo-." said Roberts, they are sitting in dem- ocratic cloak room wearing import ed pants, smoking imported cigars and lighting them with imported matches Then holding aloft a small box of foreign made matches. he added:
 And every time one of them strikes an imported match on the seats of his Imported pants. he strikes a blow at the American working man."
 Br. Bathrick attacked the attorney general in the course of his speech declaring that the majesty of the flaw must be upheld when a man steals loaf of bread. but when great criminals have been convicted before the Supreme Court. our at |torney general sits supinely by and says he will wait until some coaven- lient time to institute proceedings for the enforcement of law and order" {" Representative Austin of Tennes- see. came to the defese of the at see, came to the defense of the at was doing his full duty.
 Debate of the bill be resumed to- morrow.