Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-12-27
TO az a NEvgR.c EAs,No SOURCE
OF CONTROVERSY IN CON.
oREss.
REPORT OF TARIFF BOARD
ONLY A BEGINNING
Little Prospect Of High Pretsetienists
and lnsurssnts Getting Together in
Either House or ssnats-Houss
Democrats to Frame Measure Of
Thsir Own.
Ispecial Correspopdence.l

Especial Correspondence
Washington, Dec. 26.-The war over
tariff. which has been smouldering
along since the last session of con-
gress. when the struggle over recipro-
city was followed by struggles over va
rious important schedules, has once
more broken out in earnest.
!, 1t needed only the report of the tar
if board to fan the embers Of contro-
versy into flame. 1t is now as certain
as anything can be that congress and
the country are confronted with
months of bitter discussin, disputatin
and wrangling over the tariff question.
lit viii continue, not merely thru the
present session Of congress but it will
be carried into the national conven-
tions and there is every indication that
1t will last thru the reelection cam
paigns.
Wool Report Only Beginning.
When the tariff board report on wool
| FIRST came out, wise men in congress
predicted that this report instead OF
being the end OF tariff trouble was
merely the beginning Of it. That view
OF the case is being daily given confir-
nation.
Weeks ago, the tip went round that
the report of the tariff board would be
such that the wool manufacturers did
not need feel any alarm over it, Since
the report came out. men in congress
who make 1t their business to see that
the wool manufacturers do not suffer
have endorsed the report. On the part
;. orr
| does not seem to be as much unanimity
as on the part of the wool manufactur-
ers. Senator Warren. who is a big
sheep man in Wyoming, endorsed the
report but now along comes Secretary
5. w. Mcclure of the National Wool
Growers Association, and makes it
known that the organization will fight
for higher rates on raw wool than
those proposed by the tariff board.
Politics Of the Question.
The most significant development Of
the situation is the fact that President
! Taft and the high tariff men in con-
gress have fastened to seize on the
tariff board report for the purpose OF
rehabitating their political fortunes
and Strengthening the republican party.
They hope to do this thru the bill deal
ing with wool duties which will be pre-
pared by the republican members OF
the house ways and means committee.
They will try to rally republicans Of all
shades in congress around such a bill.
! They do not expect the democrats to
accept such bill. 1t is their plan to
| let the democrats reject it and then go
to the-country and ask endorsement for
tariff legislation of the sort they pro-
pose. In the wool bill that the ways
and means republicans will frame there
will he allowances made not only for
the difference in cost of production, as
i figured by the tariff board, but for the
| reasonable profit" to the American
manufacturer ;or producer which the
I, Chicago platform. at the instance Of
the protected interests, made careful
provision for in 1908.
/ Republicans Divided.
But the efforts to unite the republic
cans of house and senate in support OF
wool bill will fail. 1t is not difficult
to perceive why. The republicans on
the ways and means committee are
men who have small sympathy with
lower tariff duties. They are seven in
number and Include Payne, Of New
York; Dalzell. OF Pennsylvania: Nc
Call. of Massachusetts; Hill, OF Con-
necticut; Needham of California:
Fordney, OF Michigan, and Longworth,
OF Ohio.
All these men are high protection
lists. They are the men who were in
4 strumental in formulating the Payne-
tAldrich bill. ~
Just as 1t was in 1909, 1t is the plan
of these high tariff republicans to en-
list President Taft and have him march
along with them. The president has in
dicated already his willingness.
II the insurgent republicans in house
and senate now will consent to enlist
also, then 1t will be easy sailing. The
united republican forces in house and
senate and White House will move
along together on tariff thru the pres
ent session and thru the campaign.
insurgents Will 0aiI<.
But the trouble with the plan Is that
the insurgent republicans IN house and
senate are not going to unite In It..
4 Many Of them are already showing
, lsigns Of refusal to have anything to do
with 1t. They do not trust the high pro-
Z tectioniste. They are not content with
q bill which will make considerable
nominal reductions OF duties and vet
4 will not benefit the consumers. Many OF
Z them are convinced the reasonable
q ptOHtF pHfNSe Oh the NnlcdSO pIat1ofm
!, has no business In the platform and
. that II ought not be taken into account
: In framing wool bill.
The democratic policy is to frame q
Z wool bill on tariff for revenue lines.
!. Chairpan Underwood announces that
the tariff board report will be given the
same consideration az other evidence
before ways and means and no more.
J THE Democratic bill Will be about tr,e
same In general level Of duties as the
one Of last session.
It Ii not at all impossible that be-
: fore the session il over q wool bill will
! = n = > ---------
eral have yet been given to the pub
!. lie here. Mr.. Bags was about "a