Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-11
DISAGREES WITH Mr.. TAFT
President Desires Extra Session to
Pass Reciprocity Bill Only.
OPPORTUNITY FOR DEMOCRATS
Leaders Do Not Believe Party in Con.
troll of House Will Chance Slip
to Attack High Rates.

President Taft and Champ Clark seen
to have their wires crossed on the tarif
program for the extra session, in the
view of some of the democratic tariff
thinkers, who are now sharpening theil
pruning knives. From Atlanta comes the
intimation that President Taft desires the
extra session to pass the Canadian
reciprocity bill-and let it go at that
Out west Champ Clark is declaring there
will be general tariff revision.
The financial and industrial interests
are marking time" waiting for a definite
policy to develop. That sensitive plant OF
business activity, Wall street, first to
detect and reflect changes in Industrial
conditions. is anxiously exposing its fronts
to the four winds for warnings of the
approaching breeze, be 1t gale or zephyr
Brother" Underwood and his col
leagues Of the tentative ways and
means committee are in the meantime
pursuing the even tenor Of their way
serenely Indifferent to presidential sug.
gestion or leadership prophecy. Their
first work is to prepare for the or
ganization of the new House; further
action will be as it may be.
There is one thing. however, that is
cut and dried-and the administration
may as well put 1t in its pipe and smoke
tt-and that is that when the new Con.
gress is convened the democratic party
in the House Of Representatives will
deal with the tariff as 1t, in it's own
wisdom, may decree.
To Act Independently.
THE President may propose-we will
dispose" say the democratic managers.
What that disposition is to be will de-
pend upon the judgment Of the majority
of democrats in caucus assembled. Once
Congress is assembled and the control
of the House passed to the democrats,
with their increased influence in the
Senate. it will be for Congress to decide
the scope Of it's action.
The President cannot dismiss Congress
except in event of the ouse and Senate dis
agreeing upon a date of adjournment. 1t
is within the power OF the new Congress
to sit until II 80 am December next II
1T wills and to consider and pass any
measures it may see fit to act upon.
However, the prospect is SO far as the
outlook can be scanned at this time, that
the democrats will content themselves
with acting upon reciprocity with Can
ada, with the addition Of a partial re-
vision of the WOODEN or cotton schedules
as an amendment thereto and a sop to
the clamor of the country for another
slash at high cost of living.
One suggestion is that a horizontal re-
duction of SO much per cent of the entire
wooden or cotton schedule might be made,
since there is not time to go into a
scientific revision of the many items in
the schedules. If a moderate reduction
were made. it is thought by many demo-
Gratis that the President could not at
ford to veto the bill.
Will Not Let Chance Slip.
Many democrats are Of opinion that it
will be a serious mistake for the party
to let this opportunity go by without
taking a drive at the high rates of the
cloth and clothing schedules. both woolen
and cotton. They argue that since Con-
gress is assembled and the means are at
hand for a measure of relief to the con-
sumer 1t will be regarded by the country
as plea either Of incapacity or unwill-
ingness on the part OF the democrats not
to do something.
They recognize that there was logic in
their claim that general revision should
not be undertaken until the regular ses-
sion next December. so that they could
study industrial conditions in the mean
time. and believe the country will admit
it. Bat some of them are fearful that the
country will not be satisfied with abso-
lutte non faction on any Of the industrial
schedules Of the tariff law.
Nor are these democrats diemayed by
the threats CT the presidential veto. They
say that the President will have to go
slowly in vetoing a tariff reduction bill
which is in any way a reasonable reduc-
ton of rates which he himself has adj
mitted to b. excessive. They are willing
to take pretty long chance on veto.
s.nce President Taf. has as much at stake
a = themselves