Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-06-25
Situation Regarding Revision
is Becoming Acute.
LEADERS IN A QUANDARY
Reformers Speculate on Taft's Views
As to Wool Schedule.
MANY POINTS TO CONSIDER
Bill Framed on Non-Partisan Lines.
It Is Thought, Will Be
Result.

Ihe tarfn members in both houses of
Congress held many conferences yester-
day over the tariff revision situation,
which is rapidly becoming acute and
needing attention. It is realized that
something definite must be determined
upon pretty soon. either to agree to re-
wise the tariff at this session and go
ahead and do 1t. or to put the, matter
over until next session.
1T Is a case right now Of fish, cut
bait or go ashore said a New Eng
land senator, "and I'm blest il I know
which 1t Is going to be-
President Tafts remarks at Providence
last night on removing the Chinese wall
Of high protection were interpreted by
the more ardent tariff reformers to mean
that the executive will not frown on rea-
sonable tariff revision, but the supple
mentary information in the dispatches
that the President is opposed to reckless
tariff tinkering set them to thinking.
The Presidents position was clearly in
dicated in his message to the House q few
days ago cOunSeling patience until the
tariff board reports on the wool industry.
The question agitating the reformers at
this time is whether the President would
veto tariff bill revising the wool sched-
ule along the lines contemplated by the
the democrats In the Senate. Further
more. they are uncertain as to what he
might do with the farmers free list bill.
That measure does not contemplate tariff
revision, it is pointed out, but tariff ami
hilation. 1t proposes free trade. pure
and simple. 1t selects q number of art-
cles now protected and places them on
the free list.
Position Of the President.
The President is supposed to be still q
republican and amenable to the tariff
plank Of the platform upon which he was
nominated. which calls for reasonable
protection to American Industries. Would
he consider the farmers free list bill as
drawn within the purview Of that docu-
ment? the revisionists are asking.
The consensus Of opinion among sena-
tors other than the ultra protectionists
Is that the Senate, having forctbly
brought the wool bill and the farmers
free-list bill before II for action. cannot
now ignore those measures and adjourn
after contenting itself with passing the
sumed. it Is said. that the senators COM
posing the majority vote which brought
those bills into the Senate had in mind
some kind of action upon them.
But what Is 1t to be? Who Is to set
the pace or lay down the lines upon
which the tariff structure is to be framed?
Is 1t to be tariff revision which will con-
form to the democratic ideas and bring
able" lowering of the Chinese wall of
protection in bill which the President
can sign?
Inasmuch as answers to all these Ques-
tions involve political campaign issues.
presidential politics and party policies
generally for the factions concerned, the
proposition becomes very puzzling, and.
as stated. is causing the most earnest
thought on the part OF the leaders ana
lieutenants in both parties and their sub
divisions.
Some of the politicians are wondering
how either political party is to make
definite political capital out OF the pres
ent situation. 1t is certainty that the
democrats will claim great credit for
Canadian reciprocity, while President
Taft will insist that he saw it first, and
it's his.
Democrats to Claim Credit.
The democrats will claim credit for
putting the wool bill into the Senate, but
the progressive republicans will insist
that they had a share in it. Whatever
tariff legislation comes out of the hopper
is certain to be the result Of compromise
1t will have to be originated by demo-
cratic House, amended by fusion or
republicans and democrats in the Senate.
and perfected into law only by the acqui-
escence Of a republican President. So
the politicians fail to see how any dis
tinctive tag is to be put on the tarin
legislation.
This condition. in the opinion OF
thoughtful men In both houses, Is likely
TO result, for the first time In the recoIec.
ton Of this generation, In tarln Dill
framed upon non-partisan lines For once
the tariff may be taken out OF poItlcs,
and a law passed designed primarily 10
meet the demands of consumers, regard
less OF party platforms.
Many men In both houses realize, they
say, that the people at large are not car
ing whit about republican doctrines or
democratic doctrines. about platforms or
policies. They want lower prices and they
have got il into their stubborn heads.
whether correctly or not. that one way to
get them is to smash some Of the tariffs.
At any rate. such is the theory OF many
of the progressive republicans. who ex
perienced no sense Of party shame in
voting openly with democrats on the wool
bill when IL passed the House and on the
proposition in the Senate to bring that
measure up for consideration in the upper
house.