Evening star., 1911-05-30
House Democrats May Make
Bill Party Measure.
HOLD CAUCUS THURSDAY
Draft Completed by Committee on
Ways and Means.
BRYAN'S VIEWS ON TARIFF
He Warns Party to Avoid Pitfalls
Encountered in Advocacy Of
Protection Doctrine.

Chairman Underwood of the ways and
means committee stated today that the
democratic members OF the committee
have completed the draft of a bill to
revise the wool schedule OF the tariff
act and will present it TO the democratic
caucus. which will meet next Thursday
at noon.
Mr.. Underwood expressed the opinion
that two-thirds of the democratic MEM
bers of the House will ratify the action
of the committee and that the caucus
will make the bill a party measure, and
that the democrats will support 1t unani-
mously. An outline of the provisions
Of the bill has been published heretofore.
Bryan on Tariff Revision.
Representative Francis Burton Harri-
son of New York. who was in confer
ence with William j. Bryan on the lat
ter's visit here Sunday night, today made
public the text Of an editorial written by
Mr.. Bryan, which will appear in the
Forthcoming issue of the Commoner. set
ting forth Mr.. Bryan's views upon tariff
revision. 1t follows:
1.-The democratic members OF Congress
will on June 1 caucus on the free wool
question, and IL Is only fair to ask that
they shall fairly and honestly meet the
issue.
1T is possible that some of the demo-
Gratis believe in the principle of protec-
ton. The larceny-the robbery under the
form of law'-embodied in the protective
system is indorsed by many good repub-
licans who have not yet learned to apply
to legislation the rules that they apply in
every day life; and some democrats may
have become pupils In this school-espe-
cially those who have among their con-
!
system. But the democratic voters have
a right to insist that the protectionist
democrats shall be as honest as the pro-
tectionist epublicans.
THE republicans want protection on
wool because they believe in the princi-
pie OF protection; let no democratic ad-
vocate Of a tax on wool masquerade be-
hind the pretense that he is voting for
la revenue tariff: let him not add hypoc-
risy to the sin which he commits against
his party.
Favoritism to Be Avoided.
Differences Of opinion are to be ex-
out, but expediency as well as honor re-
Iouires that the differences shall be frank
ly stated, courageously fought out and
fairly settled. If protection is to be ac-
Icepted as democratic doctrine, let II
Ito everything and to all sections. There
is no reason why a few sheep raisers
should be shown favoritism at the ex-
pense of all who wear wooden clothing.
THE republicans have been able 30 de-
lude a great many people for q long time
by advocating protection as a policy, but
they have succeeded because the consist
entity applied the principle In favor OF
every industry which was willing to sub
scribe literally to the campaign fund
q n,
anybody very long by one-sided applica.
tion Of the doctrine to few districts
which happen to contain protectionist
democrats who insist on keeping their
hands in their neighbors' pockets. If the
democratic party is to be Aldrichized. lei
the change of policy be made with au.
dacity, at least. The man who does
wrong boldly may nislead a few, but thu
man who does wrong by stealth and ther
tries to conceal 1t by equivocation. con
fesses his consciousness OF guilt and can
not hope for following.
Must Consult Voters.
However. before the democratic party
is finally committed to the doctrine OF
| protection. 1t will be necessary to con.
suit the voters of the party. and 1t may
be well to remember that the voters oi
all parties are braver than the politicians
The republican voters were brave enough
to turn out lot of republican Aldriches-
what reason have our democratic con-
gressmen to think that democratic voters
are less courageous?
THE democratic voters know that all
needed revenue can be raised in less op-
pressive ways and they know that the
argument that the tariff on wool is pro-
posed as a revenue tariff is merely a sub
terfuge employed because those who en-
ploy it are ashamed to say that they
favor protection.
THE democratic Congress has made a
splendid record. Let US hope it will not
blot that record aAd impair the party s
chances in 1912 by a cowardly surrender
to the relatively insignificant number of
democratic pr0tectionists who clamoH
for q tariff on wool in order to win the
SuppOrf of those wool growers who go