The Hawaiian gazette., 1912-04-05
TARIFF QUESTION
SETTLING DOWN
More Bills and Still More Planned
by Democrats of the Lower
House.
BY Ernest g. walker.

WASHINGTON, March 22.-Tariff
prospects are getting to be little more
concrete. 1t might be noticed that the
Democratic house is nearing the end
of its tariff program for the session.
The steel revision bill has passed. The
chemical revision bill has passed. The
sugar bin has passed. The wooden re-
vision bill of last session, the basis
of the bill which senate and house
agreed upon and which the President
vetoed, has been introduced once more,
with not a word changed as a result
of the fact that the tariff board pom
dered and reported. 1t will pass some
day by and by, after there have been
angry recriminations back and forth
across the center aisle. The debate,
however, can hardly be very interest
ing. Just threshing over of old straw,
with both sides trying to justify their
conclusions by data in the said tar
iff board report.
There win be two or three more tar
if bills, probably, especially measure
to provide for more free food food
duty free) to be of service in the Demo.
cratic campaign
| But tariff revision, as far as this con-
grcss is concerned, soon becomes, in
legislative way, almost solely n senate
matter Not senate voice has yet
been lifted up in tariff debate. There
will be plenty of them anon. 1t is lit
tie use yet to speculate as to which
of these tariff bills will run the SEN
ate gantlet and which will not. Some
surely will. The procedure may not
be very different than it was during
the extra session of year ago. There
will be the same effort to "put it up"
to the President and to ''get him in
hole" However, the fact that emin-
ent Republican senators of the finance
committee have gone to the White
House and conferred with Mr.. Taft be-
fore rendering any adverse report upon
these house bills speaks very plainly.
The fact also that Republicans of the
ways and means minority grid them
selves and make the fercest opposition
possible, to all the house tariff bills,
yet promulgated, also leaves a plain
inference. These things could not be,
at least hardly would be, if the Pres.
ident expected to sign.
The Wooden Bill.
OF course there is a nice question as
has reported thereon. If the bill gets
through the senate in some amended
form, is approved by the conferees OF
the two houses and sent to the Presi-
dent, he must certainly be in guam
\ dairy what to do. n the President
should approve there would be great
Democratic hurrah. His approval
would forestall Republican criticism of
the measure in the presidential cam
paign. If he does not approve,
Democratic arraignment will be doubly
severe. The tactical situation is ex-
ceptionally interesting.
There have been Republican votes in
the house for every tariff bill the Demo-
Gratis have passed thus far. But these
have been western votes. The West,
without manufacturing, has little or
nothing at stake and it is the old story
of local selfshness.
The Excise Bill.
The Democratic excise bill, of course,
is a revenue measure but not tariff
measure. Its status, from viewpoint
of political and legislative tactics, is
quite as interesting as the prospective
! status of the wooden bill. All the Re-
publican generalship at the capitol, late
in the extra session, was concentrated
upon preventing the wooden bill from
being passed over the PRESIDENT veto.
That takes two.thirds vote The
Democrats in the house last year barely
fell short of two-thirds. Now if the
wooden bill gets to the President again
this year and is vetoed, can the Repub-
lican generals muster third of all the
, house cohorts and stand firm7 That
will be n very lively question, livelier
than what will happen if the excise tax
goes through the senate, reaches the
: White House and is vetoed.
In short, it is foregone conclusion,
that no presidential veto will prevail
, in the house as against the excise tax,
or, as some prefer to call it, the income
! tax. More than two.thirds the mem
| bers of the house voted for that bill
: the other day and, of course, they
: would have to vote for it again if it
: should come back to them.
Do Not Want Debate.
D Republican senators do not want a
o veto debate on any revenue bill. 1t
Z might be almost interminable. Under
' all the circumstances, it would be
c most uncomfortable procedure-late in
the session necessarily, when Wash,
ington weather is uncomfortable and
also when there will be great uneasi-
ness to get away for the campaign.
There would be bitter craftsmanship and
} ON the Republican side a demonstration
/ of factionalism. Within few days, it
> is being taken for granted that the
senate will approve of the excise BILL
If so, the President would probably
= sign it. The corporation tax was born
in the White House, early in this ad-
= ministration. The President assents to
the principle absolutely and it is claimed
9 that the Democratic excise tax is only
: an extension of the principle 1t would
be embarrassing for the President not
to sign and it would also be embarrass-
ing for him to compel his Republican