The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1912-01-02
CBy Winfield JonesD


of protection" will be discussed on
platform and stump more than any
other issue during the approaching
national campaign, and affairs are so
shaping themselves here that the
presidency may be decided on the
one word wool
The WOODEN schedule is admittedly
! the most iniquitious in the Payne
Aldrch tariff law. The president in
his Winona speech practically admit
| ted as much, and the report of the
| tariff board, declares that most of
! the rates in this chedule are excessive
and that others are prohibitory
/ This schedule will be among the
| first revised by the democrats of the
house and even the republican mem
bers of the ways and means commit
ion is imperative They are at work
on the bill to lower the duties of the
most abused schedule in the existing
tariff act
The tariff as whole is to be the
dominant note of the campaign of
1912, but the wool schedule in parti-
cular will be the bone of contention
over which candidates. orators, and
platform writer's will wrangle contin-
ually. The woolen schedule affects
practically every citizen of the United
States, for ii covers what he puts
upon his back Hence the argument
of the democratic and republican
Spellbinders will be driven home to
every listener and the talk of wool re
vision, regardless of what may he
done during the present session of
congress will be popular appeal to
the masses.
The democrats of the house plan TO
bring in bill revising this schedule
about January 1st. 1t is understood
| that it will closely follow the lines of
/ the Underwood bill which passed the
house last session, and which passed
| the senate in the amended form. This
| bill was vetoed by the president and
| it matters not whether the president
eventually signs a wool bill he will
/ constantly he confronted with the
charge that he delayed revision for
several months and that the relief 10
which the public was entitled was UNI
necessarily postponed
The Underwood bill last session
made a cut of about 10 per cent, on
the average in the existing rates of
schedule X 1t is entirely probable
that the democratic members of the
ways and means committee will Eut
through a bill at this session that
reduces the rates in about the same
proportion. Then the bill will 20
over to the senate, where the demo
CratiC-insurgent coalition may again
put through the measure, with a
slight increase in rates over those
carried i'm the house bill. This was
done last session and the president
vetoed the creation of the democratic
majority in the house and the coali-
ton of democrats and insurgents in
the senate.
Il is not assured that the president
will not veto the next wool bill pre-
sentcd to him. He has recently had
in conference Representative Hill, an
/ other republican member of the ways
and means committee, and it has
been decided that they shall frame
substitute for the proposed Under
wood bill This substitute is to be
/ drawn lin accordance with the repub-
lican principle Of protection" and is
/ to be based on the great mass of
figures presented by the tariff board,
whose report covers more than two
thousand pages.
The democrats of the house-and
possibly the insurgents OF the house
and senate-will not stand for a bill
that carries excess protection. If the
Payne and Hin substitute does no
make material cuts in schedule X
they will be unable to get the supper
OF progressive republicans in eithe
branch of the national legislature
That would insure an oyerwhelmin!
majority for the democratic bii'
which will cut deep into eNiStini
rates. and the bill that goes to tn
White House is more apt to ne
compromise bill. perfected by demo
Gratis and insursents.
Then the president would have It
veto or sign it. In the event or tn
former course. President Taft vii
have to so to the country on the issu
that it did not contain sufficient pre-