The Washington times., 1912-12-05
TARIFF T|NKERS
TO BACK WATER
on THEIR BOASTS
When Democrats Start Re.
vision, Work Will Be
Tempered Somewhat.

06ns multiply that when the House
and Senate Democrats get down to the
actual business Of revising the tariff
they will 20 at the task much less Wig.
orously than they talked about It In
the campaign. ..
mo chef ever serves soup. as hot ~
he cooks IT," remarked q prominent
Democratic leader at the Capitol the
other day. This doctrine apparently 10
TO be applied to tariff revision, a. Il
10 to some other phases Of legislation
when the Democrats get into power.
That-is to say. It Will be thus applied
u Q large conservative element among
the Democrats In both houses can force
the application. II will not be 80 ap.
piled II the moro radical Democratic
leaders have their way.
Hearings Cause Talk.
In, addition to the fact that conserva-
tive House Democrats are laying plans
70 set on the Ways and Means Commit.
tee. and that progressive Democrats are
up In arms about II, the decision Of the
Ways and Means leaders to have hear.
ings on the tariff question are looked
on among the knowing folks a. the
CAPITOL a. Of the utmost significance.
The significance seen In the decision to
have Ways and Means hearings 10 that
no' such decision would have been
reached had not the purpose been to let
the cotton manufacturing industry and
some others OF with as mild q dose of
tarin reduction as possible.
Scorn Tariff Board.
The present Ways and Means Com:
mittee hss set tariff revision bills in
motion In two sessions within less than
two, years. House Democrats would
nave none Of the information. dug up
BY the tariR board. The Ways and
Means Democrats gathered their own
Sat Satt and-made their tariff bill on that
Moreover, they went to the country
~ part on the issued caused by the fact
the; President vetoed the bills that
finally were accepted by q Democratic
publican leaders had lost control.
Under the circumstances Progressive
party men about the Capitol are asking
why the Ways and Means Committee
wants to conduct hearings now. Has It
not, they are asking. ample data to re-
wise the tarin? II It does not have,
why did 1t put forth bills in the extra
session Of the present Congress- and In
the long session Of the present Con.
gress?
want To Act Mildly.
The answer the Republicans and Pro-
gressive party men are giving 10 that
the Democrats on Ways and Means, at
least part Of them. want to get evidence
that will afford them a reasonably good
excuse not to revise with sharp-edged
tools, but to do 1t In as mild fashion
- circumstances will permit.
The situation 10 understood better
when the methods Of getting tariff tes-
timcny In Ways and Means Commit
tee hearing are considered. The country
saw Q lot Of these methods prior to the
Payne bill. Interested manufacturers
come before the committee. and give
ex pHrte statements of what will happen
to them II schedules are lowered. The
testimony thus given from an impartial
standpoint IL Of little or no value. But
schedules UP. such a hearing Is exactly
the way to find the excuses.
Among the Republican,. especially the
progressives. are q lot or earnest tariff
revisionists. They are watching with
lot OF interest the course Of the Demo-
Gratis on the tariff.
Clash Is Possible.
A powerful element Of the Democrats
In both Senate and House unquestion.
ably 10 working for a tarin that will be
reduced In name only. II Mr.. Wilson.
~ President. refuses to consent to q
revision that IL not real. that does not
cut some Of the schedules radically, It
10 impossible to see how Y clash between
him and the men Of the German view
on tariff can be avoided.
That Wilson will insist on applying
the knife vigorously to the schedules 10
the general impression In Washington.