The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1912-08-15
STEEL AND IRON TARIFF
BILL PASSED BY HOUSE
Second Tariff Bill to Pass
Over President Taft's
Veto
INSURGENTS HELP
IN PASSING BILL
Underwood Attacks Motives That
Prompted Taft to Veto Steel Bill.
Fail to Agree on Sugar
Tariff Revision

fa1l TO agree On OuBdT
Tariff Revision
Washington, August 14.-Repeating g
sts action of yesterday when it passed
the wool tariff bill over President
rafts veto, the House today repassed
the vetoed steel and iron tariff bill
within two hours after it had been
returned from the White House with
the Presidents veto message. The vote
was ia to S3, margin of only two
votes over the necessary two-thirds.
The Senate at almost the same time
was engaged in passing the democratic
cotton tariff bill sent in week ago
by the House Senator LaFollette's
substitute, which represented the views
of the tariff board, was voted down,
4e TO 1s, and Mr.. IaFollette and eight
other progressive republicans later
Joined the democrats and passed the
bill, ss TO 10.
An ame ndment was attached repeat
ing all but the pulp and paper section
of the Canadian reciprocity law.
The repassed steel bill was sent i'm
tonight. with the wool bill among pa
pers technically on the desk of the
president of the Senate Both meas
ures will be called up Friday by SEN
ator Simmons and an attempt made to
repass them; but the democratic lead
ers have little hope they can obtain the
necessary two-thirds vote.
Insurgents Are Factor
Jnsurgent forces contributed to the
success of the democratic tariff pro-
gramme. In the House the 16 insur-
gents who voted with the democrats
yesterday again joined them today,
wh.e nine insurgents in the Senate
Joined in passing the democratic cot
ton bill
Republicans who voted with the DEM
ocrats in the House We're: Aiken, New
York; Davis, Lindberger and Steener-
son, Minnesota; Haugen and Woods.
Iowa; Kent, California; Kinkaid, Nor
ris and Sloan, Nebraska Lafferty, Ore
gon; I.aFollette, Washington; Rees,
jackson and Young, Kansas, and Morse,
Wisconsin
The insurgents who Joined the dem
ocrats in the Senate on the cotton bill
were:
Borah Idaho, Bourne, Oregon: Bris-
tow, kansasS Clapp, Minnesota; Cum
minis and Kenyon. Iowa; LaFoilette,
Wisconsin,; Poindexter. Washington,
and Works, California.
Underwood Demands Action
Democratic Leader Underwood demand
ed Immediate action on the steel bill as
soon as the Presidents veto message was
receix ed. There was a chorus of pro-
tests from the republican side, Minority
Leader Mann declaring that only bills on
the ca alendar would be considered.
Mr., Underwood retorted that a demand
for Immediate consideration was con-
stitutional privilege and could not be de-
MED.
Finally Speaker Clark sustained Mr..
undef wood. Mr.. Mann promptly appealed
from the ruling and demanded a roll
call The chairs position was sustained,
241 to TO-
DETECTION of the republican progress
sives' in the House angered former
Speaker Cannon. In The course Of an at
tack on the proposal to repeat the wool
bill veto performance he spoke IN bitter
terms.
.They nal call themselves republicans"
he thundered. his clenched fists upraised,
but | am not one of them
THANK God" retorted one of the in
slrgents amid laughter and applause from
the democratic side.
Attacks Taft's Motives
Majority Leader Underwood made a
spirited attack on motives that prompted
President Taft to veto the steel bill which.
he said, had been passed by a republican
Senate with but two slight amendments
He referred to the Presidents explana-
ton that changes had been made in the
schedule as it was presented to him last
year and that Congress had vouchsafed
no explanation for those changes.
"a statement of that kind In great
public document is not only lamentable.
but it is pitiabe' said Mr.. Underwood
'.I1e vetoes public measure because in
the lapse of a years time the Congress
of the United States had determined to
change the rates in that bill ard have
not communicated to him our reasons for
the change of rates III the two bills, for
sooth IL must receive his veto.
ANY man of intelligence or any man
of conscience, any man having respect
for himself, would not send to the Con-
sress of the United States that statement
as a reason for defeating the will of the
American people as expressed by their
Representatives in Congress-"
Mr.. Underwood explained that the bill
imposed a duty of approximately % per
cent on steel products and that 10 per
cent would cover the difference in the
cost of labor at home and abroad This
statement was combatted by republican
leaders. Mr.. Cannon charged the demo
Gratis with playing politics in pressing
the vote and aroused Mr.. Underwood's s
Ire by declaring that the majority leader
would be the most disappointed man OF
ell II the bill should become law. Mr..
Underwood resented having his sincerity
questioned and retorted sharply.
Failure on Sugar Bill
As an added chapter to the tariff pro-
eramme on the floor, Mr. Underwood an
nounced TO the House the failure of
House conferees to reach any agreement
with the Senate on the sugar tariff re-
vision measure. The House voted to send
tile bill back to conference with in
srructions that the House conferees re-
fuse TO agree to the Senate amendments
The debate of the cotton Bill in the
Senate was short The amendment Of
fered by Senator LaFollette was Identical
with the bill presented In the House bv
Representative Hill of Connecticut and
which then received the support of the
majority of the republicans. Senator Ia
Toilette declared 1t represented an actual
reduction of per cent lower on the
average than the democratic bill. His
substitute received only IA votes how
ever, and the progressives then Joined
the democrats in passing the House hill