Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-01-09
PRoPosE 10 PUT TARIFF BILL
ON STEEL UP TO THE pe :.
PRESIDENT. =
MUST SIGN OR VETO
BEFORE BOARD REPORTS
Democrat. Hope to Gain Political
Prestige by Forcing Issue Before Con.
v.ntion. A.. H.'d-pr.p.rins 70
Pick Flaws in Report on Schedule
x" :. n;.essdit Boards Findings.
Especial corre.pondence.l


Washington. Jan. e.-Indications are
that President Taft will be driven into
a position before many weeks Of hav-
ing either sign to up a bill reducing the
duties on the st. ell and metal schedule
and thus depart from the policy Of
waiting for tariff board action before
changing duties, or Of vetoing such a
bill.
That the President will be put IN
this position we'll IN advance Of the
republican national convention is now
clearly indicated. When the democrats
OF the house committee on ways and
means concluded to adopt the main
features OF the measure Of Senator
Cummins of last session. to reduce
steel duties and the duties OF the metal
schedule, they made it clear that they
were planning to put the president in
hole on tariff. The fact that this
will probably be done just precedink
the republican national convention. OF
course. makes no difference to the
democrats tho it does to the progress
sive republicans Tho democratic view
is that II the president should follow
up his wool veto OF last summer with
steel veto this session he would be
ruined as a candidate for reelection.
II is the election, noi the nomination,
with which the democrats are con-
cerned.
Course Decided Upon.
The course of things on the steel
schedule is expected to be about this:
The democrats Of the house will report
the steel revision bill the week begin
ming Jan. l. That bill will passed by
the house with little delay. 1t is ex-
pected many of the house insurgent re-
publicans4 will unite with the demo-
Gratis in passing it, 1t will then go to
the senate and will be referred to the
| finance committee. If+the finance COM
mittee has its way it Will keep the bill
bottled up But it will not be allowed
| to have its way. The high tariff men
| dominate that committee but the bill
will be forced out OF committee by the
! democrats and insurgent republicans
/! of the senate, Just as the wool bill was
\ las. session. II that is done, then the
| debate on the steel bill will be forced
and It is not to be expected there would
he any great delay in reaching vote.
Insurgents Can't Back Up.
Having stood for the Cummins steel
| revision measure before, the senate IN
! surgents can not well go back on II
now. That Is the view Of the house
democratic leaders. And il the insur-
gents line up with the democrats 20
| revise the steel schedule this legisla-
tons will be passed and then 1t will
! be up to the president to sign or 20
veto.
Should the senate insurgents fail to
! support the house steel bill and line
UP with the democrats to pass it or one
substantially like it. then the house
/ leaders figure they will have gained
much democratic capital. They will
| proceed TO tax the senate insurgents
with being insincere as to tariff re-
+, vision and Will proclaim anew to the
country that the only way to get
lschedules lowered is to elect demo
tcratic congress and democratic presi-
.dent.
r. the president should sign stee
Hill. without waiting on tariff boara
report, then the democrats will score
him for not being consistent with the
treason he gave for vetoing the WOO
hill last summer.
/ Democrats See Gains.
IN any event. the democrats arr
convinced they are going to be tn:
gamers politically when the fight ovel
tn, steel schedule is over. They figure
that the insurgents will cooperate
4 with them by reason of their willing
mess to see President Taft in hot water
about the time when delegates are be
ling selected for the republican nationa
: convention.
Z Ii At the same time, the holding bac'
4 BY the ways and means committee o
the wool bill Is giving the committee
time to search out all the weak spot
= in the tariff board report on schedule
K. Plans are now being perfected 4
attack that report and to call befor'
the committee some of the tariff boar
experts with. the object Of shown;
that the information set forth in tn
!, report il not reliable.