The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-05-23
THE TARIFF IN TIE SENATE,

The New York Post has the following
comment on the tariff situation in the
senate:
Washington dispatches differ rather
strangely in their forecasts Of the out
look for action on the tariff by the sen
ate. Some of them predict a long
drawn and dubious struggle. Others
~prophesy a speedy collapse of the re-
publican opposition and the passage Of
the bill by the senate, doubtless with
many minor amendments, before the
end of July. The latter prediction will
prove, in our Judgment, nearer to the
fact,
This judgment is based Upon the vote
in the senate Of last Friday. Its full
significance has not been widely per
ceiVed. 1t was. in appearance, merely
a vote on the question whether the
finance committee Of the senate should
hold an indefinite series of public hear
ings on the tariff bill. But in reality
it was a test vote going to the very
marrow of the party situation in the
senate. And by it the democrats
showed conclusively that they are go
ing to act together with almost COM
plete solidarity. n that the party
majority nay be counted upon with
certainty to put through the tariff bill
upon which the party has agreed.
Eo NlCoI q Lille " Gil III lil0 SpOI
that Senator Clark Of Wyoming, frank
~ stated. as a republican. that it was
evident that the Underwood bill was to
all intents and purposes already a law.
He deprecated this, of course. but said
that the fact might as well be faced.
And Senator Clark had also some hare
things to say to those democratic sena-
tors who were going to submit to the
"edict" Of the party managers n vote
for many items in the bill to which
they were at heart opposed. But this
kind of attack was plainly nothing else
h a confession of the %inVincible posi-
ton Of the democratic majority. And
that vas what the crucial roll-call, Al
to 36 completely demonstrated.
No one supposed that the republicans
really cared anything about more pup
lie hearings on the tariff. To give them
has not been the custom Of the senate
There were no public hearings before
the senate finance committee on the
Payne-Aldrich bill. Neither were there
on the Dingley bill, the Wilson bill, OF
the Mckinley bill. The move this year
to secure them was purely tactical
Senator Penrose offered the amend,
ment obviously in the hope Of embar-
RAISING and dividing the democrats.
Speaking of embarrassments, it Is
pretty awkward for the republicans
that they have to put themselves, in the
tariff fight under the leadership o.
Penrose. AS the ranking member o.
the finance committee on the republi
can side it falls to him to make the mo.
tons against h plans Of the majority
1t must be hard for many republicans
especially the progressive. republicans
to march behind the Penrose banner
yet they3did it. to a man-with the ex
ception Of Senator Poindexter- Las
Friday. BristoW and Clapp and Cum
aEE rdfnGEhnH TPnrl h a nd nI-an T a Ero1Iotf,
supported the iPenrose amendment
with what inward feelings may be i'm
agined. For there was pressure upol
republicans as we'll as upon democrat
in the party alignment Of thatfday.
The Penrose strategy was thought t
be the one chance of weakening an
breaking up the~sdernocrats at the yer
beginning. This is why the plan wa
SO earnestly debated and pressed TO
several days, and why the final vote o.
the proposal is to be regarded as def
initely ~foreshadowing the final result
Tt lis now the accepted fact5i in Wash
ington that the tariff bill is to be mad
law as a party measure, and that TIL
democrats both have the power to do
and are willing to take the response
bility.
This conclusion lis now so unques
toned that the republican senators ali
understood to be disposed to reach til
end as quickly as possible. They al
no more fond of washington in hi
weather than other people. All Thu
they think lis necessary to do Is to pl
themselves formally and officially d
record as opposed to the tariff bill, no,
and branch, and then yield to the ii
evitable. There will be, of course,
GOOD deal of violent speechrnaking an
dire prediction Of ruin to g belovt
country Hi even the senate carl1
forever proIong consideration Of a b
which lit lis known VIII surely pass.
There Isl, however, n qualifeatit
fnat should be made IN predicting q
wInd-up of tariff legislation before Ai