The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1913-09-04
SEN. CUMMInS IS
NOT SATISFIED
NUMEROUS AMENDMENT TIC
TARIFF BILL TURNED DOWN.
TAKES FLING AT HIS COLLEAGUE
Praises Senator Kenyon for "Nerve"
In introducing Amendment, but
Points Out to Him His ignor-
anee In Drafting Same.

WIN anything IN the way Oh leSlSld-
ton offered by anyone except himself.
The senator has offered numerous
amendments to the pending tariff
bill, not one of which, however, has
been accepted.
The usual attitude of Senator Cum
minis with relation to this or that
schedule of the bill or this or that
paragraph of particular schedule
has been that it was admirable in
many respects, has been drawn with
the best intentions, no doubt, but
The senator has been able to see
many things in the bill to praise, but
no part of 1t has been altogether cor
rect. Something would be lacking.
Everything in some paragraph or an.
other would be alright, but
This position of Senator Cummins
in being critic all the time has led
democratic senators to remark that
anything, in order to be perfect,
must be created by the senior sena.
tor from Iowa. Yet his substitute
amendments have been torn to pieces
by Senator John Sharp Williams,
Senator Root and others, and show
to be faulty, inadequate and incon-
sistent.
10 1T Is HUI Tic, u6iuOGTdlS diOlc Who III
the opinion of Senator Cummins are
incapable of enacting legislation
properly and they are not the only
ones who can do piece of work al
most the right way, but not quite.
The republicans, too, fan short when
measured by the senator's standard.
Not even his colleague, Senator Ken
yon, can do anything in way to salts
fly him.
Senator Kenyon's amendment to
put aluminium on the free list did not
satisfy Senator Cummins. The SEN
ior senator could Sc that the Junior
senator meant alright, but
Senator Kenyon's subsequent
amendment to place on the free list
all articles or commodities controlled
by a monopoly, likewise did not salts
fly Senator Cummins. When he arose
to discuss the amendment and started
in with his familiar line of seeing
something good in it, but pointing out
how his own plan would be the better
way, senators on the democratic side
smiled and later joshed the junior
senator. They said to him that he,
republican, could no more satisfy
Senator Cummins than a democrat
could.
The debate on this amendment of
Senator Kenyon was quite spirited
and interesting and the position
which Senator Cummins took was
much commented on by lowans. The
Kenyon amendment was as follows:
Whenever 1t shall be found by
federal court of competent jur-
isdiction, and said finding is I'M
challenged, either by appeal or
writ of error, or II challenged
and said decision is sustained by
the court of last resort, that any
article or commodity upon which
duty is levied under this act is
under the control of a monopoly
or combination or operating In
violation of the act of July 2,
1890, or substantially under such
control, no further duty shall be
levied or collected on such arti-
cles or commodities, and the same
shall therefore be admitted free
Gof duty, rf# uug....- miss. ...
init shall be the duty of the At
~ torney General to advise the sec
a rotary of the treasury of the
termination and result Of all &C
tons, either civil or criminal,
brought under said act of July 2,
1890, commonly known as the
Sherman Anti trust Act, and
whenever the secretary of the
treasury shall receive such infor-
nation, from the Attorney General
1t shall be his duty to promulgate
the necessary orders and rules to
carry out the provisions of this
action. ......
Senator Kenyon said he recognized
It would be futile to discuss the
amendment, for the senate was legis-
lating under secret caucus system.
He did not propose to take up any
time. He merely offered the amend
ment without discussion and called
for the yeas and nays.
Instantly there was demand for
Senator Kenyon to briefly explain his
amendment. Explanation was given
and this opened wide the door to a
general discussion, in which dozen
senators participated. Not in many
days had the senate, surfeited with
tariff details, been so alive. Senator
Hoke Smith, of Georgia, declared that
the adoption of this amendment would
mean loss in revenue of $25,OOO,-
900 on tobacco alone.
Senator Cummins arose.
He began by saying he thought the
principle his colleague was seeking
to enforce In his amendment was
sound. However, think II Is only
fair to myself" Senator Cummins
said, ito say that | believe there is
another way OF reaching the result
that would be more effective"
Senator Cummins proceeded to ex-
plain the Cummins plan. 1t was a
judicial proceeding based upon the
allegation that substantial competi-
tion has ceased to exist In the Unit
ed States with regard to certain arti-
cles OF commodity, or series of arti-
cles of commodities, and trial upon
that issue and decree certified to
the secretary of the treasury upon
which the article or commodity or
series of articles or commodities
would be placed upon the free list.
III believe that would be more
practical method of reaching the re-
suit desired by my colleague than the
one proposed by him." Senator Cum
minis said.