New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-04-25
TIRED Of TARIFF TALK.
Empty Benches Face Speakers
in the House Debate.
SENATORS HEAR FROM HOME
Growing FESTIVE Under Protests
Against Democratic Rates, but
Still Under Wilson's Thumb
From rhe Tribune Bureau. !


Washington. April 4-Debate on IN.
tariff bill reached the farcical stage IN
the House to-day. Empty benches faccd
most of the speakers. and when adjourn.
ment was taken just nine members WEI.
present. Of whom only Representative
Underwood and Hull were Democrats.
The lure of the ball park and the KNOW.
edge that nothing that may be- said viii
change any item in the Democratic IAN
doubtless were responsible for the lack
Of interest. The discussion was OF Inc
old-fa shioned variety Democrats seeing
only good I'm the Underwood bill and Re-
publicans finding flaws in practically
every section.
Representative F'ordney somewhat sr
ivened the dull proceedings with a char.
acteristic denunciation OF the Democrats
rates. acknowledging that his protective
ideas were so firmly fixed that he would
even increase some OF the Payne law d.
ties. Turning to the Democrats, the
Michigan member said:
You propose TO DO as the Irshman did
with his dog. You want 10 take the
duty off sugar little at a time. so It
won't hurt much. That's the way the
dogs ears were cut Off"
Mr.. Hamilton. another Michigan Re.
publican, described President Wilson as
leaning down from the heights of al.
truism and talking down TO his followers
in language that none of them under.
stood" when he delivered his inaugural
address. Leading up TO Nice-Presdent
Marshall by referring to extravagant sp.
propriations Of the Democrats, which
come from American pockets, he said:
But if American citizens complain the
President who has talked more
since he entered upon his four years Of
silence than ever before in his life, has
had the happy thought OF securing Their
quetus dong ago advocated by Car
Mark by threatening TO repeal the law
Of descent and cutting off the right %
inherit property
Revert'ng 10 President Wilson and his
precedent smashing. Mr.. Hamilton Is
serted that with the cocksureness Of the
man accustomed 10 instruct the immature
minds Of youth. the President In his ad-
dress TO Congress undertook 10 settle n
eight minutes problems which have vexei
the minds Of statesmen for more than
one hundred years.
Victor Murdoch. the Progressive party
leader. filed his minority views on the
tariff III The report has as us keynote
the demand for a nOn-partisan tarirf com
mission. which shall investigate and re-
port before there Is tariff revision.
a. "a
day 10 be wayering under the pressure
which is being brought against them
from home" in opposition to certain pro
visions Of the Wilson Underwood bill. d.,
there are no indications OF open dlssen-
sion I'm the ranks Of the majority tn.
President still holds the upper hand. and
no Democrats. other than the Louisiana
Senator's. display a spirit OF rebellion
Protests from labor organizations are
now being received by Senators. The
most conspicuous Of these comes from
representatives OF employees OF the ltho-
graphing trade. numbering Fifty Thousand,
who ask an opportunity T. presen. her
protest 10 the Finance Committee
The cotton schedule Of the tariff bill
was the ShpJeSl VI a iVnh al" Heii" "
bate in a caucus Of Republican members
OF the House tonight Representatives
Gardner, OF Massachusetts. and Greene
of Iowa. a. a subcommittee Of the Ways
and Means Committee Republicans re-
ported that they had been unable 10
frame a complete substitute for the cot
ton schedule of the Underwood bill. a.
they had not had sufficient time or In
formation