The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-09-10
THE TARIFF BILL PASSED

After upward of four months dc
bate, wrangling. and movements to-
wards amendment, the tariff bill re,
ceived from the House last May has
been passed by the upper branch of
Congress. A great many amendments
have been made to the tariff bill
proper and to the income tax feature,
which is n part of that bill Some Of
these amendments have been in the
public interest, and some have been
decidedly otherwise. We do not see
what is TO be gained for the people
in most of the points Of revision made
by the Democratic leaders. The Re
publican Congress Of 1909 failed to
carry out the party pledges as In
terpreted by Mr.. Taft, the Republican
candidate who was elected in 1908;
and this was the prime causc of the
great political change. If the Repub-
licans at that time had trimmed the
tariff judiciouslv and in the lines Of
protection, there would have been no
doubt Of the Republican success in the
Presidential election last year There
would have been no split in the party,
and protection would still have been
the ruling doctrine in the United
States.
But by reason of the refusal of the
Senate to redeem the party pledges and
to heed the warnings, disaster came
upon the party, and the Roosevelt
split got its opportunity.
This bill will now 90 TO the House.
where probably the amendments will
be all agreed to by the Democratic
caucus and put through without delay.
II there should be such thing as a
division between the two Houses and a
failure TO get together, the points in
controversy Will 20 into a conference
committee and there be settled.
1t is likely that the bill Will be
finally completed and passed the pres
ont week, since there is no particular
occasion for delay in the House.
Every amendment that has been made
in the Senate is fully understood in
the House and has been made by the
Democratic leaders who are in con-
troll of both branches of Congress.
The whole matter, therefore as We
Judge, will be over within a few days,
and then will come the tug Of war on
the currency bill, which President Will
son has made an adjunct, a sort Of
air cushion. as one might say, to case
the hard bumps which the tariff re-
vision will give to the business and
industry Of the country. That cur
rency BILL as proposed in the House,
has many defects, but there will be
better chance in the Senate for fair
consideration Of it. and amendments
that will be real amendments, than
was had for the tariff bill. 1t will prob
ably pass the House substantially as
reported by the committee, but its pas
sage through the Senate will be de-
layed. for there is much opposition to
many Of its features among the Demo
cratic Senators,
But the tariff bill is practically out
of the way, and the President can now
devote his attention to the "pie
counter for awhile, until the two
llouoeo VI NouSlcsS ScI topctheI on Jue
currency bill, or the Senate refuses to
pass IT. In any case there will be
rest for awhile, and the country will
know definitely and particularly Just
what 1t IS TO expect in the way Of
tariff legislation. There has been a
great deal of uncertainty heretofore,
but even the worst has been largely
discounted. and we do not expect to
note any particular shock to any Of the
interests of the country through the
final passage Of this bill.