New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1913-04-30
waslAa1iss Letter

HaShln9toa Letter
Washington, D. O., Apr. %, l9l;
Reprcsentative from Middle Yves
States, including Minnesota, are won
dering why II 10 that they have thus
far received practically no pr0tes
from the farmers OF that section
against certain features Of the Under
wood tariff bill, now under considers
ton in the House. The surprise Is ths
greater in view of the fact that The
agricultural schedule in the tarif
measure does not deal very kindly With
several agricultural products, reduc
ing the tariff on some and putting
others on the free list. Members o.
Congress cannot quite figure out the
meaning! of this, unless - some.ssy i,
is largely the result OF indifference, Or,
ss others assert, 1t 10 due TO the lack
of organizat among farmers. Some
members declare that the farmers do
not believe the bill will injure them.
Most of the protests thus far received
are from the milling interests and job
bers. The milling interests are loud
in their denunciations, claiming that
if flour is allowed to come into this
country free, while imposing duty
on the raw material, the industry will
be irreparably injured. They 60 so
far as to say that it is going to work
ruin to the mills of the Northwest, will
put our wheat markets on world
basis. and deprive the farmers Of mil
lions OF dollars. Most OF the mil
lers write that they either want free
wheat and free -four, or, il . tariff of
ten cents per bushel is to stand on
wheat, they would favor proportion.
ate fixed tariff on flour. This they
think, should be either 1925 I'd valorem
or, on the basis of the wheat tariff,
should be forty five to fifty cents per
barrel fiat rate.
After caucusing for several days,she
Democrats finally launched their tariff
bill in the House. The talk fest Is now
on. Democrats, Republicans And
Progressives will from now on use the
tariff bill mostly for political purpos-
es. So far as the House is concerned
the bill is as good as passed now. 1t
will be debated under the FIVE minute
rule, when amendments will be in Or
der, but everybody knows that with
the cut-and-dried programme all eft.
forts to amend the bill will be futile.
Serene E. Payne, father Of the famous
bill. long in disrepute
with the people, fuses and frets, and
talks loudly and enthusiastically on the
woes and evils sure to follow on the
heels of a Democratic tariff law, but
all to no purpose. The Progressives,
a compact but small band, occupying
seats we'll to the front of the newly ar
ranged hall OF the House of Represen-
tatives, are directing their fire in .
different direction. Their attack ison
what they claim to be the unscientific
method employed in framing the
Underwood Bill. They are taking the
present opportunity to- press to the
front the advantages of a tariff COM
mission. There is every indication
that for the next three months the coun-
try will be afforded one Of the finest
opportunities it ever had to get free OF
charge fine assortment of tariff
speeches of every variety. The speech
making mills have already commenced
to grind, and there is no telling what
the final output will be.
The three leading figures in the pres
ent tariff fight are Representative Un-
derwood, Democrat, of Alabama,
author of the bill and chairman of the
House committee on ways and means;
Representative Payne, Republican ,eof
New York, formerly chairman of the
ways and means committee: and Re.
preventative Murdoch, Progressive, of
Kansas. Mr.. Underwood is one whose
words in debate fall with measured
time. He impresses the listener as be-
ing solid and substantial, if not brilli-
ant. He has an agreeable manner,
and is always courteous to his oppo-
nents. Mr.. Payne is a much older
man than Mr.. Underwood, and is q
different type. While the latter is
classed as conservat Democrat,
he is not considered as belonging to
the old school of politicians, as does
Payne. The New Yorker reminds one
of Fourth of July orator of the an
cient type. His manner in debate is
loud, pompous and declamatory.
When the Republicans were in their
prime and Serene E. Payne was in
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