The Washington herald., 1913-07-20
Debate begun
ON TARIFF BILL
Simmons Explains Measure
and Cummins Opens for
the Republicans
LITTLE TIME Is WASTED
Both Speeches Are Brief-Iowa Sen
ator Says Disaster will Overtake
the Democratic Party.
LITTLE TIME IS WASTED

Debate on the tariff bill was formally
Initiated In the Senate yesterday with
roar of big guns. Senator Simmons
chairman of the Finance Committee
voiced the Democratic approval of the
bill, while Senator Cummins, Progressive
Republican. made the first Republican
speech that has yet been uttered on the
merits of the pending bill. The occasion
was unusual in that both speeches were
crowded into space of four hours yes
teyday afternoon.
Presidents were broken when the
chairman of the Finance Committee &C.
cupied only a little over an hour in OK
planning the measure. Heretofore such
speeches have run over into the second
day. The Senate met at noon. Quite
a lot of time was taken up in morning
business. and then Senator Simmons and
Senator Cummins delivered their speeches.
an executive session followed. and the
Senate got away little after o'clock.
Senator Simmons speech was a careful
analysis and defense Of the bill. He de-
clared the last political campaign was
fought on the tariff
The two great political parties met in
1908 in their national conventions. con-
fronted with a popular demand for re-
lief from the intolerable burdens of the
tariff framed in the interest of privilege"
augmenting wealth and power of the few
restricted the opportunities of the many
and advanced the cost Of living beyond
the income, not only of the average man.
but Of the thrifty and well-to-do.' .
Pledges Not Redeemed.
Senator Simmons declared that the Re-
publcans on coming into power again
in 1893 had failed to redeem their pledges
to substantially lower tariff doties and to
remedy evils. He declared that the
Payne-Aldrich bill ze-enact;nS the Ding
ley law, with a few changes in rates.
resulting in practically no important
change in the general average.
Whether the new act passed by the
Republicans was a revision downward or
a revision upward is still a matter of dis
put. even among Republicans, said the
Senator from North Carolina.
He declared that popular distrust fol-
lowed the enactment of the law. result
ing m a nationwide demand for its re-
peal, which was manifested in the Con-
gressional elections of 1910. in the over
whelming defeat of the Republicans. The
Democrats gained control CT the House.
he declared, under a pledge to revise the
tariff downward-to a revenue and COM
petitive basis. The Presidential election
following increased the obligation.
The bill now presented to the Senate
is a fair Interpretation of the will of the
people," said the Senator. land is an
honest compliance with the pledges of
the Democratic party. The amendments
to the House bill proposed by our COM
mittee are not offered in a spirit of dis
agreement with the House or in disagree
ment with the theory of tariff revision
upon which that body acted. They are
offered with view of further carving
out and perfecting the principle of a
tariff upon the basis
of competitive rates"
Senator Cummins followed Chairman
Simmons. At the outset he declared that
the Republican party had been driven
from power, largely because IL insisted
upon the maintenance of import duties.
high.
Disaster Is Predicted.
The Democratic party will soon be
overtaken with like disaster, because il
is about to infiict upon the country a |
tariff law which. with respect to many !
things. invites the perils of free trade |
and which, with respect to many others, |
imposes duties that are dangerously and !
low. and which. from end |
to end. grievously discriminate against |
the West in favor of the East against |
the farmer and in favor of the manufac-
turer.
There is q passageway to safety and !
charted it in 1873. and they will chart it