The Washington herald., 1913-04-13

be imposed upon the State and in this
event Mr.. Bacon will have the dis
tinction of being the first Senator
chosen under the seventeenth amend
ment.
Political Effect Of the Tariff.
1t has been said that the new tariff
bill will make or break the Demo-
cratic party.
Nobody appreciates this fact more
than the men upon whom rests the
responsibility of tariff legislation.
They know that tariff laws have al
most always resulted in the defeat of
the party which placed them upon the
statute books. The Mckinley tariff
elected Cleveland, the Wilson tariff
brought in Mckinley, and the Payne
Aldrich tariff was the rock upon
which the last Republican adrninistra-
ton was wrecked. The Dingley tariff
was the only exception to the rule
in recent years.
The Democratic leaders, therefore,
view the future with some anxiety. If
they can reduce the cost of living
without cutting down wages; if they
can open the doors to foreign goods
without injuring the business of
American manufacturers; if, in brief,
they can accomplish the largest
amount of public good with the min
imum of private harm, they will have
proved themselves statesmen of the
wisest degree
1t is no secret that many OF them
will vote for a low tariff bill with
misgivings as to the result. They will
vote for the measure because they be-
lieve that they must redeem the
pledges they have made, and because
they think that the country has COM
missioned them to try the experiment.
As to the result of that experiment
they merely shake their heads in
dubious fashion and announce that
they will await the outcome with anx-
ious hearts.
The tariff bill as proposed cuts
deeply. Already there are enough pro-
tests from manufacturers in the
Presidents State alone to make a
cargo for an ocean steamer. 1t is not
only the big interests which are at
fected, but the little interests as well.
These protests will have no influ-
ence upon the House. That body,
with its overwhelming majority, will
pass the tariff bill practically as it has
been reported from the committee. In
the Senate it will be different.
In that body the Democrats have
majority of six, which is three more
than they had when they passed the
Wilson tariff law in Cleveland's ad-
ministration, but this is not sufficient to
eliminate all personal consideration.
The outlook is that the Democrats will
have to pass the new tariff law by
their own votes. 1t is too radical a
measure to appeal to any Republican,
regular or Progressive.
The Democrats cannot, therefore,
afford to lose the four votes of Sen
ators from any two States. This
means that concessions will have to
be made. 1t may be safely prophe-
sled, therefore, that the bill which
will finally emerge from the Senate
Finance Committee and the Senatorial
caucus will be a very different meas
ure from that which passed the House.
No wonder, under these circum-
stances, that President Wilson is
turning his personal attention to the
situation in the Senate. Before the
measure gets through the Senate he
will have many experiences such as
the French call a bad quarter of an
hour" Mr.. Cleveland. it will be re-
membered, would not sign the bill
which the Senate passed, and which
the House swallowed entire, because
it had to take that bill or none at all. |
President Wilson may not be driven
to this extremity, but there will be
more than one critical moment for
the Democratic party before the final
scene in the tariff drama is enacted.
Politics and the Income Tax.
The effect of the income tax upon
the political situation is also being
considered by the Democratic leaders. |
The bill reported to the House does /
not command unanimous support. |
There is one element in the party
which believes that there should be
no discrimination. They favor the uni
versal application of the tax to rich
and poor alike. They are against class |
distinction of any kind. They believe
that to separate the public into classes
according to wealth or the lack of |
it is to stimulate class hatred and in
vite trouble.
There is still another faction in the
party which realizes that the $4,000