The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-07-04
SENATOR HITCHCOCK INsIsTENT.

Senator Hitchcock of Nebraska
withdrew from the Democratic caucus
on the tariff bill for the reason that
| he did not wish to be bound or pre-
vented in his purpose Of insisting upon
his amendment for the progressive tax
upon the production and manufacture
Of tobacco. He anticipate, as will
tion that will be adopted by the eau
Gus. oblgating all Democrats that at
tend the caucus deliberations to sup
port the results arrived at therein.
Thus. il Senator Hitchcock remained
in the caucus and that binding resolu
tion were adopted while he was there,
he would be bound by it, and would be
shut off from proposing his amend
ment in the open Senate,
That amendment has a curious his
tory. Senator Hitchcock offered it in
the Finance Committee, with the state,
ment that it was an administration
measure. Pressed for an answer as to
whether President Wilson was de
manding that amendment, Senator
Hitchcock was obliged to say that his
information that it was an administra.
tive measure was derived from Attor-
ney General McReynolds. IT will be
remembered that the Attorney General
was so discoDtented with the result of
in pursuance Of the Judgment Of the
U. S. Supreme Court, that he threat
ened TO reopen the whole case. But
President Wilson, it appears, refused to
support him in this, and then he
switched off on to this proposed cumu-
lative tax in order to get at the to-
bscco people through the Congressional
enactment of this tax. Inquiry at the
White House led the Democratic Sena-
tors of the Finance Committee to the
conclusion that President Wilson was
not only not in favor Of such a tax,
but was opposed to it. 1t was an i'm
prac ticable proposition all through, ap-
parently merely a vindictive PROPOSE
tion on the part Of Attorney General
McReynoIds.
tor Hitchcock from the caucus. called
especial and powerful attention TO this
evidently misleading attitude of Attor-
ney.General McReynolds with respect
to the proposition which he induced
Senator Hitchcock TO urge upon the
Senate Finance Committee. Attorney
General McReynolds appears, as mat
ter of fact, TO be a good deal of
misfit in his Cabinet position. Unless
Senator Hitchcock is badly at fault,
McReynolds deceived him altogether
as to the attitude Of the administra-
tion toward this proposed tobacco tax.
Besides this, and to say nothing of the
California "whte slave cases, it is
alleged that the Attorney General re.
Gently sent a railroad lawyer to a
leading Southern Representative, with
the view Of bringing about legislation
to abolish the Commerce Court, alleg-
ing here, AGAIN, that he was represent.
ing the administration in this request.
And so Attorney-General McReynoIds
is discredting himsef rapidly at Wash
ington, and it is not surprising that
the Washington correspondents are
predicting mis- retirement from the
Cabinet at no late day.
But with regard TO the Hitchcock
withdrawal from the Democratic eau
Gus. he himself explains that the with
drawal was not with the purpose Of de-
serting his party, or even of opposing
l.. 4. L
tariff bill, On the contrary, he ex-
poets TO stand by the caucus action ex-
cept only on its vote defeating his pro