The Washington times., 1913-07-09
A GRUESOME "JOKE."

Senator Simmons has an awfuy good joke on
Senator Smoot. Excruciatngly funny. Simmons is
chairman of the Finance Committee; Smoot is the
regular Republicans chief tariff expert in the COM
mittee.
In theory, the Underwood bill, when passed by
the House, was referred by the Senate to the Finance
Committee. In fact it referred to the Demo,
cratic members of the Finance Committee, for con-
sideration from the standpoint of Democratic poll
tics and separately, to the Republican members Of
that committee for consideration from the standpoint
of Republican politics.
Each side of the committee worked away in star
chamber. Each anxious to keep the other from
knowing too much about its doings. 1t was regular
cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game.
Senator Smoot, with assistance of a bunch OF
experts" s"-army officers perhaps for the boss "ex-
pert" four years ago was army offcer! took the
House bill and proceeded to anayze it for faults and
inconsistencies The purpose of the analysis was not
to better the legislation, but to make the Democrats
ridiculous; to catch them in as many mistakes as
possible; to manufacture political capital.
Smoot and his satellites worked away for month,
and at last had their analysis ready. They were
warned not let it fall into the hands Of the Demo-
crats because if it did the Democrats would have a
chance to correct any palpabe and thus spoil
the Republican thunder.
Just think of that attitude toward the big, vital,
wide-reaching business of tariff revision If the Re-
publicans found bad break in the Democratic bill,
their public duty is not to get the mistake corrected
but to keep back the facts till the most sensational
public expose can be had. And this game among the
two factions of the Finance Committee, to which, as
q whole, the bill has been nominaIy referred!
Not hard to tell where Public Interest lands, in
that sort of tariff making!
The Smoot analysis somewhere between the
analysts and the public printing Office fell into the
hands of Senator Simmons. Awful mischance the
Democrats late it up, we are assured, and We don't
doubt it. 1t was frightfully coarse work Smoots
part; maybe somebody was corrupted. The idea of
letting the right hand of the Finance Committee see
the work of its left hand is unthinkable.
Senator Simmons and his Democratic colleagues
set about to fix up any mistakes that the Smoot docu
ment pointed out to them, and to fortfy themselves
for defense of features on which the Smoot guns had
been trained
In Short it was plain case of one strategy board
getting possession of the complete campaign plans Of
the opposing strategy board. Such rich joke!
Especially rich when it is kept in mind that those
two strategy boards, thus matching their wits and
their tricks against each other, supposed TO BE,
and ought to be, the general staff of the Public In
terest army, fighting the battle of good legislation in
behalf of the whole country!
Making tariff measure is big enough task, in
most countries to keep the most skilled experts att
work for years. Making it in this country is just
pretty partisan skrmish for political points The
mistakes" that one side may make are counted as
points against it in the The skill with which
one side keeps its plans secret and springs ambus
cades and mines, is the test of "effciency' in doing
the work.
Where does the public come in, some innocent
asks? Bless you it doesn't in. That's the joke.
A grim one, yes; but would you interfere with the
fne sport of Messrs. Simmons and Smoot merely out
Of concern for some industry that may be wrecked,
Or few million consumers that may be robbed?