The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1913-03-27
THE TARIFF SITUATION
N THE U. S. SENATE.
LOOKS AS THOUGH THE CARDS
WE'RE STACKED AGAINST
PROTECTION.

The new senate committee on An
ance, which Is to pass upon all tariff
legislation coming from the house at
the extra session beginning April Z.
will be composed as follows. says the
American Economist:
Democrats--Furnifold Mel. SIM
mons Of North Carolina, chairman;
william J. Stone OF Missouri. John
Sharp Williams Of Missippi Charles
F. Johnson Of Maine. Benjamin F.
Shively of Indiana. Thomas p. Gore OF
Oklahoma, Charles S. Thomas OF Col
orado. Ollie M. James Of Tennessee,
and William Hughes Of New Jersey.
Republicans-Boies Penrose of
Pennsylvania, Henry Cabot Lodge Of
Massachusetts. Porter J. McCumber Of
North Dakota, Reed Smoot of Utah,
Jacob s. Gallinger Of New Hampshire.
Clarence D. Clark of wyoming and
Robert M. LaFollette of wisconsin.
With the single exception OF Senator
Simmons, the chairman, the demo-
cratic portion Of the committee is
solidly progressive" that il to say.
favorable to radical tariff reduction
and large addition to the free list,
including sugar, wool, livestock, meats,
boots and shoes and lumber No rep
resentation In the committee has been
granted to the sugar and rice interests
of Louisiana or the wool and cattle
interests Of Texas. The mineral ore
wool and beet sugar interests Of Colo
RADIO can hardly hope for help from
Senator Thomas for he has already
declared himself as owing allegiance
to the free trade doctrine Of the Bal
timore platform rather than to the
productive interests of Colorado. Sen
ator Simmons may be sincere In
wishing to safeguard the lumber and
cotton industries Of North Carolina.
but he will be powerless in commit
tee which stands 8 to against any
such conservative" tendency. Under
the circumstances the eight free trad
ers could well afford to let the honor
of the Craftsmanship go to Senator
Simmons.
On the republican side of the COM
mittee on finance the former members
have been retained. All are protection
lists with the single exception Of Sena-
tor LaFollette OF Wisconsin, who is
the only progressive in the group. Just
what may be expected at his hands in
the matter of tariff reduction remains
to be seen. Mr. LaFollette, 1t will be
remembered, was the author of the
wool bill passed by the sixty-second
congress and vetoed by President Taft.
In that measure scant protection was
vouchsafed to either the sheep grow
ers or the wool manufacturers. An
other fact calculated to throw light
upon his tariff attitude is found in the
invitation Of Senator LaFollette to
confer with President Wilson con-
corning tariff legislation. No such in
vitation has been extended to Senator
Smoot or Senator Gallinger Appar-
emily the president does not care to
learn the views of sane, sound and
consistent protectionists.
On the whole the situation in the
senate does not seem to hold out much
promise Of restraint upon the tariff
slashing activities Of the house. The
election OF a democrat in New Hamp-
shire last week gives the democrats in
the senate clear majority of five. To
that majority will be added the votes
Of some of the so-called progressive"
republicans, who are quite certain to
join in making heavy cuts In many Of
the schedules. AS the case stands 1t
looks as though the cards were stack
ed against protection in the senate as
well as in the house.