New Ulm review., 1913-04-02

W1sala9l0o Leelet
Warrington, d. c., April lot 1915
The President IN getting into th,
tariff game early 80. o 70 make the
executive influence strong and
weighty factor in the first stages OF the
steps looking 70 tariff legislstion
Mr.. Wilson is thus acting 50 as Il
avoid repetition Of former Presiden,
Cleveland's attempts to secure ade'
quate tariff revision and reduction.
1t is we'll known that Cleveland, in his
second term, took hand Ia the tariff
fight rather late in the day and at q
time when the conservatives leaders in
Congress already had : program
mapped out. These leaders, it is
declared, went ahead without giving
much heed to executive advice, with
the result that the tariff bill enacted
into law did not come up to the
expectations of the public.
Not only is there the danger signal
Of the Cleveland administration to
warn the present occupant of the
White House in the matter of tariff
making, but the Wilson administra-
ton will take heed OF the pitfalls into
which President Taft precipitated him
self when he attempted . revision of
the tariff. Mr.. Wilson has been in
close touch with Chairman Underwood d
of the Ways and Means Committee of
the House from the start, and it is
said that any tariff bill that is re-
ported from that committee will have
the Presidents approval. Mr.. Wilson
has been close on the job ever since he
came into office. and he will see to it
that there is harmony and cooperation
between the executive and legislative
departments during the entire course
of tariff legislation. This situation
has been brought about by the Presi.
dent holding frequent conferences
with those in charge of tariff making.
While he has not welded the big stick
in any sense of the word, still he has
not hesitated to make known his
wishes on the subject of the tariff.
At this writing it is understood that
no definite decision has been reached
regarding the nature of the revision,
that Is whether it is to be schedule by
schedule or in blanket bill. How
ever, it is stated that both the Presi-
dent and Mr.. Underwood favor the
former plan, which minimizes the
opportunities for log-rolling, and
making combinations. It is known
that some of the Democratic members
in the House and Senate favor the
blanket bill plan. These members for
the most part belong to the conserva-
tive wing of Democracy, and represent
States or Districts whose interests, as
for example lumber and sugar, would
profit under q blsnket-bill scheme of
The progressive element on
the other hand are said to have
leanings toward the schedule by
schedule plan.
Under the blanket scheme of re.
vision, followed when the Payne tariff
bill was passed, the President is re-
quired to approve or veto the entire
measure as it stands. President Taft
the Payne law, although not
in sympathy with the wool schedule,
and, it is pointed out, Mr.. Taft is q
private citizen as a result of this fact.
The indications are therefore that the
Democrats will dismember the Under
wood bill when it is presented, which
means that the log-rollers will mourn
1e passing of opportunities to trade
off one rate for another.
The fact that the President has
called Mr.. Underwood to the White
House to confer with him regarding
tariff legislation is taken to indicate =
desire on the part of the executive to
assume part OF the responsibility
for this legislation, although it is not
at all customary for the White House
to take an active interest in tariff in
its early stages.
If the tariff revision plan is sub
mltted schedule by schedule It is
declared the chief weapon of log.
rollers will have besn taken away
from them. When . DILL is submitted
as a whole one member can obtain an
increase in duty for an article 10
which he is interested by trading his
vote on other articles in which other
members are interested. Log-rolling
would not be entirely eliminated, it is
stated, If the schedule by schedule
plan should be adopted, but it would