The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1913-04-15
Toge ther
In An I Kings,
Is w arcry.
BY Ernest g. Walker.

(Maii special TO Inc AuVerttscn)
WASHINGTON, April a." Beware
lest our enemies destroy us. " is the fire.
quently recurring slogan OF ways and
means Democrats. The phrase has been
used so much in their deliberations Of
the last few weeks that Democrats are
now repeating II as something of a Jest.
Every rate and every paragraph in the
tariff revision bin has been considered
by these trembling Democrats, not only
with view to giving the people what
might be regarded as a new tariff deal
hut also with reference to the POSSIBLE.
ity that Il would afford Republicans n
toehold for scrambling up over the ram.
parts and porting into the. citadel.
House leaders were Tremendously in
earnest two years ago about aequitting
themselves well in their new authority.
But their concern then was hardly a
circumstance to, the concern. of the ways
and means Democrats, (and, of the ad-
mipistration generality, that the new
tariff revision bill shall hit the country
Just right and be, popular. They have
deliberated prayerfully, revised and re-
revised and may. revise their house bill
some more before they consent to give
is the light of full publicity.
Meanwhile ways and means Demo
Gratis have striyen tremendously to pre-
yeat their rates from getting to the
public. They want full opportunity to
deliberate and reconsider before their
tariff product is given out. However,
certain items have escaped much to the
discontinue of the, commiftec,. whose
members have nerertheless been watch.
ing to see how the rates, thus proposed,
would be received. 49,
These was little Likelihood of keeping
the rates secret. During the past week
the bill has been in: tho hands of twenty
different people with full opportunity to
scrutihize its paragraphs. It has been
submitted to experts in New York City
and to experts In. the treasury depart.
ment. Business in this country is very
complex and the bearings Of tariff bill
are likewise. The omission of a com
ma literally might make difference Of
hundreds of thousands of dollars in the
amount of revenue collected. Ways
and means Democrats do not propose to
pass finally upon many such matters
themselves. They get the opinion of ex.
perts and act accordingly.
Why the Caucus.
Some Interesting plans have beon ad.
yapced for perfeetipg the bill before
it reaches the house, One pertains to
tho Democratic cancus. 1t was decided
some time ago that the bill should be
submitted to the caucus and should go
before the house as a caucus measure.
There comes up the question Of n. secret
or public caucus. House Democrats
are favorably disposed to public. eau
cuses and would have held them in the
last congress but for Bryan Is insistance
that they should. He had been SO ag.
gressive, however, that the acceptance
of publicity for the house caucus would
have ascribed credit to him., This the
house leaders were unwilling to do. Now
they are considering the wisdom of n
public caucus of some duration, Mt
which the tariff bill would DO taken up,
with only Democrats on the floor. and
debated ut length. The plan has strong
advocates, who think nothing but good
would come of it, that the country
would approve of the method and that
there would result better understand
ing by the people as to provisions for
lowering the tariff.
Expect Criticism. .
Democrats are expecting criticism, 1t
has been in allegiance eyer since the ad.
ministration began. President Wilson
has gone ahead thus far with acclaim.
There has been no criticism because, in
some part, it was felt he should have
a little time IN which to show what he
could do. 1t was only fair, to wait and
see. But the time was bound to come
when the President and his administra.
ton would become target. Probably
the introduction of the tariff NYision
bill will be the signal Tor criticism all
along the line. There will be criticism
OF the bill and there will be criticism
OF the house Democrats and alike of the
Democratic administration.
Democratic leaders expect much
criticism will be leveled at their in,
come tax provision. They know that
men land women) who have to pay
income taxes will attack that provis-
ion iercely and that the opposition to
1t will be carried into the next con.
gressional campaign. They know that
The income tax is bound to be an issue
around which will rage much conten.
tiVnf accordingly lucy nave Deen
trying to work out scheme which
would result in minimum of party
embarrassment and likewise would
make it as easy as possible to defend
the income tax.
Part of General Bill.
Therefore it is that the income tax
is to be made part of the general
tariff bin. There are Republicans who
will vote for the Democratic revision,
as was the case with Democratic tariff
bills in the last congress. This will
give the Democrats something upon
which to hang an argument in the
Forthcoming campaign, But there are
also Republicans, who are strongly for
the income tax. Some of these might
be for the income tax and against the
revision but would be willing to vote
for the revision rather than 90 on re.
cord against the income tax. The link
ing f3he provisions is therefore looked
upon as rather shrewd politics. Demo
Gratis think 1t wise expedient toward
keeping Republicans from climbing the
ramparts and ,oyerpowering them in the
citadel. Probably. it is wise ek-