The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-04-25
TARIFF DISCUSSION
RESUMED IN HOUSE
At NIGHT SESSION
Underwood Bill Denounced
Freely By Republicans and
Bull Moosers Speakers
HOUSE RECEIVES
MINORITY REPORT
Victor Murdoch, Progressive
Member of Ways and Means
Committee, Advocates
Tariff Commission

WASHINGTON. April 24.-Debate
was resumed on the Underwood bill
in the house today. For the first time
a night session was held. The bill was
denounced by Republicans and Bull
Moose, as embodying everything bad
in the way of revenue legislation, and
commended by the Democrats as the
nearest thing to perfection ever
evolved in a legislative body.
Representative Hamilton, of Michi-
gan. Republican. aroused the risibiii-
ties Of Republicans by quoting from
public speeches by President Wilson,
in which the executive, according re-
MT Hamilton. INDUCED in high
sounding generalization, without ex-
pressing any specific views
Pulls Donkey's Tail.
Representative Fordney. also Of
Michigan and likewise Republican
one OF the apostles of high protection.
delivered an old-fashioned tariff
speech, in which he pulled the tail
Of the Democratic donkey and pre-
dlcted disaster 10 the country under
the new revenue law
\ tariff commission. with power to
elicit Information, was urged, rea-
sohable reduction of any duty OBJ
viously excessive was advocated and
radical reductions not founded on afie-
quate information were opposed In d
minority report presented to the house
BY Representative Victor Murdoch, OF
Kansas, the progressive member OF
the ways and means committee
Mr. Murdoch. in his report assert
ed that IL there had been wanting
proof of the necessity of a tariff com
mission the pending Democratic tariff
bill alone would supply IT, He
charged that as a result OF the meth
ods Used in its preparation the few
who drafted IL ARE not warranted In
feeling certainty as to it's effects and
most of those who have Endorsed it In
caucus as party measure cannot
nave ether than "A superficial knowi-
edge of it's provisions
Error Repeated. He Says
The Democratic revision. he said.
had been undertaken in defiance of
a universally popular demand that
the tariff shall be revised scienttf1-
caily a schedule at a time. upon data
that is not eX parte. with full right
of debate and amendment without
secrecy IN caucus or committee and
without cloture in congress. Thus.
/ he said, was repeated the error which
characterized the earlier stages OF
preparation Of the Payne Aldrich
tariff act.
Mr. MurdocI declared that the
Democratic party has proposed a
tariff which will be injurious to many
industries and may be destructive TO
some
Under the guise Of reducing the
cast of living" he said, sit may de-
stroy the very basis of our industrial
prosperity Proposing and promising
to cheaper the food and clothing OF
the workingman, it may take from
him the Eery meas by which he may
earn his livelihood. Proclaiming in
one statement that it is cheapening
the articles used by the farmer. in
the next statement ii opens the
American market to foreign agricul-
tural and dairy products.
Position Is Distinct.
THE Progressive party's position
on the tariff is distinct 1t does not
believe in the Democratic position
which proposes 10 remove all protec-
ton. except that incidental to reve-
nue.. 1t does not believe in the Re-
publican position which proposes to
keep the duties prohibtive. III be-
lieves in a protective tariff which
shall equalize the conditions of COM
petition between the United States
and foreign countries, both for the
farmer and manufacturer and which
shall maintain for labor an adequate
standard Of living. This would he q
true competitive tariff.
The Progressive party would con-
struct tariff bill, one schedule at
a time, in the open, free from the
distortion of designing interests and
selfish purpose.