Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-08-27
8 GRAY
ON TARIFF
Fight

Interesting news on the sugar tariff
fight in Washington is contained in
the latest issue of Willett & Gray's
Sugar Trade Journal The Journal
says:
in addition to their grief over the
loss OF a popular colleague, the Dem
ocratic senators find cause in the
death of Senator Johnston of Alaba-
ma for no little apprehension regard
ing the division of the senate on the
tariff bill.
Before the death of the Alabama
senator the senate stood 81 Demo
Gratis, "A Republicans and ! Progress
siye. Then it would have been neces-
sary for four Democrats to change
to give their vote with the opposition
to defeat the bill, but the loss Of one
Democrat so changes the situation
that a change Of front by three Demo
cratic senators would effect the de-
feat of the measure, providing all the
| Republican senators and Senator
Poindexter, the Progressive, should
cast their ballots in opposition 20 C.
The understanding from the first has
been that the Louisiana senators,
both of whom are Democrats, would
use their influence and cast their
votes against the bill SO long as it
contained a free sugar provision, how
ever remote Therefore. with the OPP
position maintaining its solid front,
one more change would be sufficient
to reverse the vote and defeat the
bill.
There are, however, many contin-
gencies to be considered before leap
| ing to the conclusion that this will be
the outcome Of the contest The first
of these is the conceded difficulty Of
| finding another Democratic convert to
| the opposition theory. Another is the
possibility of gaining supporters for
| the bill on the Republican side. 1t is
broadly limited that Mr.. Poindexter
may decide in the end to give the
measure his support, and it is almost
as generally believed that compare
lively few changes in the schedules
might bring to tbs support such Re-
publicans as La Toilette, Norris and
Kenyon. On the other hand, it is pro-
bable that among the first changes
demanded by even the most liberal
Republican senator's would be the res
toratiOn of sugar to the dutiable list.
"Senator Newlands is still absent,
and so far as can be learned he has
not communicated his views to any
one since his departure for his home
in Nevada, now several months back.
He is known to be much ayerse, per
sonally, to free sugar, but the senate
is still ignorant as to how he may
vote in view of the edict of the DEM
0cratic caucus.
"The most that can be said at this
time is that Nv Johnston's death has
had the effect of rendering more COM
plicated situation that was not es-
pecially clear before. The appoint
ment by the governor of Alabama Of
Representative Clayton to fill the va
eahcy does not help the situation.
Senators, Democratic as well as Re-
publican, generally take the position.
that, under the circumstances, the ex-8
ercise of the appointive power was
beyond the governors jurisdiction.
They fear, therefore, that the presen-
tation Of Mr. Clayton's credentials will
have the effect of injecting an extra
neous matter into the tariff discussion, !
with the result that the discussion, al
ready prolonged to the straining point,
will be still more extended, without
bringing another vote.
No one pretends to see the end of
the discussion. The sugar schedule,
which it was expected would be taken
up ten days ago, is still untouched.
The debate on preceding portions OF
the bill has been long drawn out, and
when, yesterday, sugar was reached In
the natural order, it was passed over
because of the temporary indisposition
of Senator Ransdell Mr.. RansdellI
was in his seat today, but as the gen.
eral agricultural schedule had been
entered upon, it was decided to pro-
coed to its conclusion before revert
ing to sugar
The general supposition is that the
disposition of the tariff could be much
facilitated If the Democratic senator's
would agree that it would not be fol- |
lowed by the currency BILL But Pres
ident Wilson is so persistent in his
determination to follow the tariff with |
currency legislation that none OF his |
senatorial partisahs can give any such
assurance.
Senators generally are inclined to |
give more attention than at first to |
the theory that the Cuban reciprocity
treaty of 1902 may have bearing on
present legislation, but generally the
Democratic members of the finance
committee do not share the opinion
that there is ground for apprehen-
sion. Senator Simmons, chairman of /
the committee, today declared that the
treaty could have no effect whatever
He said that the provision in the
treaty prohibiting reduction from
the differential of the Dinglay law
was not intended to stand in the way
Of Independent tariff legislation by
the United States To other members
Of the committee the subject was new,
and some of them announced their in
Iention of investigating the question.
It is sure to attract more attention in