Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1914-01-02
REv|EW OF THE
SPECIAL SESSION
Nonpartlsan Analysis Of LegIs'
|atIon by Congress.
PASSAGE OF TARIFF BILL.

PASSAGE Of TARIFF BILL.
+
Zeal Revision Downward - Currency
BIT Hold Up by Ssnate-Newlands
Act Very important-AboIition Of the
Commerce Court-Mexican Matters.
Presidential Addresses to Congress.
BY ARTHUR w. DUNN.
fATASHlNGTON. Nov. 29.-A tar
" If law. the lowest since
f" 1916 and in many respects
approaching free trade ba-
8, Is the most important achievement
the first session of the Sixty-third
,ngress. Coming into complete legisla-
We power for the first time in twenty
Ears, the Democrats marked their
.utrOl of the government by fulfilling
Fir promises on the main issue which
'ided the two great political parties
more than half a century.
It will take some time for the people
understand what has really been
ne with the tariff and what effect
E rates will have upon the prices
ey pay. Details Of the tariff are
mewhat nebulous to the average per-
n. and even those who have heard
e subject debated day after day and
I've studied the schedules for years
e somewhat haZy as to what has
ally been done. save that there has
len very great reduction-a real re-
sion downward.
The most marvellous thing about the
Sw law is the ease with which it was
Assed. Its author. Oscar ". Under
food. took 1t into the Democratic eau
ps. where differences were thrashed
Int and where Democrats were moral
pledged to stand by the ways and
beans committee Then the bill was
hken into the house and passed With
mly such changes as Underwood and
lis lieutenaIIts thought necessary \
Iimilar method was adopted In the
,enate. although Senator Simmons.
who was In charge Of the bill. allowed
more latitude to his lieutenants on the
Hnance committee than was given
members Of the house.
And so was passed the measure for
which the session was called by Iresi-
dent Wilson All. that name recalls
something. 1t may be mentioned In
passing that had 1t not been for the
iron hand of Woodrow Wilson the
81
There would have been no free sugar
and free wool. and the rates generally
: would have been much higher The
president set his stakes Oh free wool
and free sugar. held them in the hill in
spite Of the efforts Of many Democrat
ic senators. thus setting the scale upon
which lIany other schedules were ad-
justed.
Currency Which Never Came.
Naturally when the president found
that 1t was not such II difficult thing
to pass IL tariff bill he leIt sure that
currency would run along just as
smoothly Somehow it has been diff
ferent 1t seems to have struck snags
the measure The majority in the
house were dUcile They only had to
know that the currency bill suited the
administration and then gulp II down
without asking questions. On. oi
course. there were II few inuuiSitivt
persons, fellows who thought they
knew something about finance. and
they showed IL disposition t" kick. but
the majority was so great that theii
outcries and kicks caused only Il slight
and mOmentary disturbance.
In the senate it was different The
Democratic majority Is very small
Strange to say. there were three of tn.
seven Democratic members OF the
banking and currency committee wht
never would-nO. never, never, never
vote for the administration bill. One
of them stood out till the last. while
the other two gradually yielded t.
the personal influence of the president
and the lure of the party call. But
this did not happen In time to make
the currency bill law at the specia
session.
All this proved a surprise to Mr.
Wilson. When he called congress II
session in April he made plans tt
spend the summer with his family II
New Hampshire and month of the
fall at Panama. Just the other day the
president told an inquirer that he
thought he might go to Panama II
1915. He didn't sign the tariff act un
til Oct. g. He may not sign the cur
rency act until April 3. Woodrow VIII
son has learned the ways Of congress
during the special session. and ht
knows he must have patience.
Nevviands Act Very Important.
Although the special session OF con
gress dedicated itself to the tarin anC
President Wilson sentenced 1t to cur
rency as well. 1t did also take up leg
islatiOn. A law of farreaching impor
lance is the Newlands act. which was
passed. providing for mediation. con
Citation and arbitration between thu
employers and the employed. For
long time there was the Erdman act
which was well enough in its way. bu