The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1924-09-11

passes the Senate 1t will be a far
worse measure than it is now"
WELL" he retorted, II will show
you"
Aldrich kept the P~ayne-Aldrich
bill in possession OF his committee
for forty-eight hours.
Corridors Crowded
The corridors about his committee
rooms were crowded with the repre-
sentatives Of the big protected inter-
ests. Some were admitted from time
to time for brief conferences. When
Aldrich reported the bill he made a
brief oral statement devoted solely
to an estimate of the revenues which
would be produced under the pro-
posed duties.
No written report accompanied
the bill, and no explanation, written
or oral. was placed before the Sem
ate, Offering any reason for the 600
increases over the rates fixed in the
House bill.
Thereupon, Aldrich demanded I'M
mediate consideration Of the bill.
which contained 300 pages, and Of
which most Of the Senators had no
knowledge whatever. He was pre-
pairing. as usual, ito drive roughshod
over all opposition.
I was not altogether unprepared
for this action on the Senator's part,
and. taking the floor, 7 protested
against the present consideration Of
the bill. I made 1t plain that never
before in our history had the Senate
Committee on Finance failed TO sub
NIT with a tariff bill an extended
printed report, setting forth the ar
guments for every change OF duty.
Furthermore, I proved from the
record that It had been the invariable
custom Of the Senate committee to
place the tarif1 bill and the accom-
panying report upon the desks OF
Senators. with a notice thai the bill
would be taken up some two to six
weeks later. giving Senators full op-
portunity to familiarize themselves
with the proposed changes.
No answer was made to my
speech. II was manifestly the pur-
pose Of Senator Aldrich to allow Sen
ators no chance to prepare in ad-
vance TO resist the sort OF tariff
legislation which the PayneAldrich
bill provided. And in furtherance Of
this plan, as the consideration Of the
bill advanced. he secured the adop-
ton Of an order hat the Senate
should meet. until further order. at
10 o'clock in the morning. and that
the sessions should continue without
recess or adjournment until II
o'clock at night.
The reason which he advanced for
this was that the business interests
were suffering because OF the un-
certainties regarding the tariff; but
the effect Of this order was to force
those Senators who were conscien.
tiously investigating schedules either
to abandon all OF their efforts Or to
take the course pursued by our
little group.
It was the practice OF a number of
Progressives, as it was my practice.
to leave the Senate at the close Of
the session at IL o'clock and, reach
ing home at midnight, to work we'll
into the small hours Of the morning
over the provisions certain to be
reached on the succeeding day, then
snatch a brief rest and be ready for
the session at 10 O'Clock i'll the norm
ing.
This work continued week after
week all through the hot months of a
sultry Washington summer.
It was taxing to the last degree,
and reducing the vitality of the har-
diest members of the group.
I shall always believe that the ex-
actions of that session were the pri-
mary cause Of Delivers death a
year later.
Copyright, 1924, NEA Service, Inc)
Continued in Our Next Issue.)