Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-15
The Political Mill
By G.. Could Lincoln.

The Senate must decide now whether
it is willing to permit its conferees on
the tariff bill to deal with the con-
| ferees of the House on the debenture
clause and on the Senate amendment
repeating the flexible provision of the
tariff law The Upper House must de-
termine in effect whether it prefers to
stick to these two amendments as they
are and have no tariff bill enacted into
law or whether it prefers to go ahead
with the tariff bill and abandon these
amendments. If the bill dies and there
| is no new tariff law, the legislators will
have something to talk about in the
coming campaign. Quite lot of people
! in the country are interested in the bill
despite the criticism which has been
lodged against it, and Senators doubt
less will understand that they will be
asked a lot of questions about their
| votes If they take a stand which gives
the bill a permanent sleeping potion.
The great majority of the Democrats
may point with pride" If the tariff
bin fails. They, joined with group of
Republican insurgents in the coalition"
will have been responsible for the
failure of the tariff bill to get through
in the event it is allowed to die AS
1t is Republican tariff bill, the Demo-
Gratis may go to the country apd de-
clare that they saved the country from
legislative "atrocity." They may say
that the bill is far worse than the exist
ing law, for that has been the Dsmo-
cratic slogan ever since the inception
of the tariff bill. Doubtless the Repub-
lican insurgents will make much the
same kind of argument. They come
from agricultural States, however, and
oriR o,-rto in,
creaSes in tariff rates for the farmers
They may have bit Of explaining to
do on this point.
If the tariff bill fails now, it is likely
to be as much of an issue for some of
the members of the Senate and House
who are up for reelection this year as
1t will be should the bill become a law.
The country has heard good deal
from one source or another about the
consideration of the tariff bill in the
Senate. Whatever may be said OF the
House, 1t has not been as dilatory as
the Senate in disposing of this measure,
now more than year old. A defeat of
law unchanged. The opponents of the
flexible provision in the existing law,
by which the President may increase or
lower tariff rates by so per cent after
investigation and report by the Tariff
Commission. really gain nothing, so far
as the flexible provision is concerned,
through the death of the tariff bill.
4 Xxx
Whatever may be said about the
Democrats in Congress, the RESPONSE
bility for putting through a tariff bill
does not really rest upon them. 1t
rests upon the Republicans, who are
in the majority. If they finally fail to
get through any bill, they, as party
and as individuals, will have to bear the
blame. The tariff bill as it stands does
not carry the approval of Senator
Grundy of Pennsylvania, it is said. He
may vote against it. His protest is that
1t does not give enough protection to
American, and particularly Pennsyl-
vanian, manufacturers. II 1t Is. shorn
OF the debenture and flexible clause
amendments, added by the Senate, it
may be voted against by Senator Borah
OF Idaho, Senator La Toilette of Wis
consin and other Republican insurgents.
from a Republican party standpoint, the
tariff. bill is a mess.
The tariff bill has been brought to the
fore in the Iowa campaign for the Re-
publican senatorial nomination. There
Republican nomination, which, in some
quarters, is looked upon as equivalent
to election, for the Democracy has not
been strong in Iowa. Senator Steck.
the Democrat, who now holds the seat,
was elected back in 1924 by Republican
votes, when the G. o. P. organization
took vigorous stand to defeat Senator
Brookhart, because the latter was sup
porting the late Senator Robert M. La
Toilette for President against the reg
ular party nominee, Calvin Coolidge.
The two leading Republican candidates
for the senatorial nomination are Gov.
Hammill and Representative Dickinson,
for a dozen years member of the
House. In the race are Mai. Frank
Lund, who managed Brookhart's cam
paign in 1926 against the late Senator
CumminS, and an editor. W. o. Payne,
who has made the World Court his
issue. Gov. Hammill is denouncing
the pending tariff bill, and Mr.. Dickin-
sen is declaring that the bill as 1t
comes from conference will be an aid
10 the farmer.
Maj. Lund is seeking to revive the old
equalization fee" principle of farm
relief as his issue, maintaining that
both Gov. Hammill and Representative
Dickinson, who supported that prin-
ciple, have turned their backs on it now.
The situation is pretty complex. If
Maj. Lund draws more votes from
Dickinson than from the governor, it
is probable the last will win the nomi-
nation. Senator Steck will receive the
Democratic nomination.
Senator Charles L. McNary is one Of
those fortunate members Of the Upper
House who do not have to worry over
oft ov n no
not. He will be nominated in the Ore
gon primary tomorrow without opposi-
ton. And his denomination Will be
followed by reelection In all probable
ity, though Elton Watkins, former men,
Der of the House, is expected to make
an active campaign as the Democratic
candidate. Senator McNary has stead
lily advanced in prestige in the Senate
as we'll as in his own State. He Is as
sistant Republican leader. He has a
reputation for getting things done In
that body, and some day is likely to lead
his party in the Senate.
President w. w. Atterbury of the
Pennsylvania Railroad, Republican ma
tional committeeman for Pennsylvania,
has been taken to task by former Gov.
Pinchot because Gen. Atterbury Is back
ing the Davis-Brown ticket in the Penn
sylvania primary. Gov. Pinchot says
that Atterbury has no business mix
ing in the campaign because he is head
of the Pennsylvania Railroad and also
because he is a national committeeman
and should not support one Republican |
against another. Whether a railroad /.
president should engage in politics is !
largely a matter of opinion. Senator |
Grundy is a millionaire manufacturer |
and trying to get himself elected for !
six-year term in the Senate, and doubt |
less there are some who believe he |
ought not to be in politics either. On |