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The Commoner.
WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
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VOL. 11, NO. 22
Lincoln, Nebraska, June 9, 1911
Whole Number 542
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Free Wool Indorsed
The caucus that Indorsed the Underwood bin
adopted the following resolution:
"Be It resolved. That the bill revising schedule
K, as presented to this caucus by the majority
members of the ways and means committee, is
not to be construed as an abandonment of any
democratic policy, but in view of a gradual re
duction of the tariff and the depleted and de
pleting condition of the public treasury as a
result of republican extravagance, a tariff of
20 per cent ad valorem on raw wool Is now pro
posed as a revenue necessity."
The first part of the resolution rebukes those
who deny that free wool is a democratic doc
trinehow do the protectionists like that? The
last part contradicts those who argue that a tax
on wool is NOT a necessity. Like all compro
mises it displeases both sides puts both sides
in a false position. The protectionist democrats
will repudiate it at the first opportunity and the
advocates of free wool will disregard it as soon
as they get a chance to substitute a tax on
something else. It will answer one purpose,
. namely, keep the protection democrats from
airing their views on protection during the dis
cussion of the bill thanks for small favors, and
it will give the republicans a chance to point
out ways in which the democrats could have
collected more tax with less oppression.
Its temporary purpose is to disinfect the
action of the caucus, but its future value will be
in showing up the false basis on which the pro-
-tectionist democrats won their victory in the
i- caucus.
THE FIGHT FOR FREE WOOL
Harrison made a splendid fight for free wool
and he will be useful in future tariff contests.
Qllie James was a, tower of strength to the
free' wool side, as he is to every cause which he
espouses.
Randell reflected credit on Texas by his ad
vocacy of free wool. He .took the part of the
five million consumers of his state instead of the
side of a few wool growers.
Kitchin will live to see his fight for free wool
vindicated the resolution that the protection
ists were forced to accept must afford him some
gratification, even now.
Rainey's stand for free wool will be endorsed
by the sturdy democracy of his district he
deserves their support.
Mi
Possibly the amount which Mr. Underwood
hopes to raise from a tax on wool might have
been collected from a tax on the recommenda-
CONTENTS
FREE WOOL INDORSED
A BACKWARD STEP
v RAW SILK
DEMOCRACY CANNOT SHIRK
A FABLE '
ROOSEVELT ON TRUSTS
CANADA'S GREAT ANNUITIES SYSTEM
SEED-TIME AND HARVEST
"INDEFENSIBLE AND INTOLERABLE
OPPONENTS OF FREE WOOL WIN
GOVERNOR WOODROW WILSON IN
LINCOLN
HOW OREGON "STOOD PAT'
PRACTICAL TARIFF TALKS
HOME DEPARTMENT
WHETHER COMMON OR NOT
WASHINGTON NEWS
NEWS OF THE WEEK
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0 HOT THE DEMOCRATIC IDEA.
0 The United Prees on June , carried
the following dispatch: "I think wo
Shave proved that the democracy of the
nation can be handled beneath the dome
0 of the capitoL without assistance," de
clared Underwood today, discussing the
defeat of the Bryan faction. "Wo
adopted the wool bill unanimously,
despite Mr. Bryan's earnest opposition,
and we will put It through.'
It Is not the democratic idea' that
"the democracy of the nation bo handled
beneath the dome of the capitol" or
among a coterie of men.
The democracy of the nation cannot
be "handled" and live.
It was "handling" that brought the
republican party to its present bad
plight.
If tho democratic party Is to be of
real service to public interests rather
than the slave of special interests it will
be controlled by the voice and conscience
of the rank and file and in accordance
with the party's principles. ,
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tions filed by corporations on behalf of those of
their brethren who apply for federal judgeships.
When can we expect an Underwood bill on
the steel and iron schedule? That industry has
a large plant in the chairman's district and is
supposed to be controlled by a trust.
Having compromised with protectionist demo
crats in order to got the tariff bill out of a
democratic committee, how much more com
promise will be necessary to get it through a
republican senate?
Keep your' eye on the tariff bills yet to bo
reported and you will see how much log-rolling
was necessary to get a tax on wool.
If the democratic party can bo scared by the
bleat of a sheep, what will it do when it hears
the bellow of the bulls and tho growl of the
bears of Wall street.
SILENCE!
Silence is the word. The Commoner had the
temerity to print an editorial argument in favor
of free wool last week a doctrine Indorsed as
democratic by the caucus but Chairman Under
wood serves notice that the discussion of public
questions by democrats so unfortunate as to bo
outside of congress Is neither expected nor de
sired that editorials dealing with subjects
under consideration will be regarded as at
tempts at dictation. He is quoted as saying:
"I think we have proved that the democracy
of the nation can be handled beneath the dome
of the capitol, without assistance. We adopted
the wool bill unanimously, despite Mr. Bryan's
earnest opposition, and wo will put it through."
"SCHEDULE K"
The Underwood bill dealing with "Schedule
K," the woolen schedule, reduces the average
rate nearly one half and Is therefore a great step
in advance. No democrat can justify himself
in voting against the measure and It ought to
appeal to progressive republicans. Tho only
fault that can be found with it is that It does
not go far enough. If the plans of the free wool
advocates had been accepted tho average rate
on woolen woods would have been still further
lowered. No republican can justly criticise tho
bill, but democrats, while rejoicing at the re
ductions made, have reason to regret that the
committee abandoned the free wool principle,
and still more reason to regret that a' demo
cratic caucus indorsed the committee's action
in this respect.
A Backward Step
Tho Underwood bill has beon ondorsod by
democratic caucus and will pass as it was re
ported, unless republican ridicule shames the
democrats into amending tho bill. The manner
in which the resolution was received by the
opposition when it was read in the house ought
to give tho democratic members some Idea of
the mortification which will bo felt by democrats
throughout tho country whon they havo to moot
tho jeers and taunts of republican protectionists.
The Underwood bill leaves a 20 per cent tax on
wool. This is a stop backward at a timo whon
tho tariff reform sentiment of tho country is
moving forward. The democrats put wool upon
tho free list bill nearly 20 years ago. Mr. Under
wood defends tho 20 per cent tax as a revenue
measure and insists that it is necessary. That
Is the way most protective tariffs aro defondod.
Tho Commoner does not accept Mr. Under
wood's reasons and does not believe that the
country will. It is absurd to argue that the
tax on wool is necessary; tho amount levied on
wool could bo collected wltli less hardship from
other things. It is a conservative estimate to
say that the tax on wool will cost the people
.from ono hundred to two hundred millions, or
at least from five to ton times as much as it
brings into tho treasury. The leas than tpur
tee.n millions which will bo collected .,? on wool
could be collected from a ten per "cent' duty on
raw silk and raw rubber not to speak of other
methods. But instead of relieving tho consum
ers of woolens to the exten they might havo
done the followers of Mr. Underwood sound a
retreat on the wool question and they did It in
tho name of a revenue tariff. Many honest
men havo been misled by Mr. Underwood's
specious argument, but The Commoner asks
these democrats to watch tho chairman of the
ways and means committee. If ho Is tainted
with protection, as The Commoner believes he
Is, lie will show it on other measures as he has
on this. The hope of tariff reformers is not in
his leadership but in the fact that there may
be enough arlff reformers on the committee to
outvote him. . If time proves that Tho Com
moner's estimate of him is erroneous an
apology will bo forthcoming if events prove
that this estimate Is correct those tariff reform
ers who have followed him will havo an oppor
tunity to repudiate him.
RAW SILK
Representative Harrison of Now York, In a
newspaper interview, points out where the
revenue lost to tho government on free wool
could be gained in another direction. He says:
"Approximately $15,000,000 would be sacrificed
by putting raw wool on the free list. If It is
necessary that raw materials shall be taxed, why
not tax raw silk and raw rubber, which now
are free? Last year, $67,000,000 worth of raw
silk was imported without a cent of tax. Ten
per cent ad valorem duty would bring in $6,
000,000. Last year $106,000,000 worth of raw
rubber came in without a cent of tax; 10 per
cent ad valorem tax would produce $10,000,000
revenue. In those two items the loss of revenue
from putting raw wool on the free list is made
up, and it is surely better to tax materials for
making silk dresses and automobile tires than
it is to tax the materials for woolen clothing
of tho poor."
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Yes, as Chairman Underwood boasted,
the caucus ''answered Mr. Bryan," but
(as Mr. Underwood did not say),
,"It Is glory enough for one day
To have dreamed tho bright dream of
the reign of the right."
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