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The Commoner.
4
VOLUME 9, NUMBER 31
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did not bollovc in It, excopt when it affected
Now England interests.
"But," ho said, "when you take tho tax off
hides for the benefit of Now England tho people
will tako a tax out of your hido In all thoso
western states."
Penis of laughter swept over tho chamber at
this remark, in which Mr. Aldrich could not re
frain from joining.
Senator Aldrich declared tho bill was tho most
important and comprehensive act ever adopted
by tho American congress. IIo challenged Mr.
Bailey's statement that tho rates were higher
than tho present law.
"I also challengo any senator to point out a
singlo monopoly which is protected by this bill,"
ho continued. "Monopoly can not live under
tho protection policy."
Any attempt of tho opponents of this measure
to show that it increased duties above the pro
tective line or made them excessive, was founded
on a mistake, he declared.
"So long as wo have a government by parties
in tho United States," ho said, referring to a
criticism that the president had been consulted
in tho preparation of tho bill, "tho president of
tho United States, who Is the head of tho party,
Is Interested, as are all of us, in carrying out
tho policies of his party."
Saying he had aided in tho passing of five
tariff bills, Mr. Aldrich declared he had become
used to democratic predictions of disaster. "I
have no fear of th5 consequences, none what
ever," he said. "Tho people of the United
States are committed to this protective system
and they may bo counted on to sustain it."
Mr. Aldrich spoke until 2 o'clock when, in
accordance with tho unanimous agreement, tho
vote was taken on the adoption of the confer
once report. The bill was Immediately con
veyed to the house by a senato clerk, and de
livered to the enrolling clerk.
As soon as the voto on the conference report
on the tariff bill was announced Mr. Aldrich
called up his concurrent resolution reducing the
duties, on leather goods.
Mr. Culberson at once offered his amendment
placing cotton bagging on the free list, and
spoke in an impassioned manner In support of
tho measure as in the interest of fair treatment
to tho Bouth.
Mr. Aldrich proceeded to declare that the
tariff bill could not be amended by the passage
of a concurrent resolution. For that reason ho
said he would move to lay tho amendment on
tho table. Both Mr. Culberson and Mr Mc
Laurin opposed the view that the bill could not
be amonded by a concurrent resolution.
By 43 to 2G Mr. Culberson's amendment
was rejected. Senators Bristow, Clap and
LaFollette, "insurgent" republicans, voted with
the democrats against laying on the table.
tvt. , l? 23 an amendment by Mr. Stone of
Missouri, to place boots and shoes on the free
list, was rejected.
The Aldrich resolution reducing leather duties
then was agreed to unanimously.
The conference report on the tariff bill was
adopted by the senato August 5 and was imme
diately approved by President Taft. Here is
the chronology of the tariff bill-
March 4, 1909 President Taft called an ex
traordinary session of congress to revise the
MnTch 15 Congress convened.
March 18 Chairman Payne, of the house
vVisfoSiminbiimeanS committee' introduced a pro-
April 10 House passed bill and transmitted
It to the senate.
April 12 Senate began consideration of tho
measure. uo
July 8 Senato passed bill with 841 amend
ments. . 1U
July 9 Tariff question shifted from both
houses of congress and sent to conference com
mittee. July 29 Conferees reached an agreement and
it was signed and reported to the house.
July 31-House adopted conference report
and passed the bill. wt
August 5 Senato adopted conference report
and passed tho bill. epwn.
August 5 President Taft signed tariff bill.
effecUtfve 1909-Ne tariff law becomes
Immediately after tho president had signed
the bill congress adjourned and the special ses
sion called for tho purpose of revising the tariff
was at an end.
The conference report on the bill was agreed
to by the senate by a vote of 43 to 31 when
tho voto was taken at 2 p. m and soon after
wards tho concurrent resolution making certain
changes in tho leather schedule was adopted by
both houses.
Tho following is taken from the Associated
Press
The leather resolution went immediately to
tho house and its consideration was begun at
once.
Chairman Payne said that every one conceded
tho importance of tho change in rates, and urged
tho adoption of tho resolution.
Mr. Fitzgerald of Now York, charged that the
change in the boot and shoe schedule was not
made because of any solicitude for the people,
who were compelled to purchase shoes, but in
order to obtain the vote necessary to pass the
bill.
Claiming that there remained another "joker"
in the tariff bill Mr. Stanley of Kentucky, plead
ed for an amendment making it prohibitory for
tho tobacco trust to use coupons in connection,
with the sale of its products.
At 4:18 Speaker Cannon announced that ho
had signed the amended tariff bill. The re
publicans again broke into applause as the clerk
took tho bill and proceeded with it to the senate.
Tho bill was signed by the vice president imme
diately on its receipt by that body. There was
no demonstration in tho senate.
Tho bill was then forwarded to the president
who was awaiting in an adjoining room, and
after very brief inspection was signed by him.
In signing the bill the president, the vice
president and the speaker all used a fountain
pen which is the property of Representative
Payne, author of the bill.
How tho Senate Voted
At 2:10 p. m. today the senate adopted the
conference report on the tariff bill, which effects
tho final passage of that bil through congress.
The vote was 47 ayes, 31 nays. The bill re
ceived all the republican votes except those of
Bristow, Clapp, Cummins, Dolliver, LaFollette,
Beveridge and Nelson. The senate then took
up the concurrent resolution, reducing the rate
in the leather schedule.
The following is tho vote in detail:
Yeas Aldrich, Borah, Bourne, Bradley,
Brandegee, Brown, Bulkeley, Burkett, Burnham,
Burrows, Burton, Carter, Clark of Wyoming,
Crane, Crawford, Cullom, Curtis, Depew, Dick,
Dixon, Dupont, Elkins, Flint, Frye, Gamble, Gug
genheim, Hale, Heyburn, Johnson, Jones, Kean,
Lodge, Lorimer, McCumber, Oliver, Page, Pen
rose, Perkins, Piles, Root, Scott, Smith of Mich
igan, Smoot, Stephenson,' Sutherland, Warner,
Wettmore 47.
Nays Bacon, Bailey, Bankhead, Beveridge,
Bristow, Chamberlain, Clapp, Clay, Culberson,
Cummins, Daniel, Dolliver, Fletcher, Foster,
Frazler, Gore, Hughes, LaFollette, McLaurin,
Martin, Nelson, Newlands, Overman, Paynter,
Rayner, Shively, Simmons, Smith of Maryland,
Smith of South Carolina, Stone, Taliaferro 31.
Senator McEnery of Louisiana, democrat, who
was absent, was paired for the bill. He was
the only democrat favoring the measure.
The pairs on the bill were as follows, those
for it being first mentioned: Brlggs with John
son, Dillingham with Tillman, Gallinger with
Taylor, Nixon with Owen, Richardson with
Clark of Arkansas, Warren with Money, Mc
Enery with Davis.
President Taft arrived at the capitol at 4:45
p. m., and entered the room set aside for the
occupation of the president on the concluding
day of a session of congress. His appearance
there, the first since his incumbency as presi
dent, caused members of congress to desert the
two chambers and form in line to be received
by him.
There was a constant procession of handshak
ing statesmen through the president's room
from tho time of his arrival until his departure
at B'.SOoclock.
Just" as the hands of the gold clock in the
president's room reached six minutes past 5
tho Payne tariff bill, as the -measure will be
known, was laid before the president He
picked up a pen supplied by Chairman Payne of
the house ways and means committee, and
whioh had been used by both the vice president
and the speaker in signing the bill, and attached
his signature. After writing "William H. Taft "
the president added: "Signed five minutes after
5 o'clock, August 5, 1909 W. H. T."
Bending over the president as he affixed his
signature were Secretary Knox, Secretary Mac
Veagh, Attorney General Wlckersham, Post
master General Hitchcock, Secretary Nagel and
Secretary Wilson.
Standing about the table were Senator Aid
rich, Representative Payne and many other mem
bers of the senate and house. Mr. Payne stood
with hand extended, waiting to receive the pen
with which the bill was signed. He took it with
a picture of boyish glee overspreading his face.
Another pen was handed to the president and
he wroto the word "Approved" and handed tho
pen to Representative Langley of Kentucky.
A number of interesting Incidents occurred
in the president's room pending the signing of
tho tariff bill. As the senators, one after an
other, filed into the room the president had some
thing of a personal nature to say to each, and
good nature appeared to be overflowing. Sen
ator Taliaferro of Florida in rather a plaintive
tone, said: "Mr. President, surely you are not
going to sign that bill with that pineapple para
graph in it." He referred to the fact that he
had gotten the duty increased on pineapples in
the senate, but the advance was eliminated in
tho conference.
"What will you have me do? Shall I strike
out pineapples altogether or just write in a rate
to suit you?" said Mr. Taft, laughingly.
A short time afterwards Senator Fletcher of
Florida was telling the president good-bye. Tho
Floridian was dismissed with a "good-bye, old
pineapples, take care of yourself."
The president tried with his good nature to
mollify Senator Warren's disappointment with
the abolition of the duty on hides. As he greet
ed Senator Heyburn, who said on the floor of
the senate today that no rate in the bill was
too high to suit him, with a "how are you, old
high tariff?"
Senators and members of the house were
twitted by the president on their .predilections
or characteristics. In these jibes some of the
cabinet members took part.
When the committees of the senate and house,
appointed for the purpose of informing the presi
dent that the extraordinary session of congress
was ready to adjourn, called at the president's
room, the tariff bill had not been signed. Sen
ator Aldrich, who acted as spokesman, made
this brief and formal announcement: "Well,
I have not signed the bill yet," said the presi
dent, "do you think I ought to adjourn con
gress before I sign it?"
The announcement had been made by Mr.
Aldrich on the theory that nothing stood in the
way of adjournment. There having been a great
deal of talk about the possibility of a veto every
body in the room caught the significance of the
president's jocular query.
"I certainly do not,' hastily replied Senator
Aldrich, and he joined in the general laughter.
The delay in laying the tariff bill before the
president was due to Representative Payne's de
sire to personally convey the document to the
president. Mr. Payne did not arrive at the
president's room with the bill until after 5
clock.
Previous to that time the president signed a
number of measures of comparatively small im
portance and immediately attaching his name to
the general tariff bill he signed the Philippine
tariff measure.
The president picked up a mother of pearl
pen, .which had been sent him from the Philip
pine islands to be used in signing this measure.
The president knew at once that the measure
being placed before him was the Philippine tariff
bill. A broad smile of satisfaction overspread
his face and he wrote his name with a flourish,
which was not in evidence when he signed the
general tariff bill.
When the president arrived at the capitol the
sun was shining brightly, but soon after he en
tered his room, just off the senato chamber, the
skies darkened, heavy black clouds rolled up and
the electric lights had to be turned on. Peals
of thunder and vivid flashes of lightning came
from the sky.
When members commented upon the brewing
storm, the president remarked that they ought
to be used to such manifestations, as the condi
tions .outside were comparable to the storm
which had continued between opposing factions
throughout the tariff session. Apparently the
president did not take the storm as an ill omen.
Farewells were said and representatives from
nearly every state had extended their invita
tions for the president to visit them during the
summer, when some one announced that the
hour of adjournment was near at hand.
"I must be going, for we are otf to Beverly
tomorrow," said the president.
?,e ?e caPito1 at 6:50 o'clock to return
to the White House in a driving storm. How
ever, the coverings had been put on his big tour
ing car and the president escaped a drenching.
ihe signing of the general tariff bill had been
preceded by a busy day both in the house and
the senate.
Meeting at 10. o'clock, the senate devoted four
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