Show A TRIBUTE TO VANITY In all aU seriousness Senator Smoots Smoot official organ assures us that Senator Smoot is the hope of the west in tariff contest Of course coming from Crom a disinterested source like that It H must be true because In addition to the tho original orl inal assertion the organ adds his hie hl work vork is entire hope whatever that may ma mean With this assurance the west may rest easy and the tho senators from all aU the theother theother theother other states may ma go home or take a vacation or do as they the like about it Smoot is the hope of the west from the Missouri to the Pacific and from Canada to Mexico though a large part of ot It the west may ma not know it it and a larger part regard It as asa a rather t ther slim hope if that Is all there is to count on But think of the misconceptions this j simple statement corrects Senator Warren aen for instance who is some himself had already assured a trembling world that he would see to it that the west suffered no tariff discriminations Senator of Montana Montan de declares declares clares dares he la Is on the Job of Ne Xe Nevada Neada ada vada has been named on the senate steering committee which Is pretty nearly the whole thing In itt that august body bod and he lie counts himself quite a hope for br the west Bomb Borah of Idaho and Clark of Wyoming cut some figure In Inthe Inthe inthe the upper house and several other western senators might be mentioned who are supposed to have influence in inthe Inthe Inthe the body to which they were elected Evidently these other westerners have been suffering from a delusion In the notion that their votes and influence i vill 1111 count In the tariff fight They had hadnot hadnot hadnot not heard from Smoot and were un unaware unaware aware aw re that he was the hope of tile west but now nov that he has settled It they will wilt perforce retire to the back background pound ground where they belong and leave the spotlight to him Only one disturbing doubt remains after the official declaration Smoot Is the hope all right but what sort rt of ot ofa ofa ota a hope If It we remember aright he voted with the Roosevelt administration and against interests on the tUe Cuban reciprocity bill which was de designed designed designed signed to admit Cuban sugar free tree in Int t competition with walt beet sugar He Ho is re recorded corded as in opposition to the reduction of duty on wools proposed by the Payne bill but is there an any assurance nce that he will continue contIn e to oppose it If the ad administration administration administration ministration urges a different course coursed And d it If AldrIch and Hale and a few r rt I f t others who really command l the sonata senate Sina favor the reduction on wool woo what sort of hope is there that smoots Influence nce will amount to 10 anything As a matter of fact tact Smoots in power in the senate is exactly what the rea real leaders of the senate permit He has hast fallen t lIen heir hell to some good committee ap appointments a in natural succession to men who wb have died or retired Just as any other man in this position p would have done He is no more the hope of ot the west than his colleague who has half In Infinitely InfinItely finitely more ability and learning and he will have about as much power over the final fate tate of ot the tariff as isa s a cigar store Indian would If f he Indian had a vote ot in the senate |