Morning journal and courier., 1883-01-29
tSouraaI allh Gourier.
Monday, Jan. 29, 1883.
TARIFF REVISION.

Only thirty-two working days are left for
 the present Congress, and it begins to look
 as if there would be no revision of the tariff
 this session. Some of the Republicans are working hard to get something done, but if
 they fail as they probably will, 2 large ma
 jority of the Republicans in Congress will not grieve much. The Washington correspon- 1 dent of the Boston Adpertfser says Every days work shows what an extremely delicate
 thing it is to revise successfully SO great a scheme as the tariff. No matter where a re
 duction is made some people are affected
 The remonstrances and threats which are
 made in behalf of all our manufacturing in-
 dustries are very suggestive in the ears of
 Congress. Every day the Senate increases
 the duties in it's bill over those reported by
 the committees, while those who have exam
 ined the house bill carefully say that it will
 not reduce the revenues more than $15, ,00O,-
 900 or $2o,ooO, GOO. Under these circum-
 stances with almost the entire manufaetur
 ing interests clamoring for no reductions,
 the Republicans are evidently wayering a
 little in their advocacy of any material les
 senlng of duties As a matter of party policy
 the opinion is crystalizing that it will be
 more advantageous to allow the Democrats
 to overturn the present system, and go
 long way in the direction of free trade A
 very large element of that psrty is bound to that principle. They intend to make. it their most prominent issue in 1884. Such being the case, the Republican leaders, not forgetting the lesson of 1880, are seri- ously considering whether their party inter- ests will not be better subserved by making no great reductions but rather an equaliza: tlon of the tariff this winter. and leave it to the Democrats to throw bomb among the great producing classes of our country by removing the protection which they have en- joyed The debate in the Senate the past week has invariably drtfted in that direction. and the Republican leaders, Messrs. Dawes, Sherman, Hawley, Harrison and Frye, were as clear in their defense of tariff for protec ton as at any time during twenty years
 It may be thought to be 'tgood party poll l cyl for the Republicans to fail to revise the l tariff at this session, but their failure will l not please the people, who are very certain | that there ought to be revision, and that | speedily. There would be time enough to l do something this session if the disposition to act were not lacking. As the Washington correspondent of the New York HerGgd says, 1 Congress might pass g bill repeating abso Lutely all internal taxes except those on dis tiled spirits, and lowering the duties on 1 cotton and woolen goods, on iron and steel, sugar, molasses, silk and wool fifteen or twenty per cent, with decrease of ten per cent more for the next fiscal year. This, or something like it, could be done immediately, and more complete and systematic reform carried out later.
 If the present Congress does not do it's 1uty in this matter, and it probably will not, he President should call an extra session of he new Congress. The longer settlement 'f the question is delayed the more business will suffer. The people want the tariff re- Tised, and there should be no unnecessary lelay in answering their demand