Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-11-30
PASS THE SENATE TARIFF BILL

Wdo COuCCll Ou 40 " i'DiAeiS"t NAN"'
aud that there never was any IN
tentlOn of pressing it to a vote,
thus helping to confirm the Demo
cratic charge that the bill was ga
good enough Morgan until after
the election" Those who encourage
the theory that the bill was a trick,
by now recommending that the
bill be entirely abandoned because
ii can not pass the House, and be-
cause, further, the opportunity
should DO afforded to the new
President after his Inauguration to
enunclate a tariff policy of his own,
are short sighted and unwise lead
ers OF the party which in the late
campaign emblazoued protection
on its banners. Some other Re
publican journals do not hesitate
to say that the preparation OF the
bill was blunder, and that IL
hindered rather than helped Gen.
HarrisOn's election.
The Senate bill embodes a vast
amount of hard work by Senators
Allison, Aldrich, Hlscock, and
other Senators it is a complete
revenue and tariff measure. fully
meeting the general demand for a
reduction of the surplus revenue,
and tully.recognizing the promise
made by the Republican party In
1884 that it would revise the tarlfl
and correct its inequalities. Since
the promise of 1884 was made the
Republican party has been in the
minority in the popular branch OF
Congress, and instead of being
permitted to revise The tariff on
protection lines Republican Con-
eressmen have been kept busy in
defeating the Morrison bill and
in trying to defeat the Mills
bill. The Mills bill passed the
House last July and was sent
to the Senate. Republican Sen
ators debated the question long
and anxlously whether they should
simply reject it or adopt a substi-
tute, finally concluding to offer a
substitute. The substitute was
prepared and in October it was
published to the country as the
embodiment of the tariff views OF
the Republican party. 1t was in
the main acceptable to represen-
tatives of all the Industries OF the
country which require protection
it fulfilled so far as was possible
the promise Of 1884; it was pre-
pared in good faith and with the
expectation that it would eventual
" become a law. No more per
fectly constructed tariff bill was
ever presented for the considera-
ton of Congress. Such imperfec-
tons as it contains can easily be
corrected.
If those who now object to the
passage by the Senate of the
Senate tariff bill have their own
way all tariff legislation will prob
ably be postponed until the regular
session of the 51st Congress in
December, 1889, and certainly I'M
til next summer, when an extra
session is possible. Much time
would be lost un der either circum-
stance, and IN the meantime the
importers and their foreign allies
would continue to enjoy the harvest
they are now reaping through
inadequate duties, fraudulent
valuations, and erroneous and I'M
Just Treasury decisions.
There is absolutely nothing bat
arrant hum bug in the pTetense that
it is nee essary to delay action on
the tariff question until the views
OF the new President can be ascer-
tanned. They are known now. lie
is a prOtectiOnist without qualidca-
ton, and in this fact there IS
warrant enough for the Senate to
60 ahead.
But 1t will be said that the pres
ent House, being Democratic,
would refuse to accept the Senate
bill as substitute for the Mills
bill. We are not sure about this.
1t will also be SAID that President
Cleveland would veto the Senate
bill If it should pass both branches
Of Congress. Possibly he would,
but veto of a thoroughly protec-
tive tariff bill would greatly in
jure his party.
But, suppose the bill passed and
vetoed, the Republicans would
have kept the promise of 1884 and
done their best to sustain the in
lustries of the country. The
whole subject, constituting an issue
in itself, could then 90 over 20 the
51st Congress IN regular or special
session, aud the party Of protec-
ton would be in much better shape
for future struggles than ii the
country should now be led to be-
lIeve that the .onate bill was only
q trick to catch votes. 1t ,cdS not
a trick, nor was its preparation a
blunder. 1t should be perfected
cod passed through the Senate at
the earliest day possible. 1t IS al
WAYS wise to do right.