Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1888-09-24
Political Palpy.

Y The Senate Republicans say that they
lutend to take their time to prepare their
oariff bill, and that they will not be hur-
ried by the House. That is very well
thy should take all the time they need
bat they should not take any more than
thsy need. The question Of interest is as
- Why they need 30 much as they take
and the fair suspicion is that they need 1t
f0r political ends. The senators are sup.
Dosed to be statesmen and have definite
optnions upon the tariff question and
Ghould not need much time to put
their views into the shape Of bill.
The Republican senators undertook to
prepare such . measure, after the Repub.
hcan representatives had declined to EN-.
bgacs the opportunity which was first
pGrsented to them. The House Republi.
ems had DO good reason to give as to
Why they should not oppose the Demo.
cratic measure with one OF their own.
They contented themselves with talking
ma voting against the Mills bill, declin-
IN to say how the tariff should be
amended the reason being, as every one
believes, that they were either unable to
aeree about it or thought 1t better politi-
cal policy not to pin themselves down to
definite tariff reform proposition.
The need 0tariff reform was admitted
On al sides. There is treasury surplus
under the present tariff laws which 1t is
conceded must be abated. The Republi.
cans Of the Senate, In view of this situa-
ton, determined that 1t was not possible
t0r them to avoid the duty Of saying what
the amendment should be; and they un-
dertook to prepare bill. But they seem
70 have yielded 30 much to the policy Of
the Republicans of the House as to pro.
pose delaying their declaration until after
The election.
The situation now shows the Demo.
cratic party with definite tariff policy,
which Ia the object Of assault by the Re.
publicans in the political campaign, OF
which they make 1t the chief issue. II
ehows the Republican party without such
. policy, its representatives In the House
having declined to prepare bill, and
those in the Senate refusing to do 1t II
time for the people to compare thu
positions of the two parties before thu
election takes place that is to decide th'
policy of the country for four years.
Under these circumstances it is not th,
Democratic party that hurries the Re
publican senators in the preparation
& Of their bill, but it is their necessity
II they would preserve their self-respect
and have rag of reputation for courage
and sincerity, or leave chance for thei
party success in November. The coun
4 try is not going to trust party to govern
4 Il, that fears to declare its policy, or tha
is unable to agree about 1t. And the Re
publican hesitation in the preparation 8
. tsfif bill is born Of both these causes
thfhSnatQ7ss be- ss Whatever they de
Il Glare wiIaleeSrnem more than no declal
Z Stion, and they find such radical differ
ouces of opinion in their number tina
they cannot reach a unanimous cor
clusion upon vital points. And 80
comes that with the tariff issue made tf
chief one of this campaign the Republ
can party Is without policy OF tari
reduction, though Congress sits and Il
representatives are called on to devis
such reduction; more complete o.
hibition of political palsy could not be.