Los Angeles herald., 1892-11-22
LETTER BAG.
The Extra Session Question.


EDITORS HERALD: The president
has within easy call many well-advised,
perspicacious and willing counsellors,
which is we'll; but there are few states
men anywhere who are so competent
and apt to do the right thing without
invoking the sapienJ assistance OF the
president-makers. There is small room
to doubt that Mr.. Cleveland will deter
mine the impo. amt question of whether
or no the new congress shall be con-
voked in extra session with his wonted
wise divination of the peoples needs
and his party's exigencies. Neverthe-
lees, general discussion of this matter in
the newspapers may be profitable in the
present awakened public interest in po-
litico-economic questions.
take it to be beyond question that
the ''voice OF the people" at the recent
election made proclamation of no am
biguous oracle. They have not only ap-
pretended that the tariff is tax, but
they have begun to realize that as sys-
tenn of taxation "the more they think of
it the less they think of it." However,
they have only said, 30 far: 1--WE will
continue to render unto Caesar the
things that are C@sar's' through the
agency of a tariff on imports, with this
qualification: We will nevermore con-
sent to render up the American con-
sumer willing sacrifice to organized
greed" Their dictum insight BIZ formu-
lated thus: millions for revenue, not
one cent for protection tribute"
Protectionism being thus doomed,
they are ready for the question: When
and how ehall we get down to revenue
| basis? Precipitation might be as bad
| as procrastination when such a magnum
opus is to be undertaken as the mod.
ifcation of the present tariff schedules
along safe and conservative lines. While
| it is true that the vast preponderance of
public sentiment has crystalized in favor
of rather radical chs nges in the McKin-
| ley law, there is yet ponderable element
of vested interests in mistaken trepida-
tion about the probable effects of lower
duties and incressd imports. 1t is a
matter OF Importance, more real than
apparent, that this element should not
be panic stricken. Their confidence
ehould be courted and won by early COLI
gressional action OF a conservative and
tentative character. For instance, the
| new congress in extra session might
| proceed to pass the bills sent to the
senate from the house at the recent ses-
sion, enlarging the free list OF raw ma
terials. By removing the tariff upon
wool, lumber, coal and tin, such stim-
ulus would be given to building and
manufactures that one years illustra-
ton of the benefcence of .this move
would prepare the minds of the people
and gain their cheerful acquiescence for
systematic changes in the direction ol
/ lower d1ties on manufactured goods
when congress shall assemble in
regular session. Too much should
not be undertaken at an ex.
ira session. A protracted session
would entail great expense, and in view
of the present depleted condition o.
the national exchequer. economy should
be exercised, In addition to passing
the bills above adverted to, the special
session might cut away the sugar
bounties and restore the revenue tariff
upon sugar. 1t is a noteworthy fact tha,
the present exigencies of the government
leaves no other alternative, but makes
it imperative, that we ehall resort to q
tariff for revenue only as our policy
under indirect taxation.
VIM. S. CREIGHTON.