The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1893-10-06
coSanEss ANp rnE TARIRr.

out their ptedges' 40 hpt appear
10 be as thoroughly convinced OF
the need Of tariff reform as they
\ were before election, when
i promises seemed TO carry no re-
sponsibility with them They.
have apparently modified their
4 views as to the unconstitutional.
4 ~ and fraud involved in protec-
ton, or they would surely be
making some effort TO alter the
system in vogue instead Of bend
ing all their energies TO the pur.
4 pose ofstirring up partisan strife
upon questions Of minor import.
ance. The factis, the Ways and
Means Committee, after it decid-
ed 10 give hearings on the tariff
learned some wholesome truths,
which, though they may have
been unpalatable, ought 70 have
been SOLDERING in their effects.
The committee did not get the
Testimony it hoped for. and it
probably feels that the problem
TO solve IS, under present condi,
tons, the knottiest that can be
undertaken.
The President, moreover, ap.
pears to have discarded or post
poned to a more convenient sea;
son the issue which he himself
made; and the main issue upon
which he and his party gained
power. It would be sufficiently
hazardous to strike at the indus.
trial system of the country III
prosperity prevailed, and there
was NO likelihood ola deficit in
tine Treasury. but with finance
and business paralyzea, and a
big hole IN the revenue aud Gus
toms receipts, because of the ex.
travagance of the last Demo,
cratic House and other obvious
causes, it would be the extreme
of folly to tinker with the tariff
and infict additional burdens on
the people. Congress should be
looking out for the means of in
creasing instead Of decreasing
the revenues and the House
would be dong better service to
the nation were itengagedi that
work now rather than the I'M
statesmanlike business it has un=
dertaken. That there has been
a marked change in the senti.
ments of the most rabid tariff +
smashers is made apparent by
the guarded support of the free
trade journals Only a feeble
blast is occasionally heard where
but a few months ago there was
wild yearning to be at the throats
of the protectionists.
1t must not be taken for grant
ed, however, that there will be
no effort to wreck the tariff. The
partisanship of the majority in
the House will soon expend itself
for lack of fresh fuel. and it is
possible that the Republican
minority in the Senate may at
length shame the Democrats
into doing their duty by repeal
ing the Sherman law. When
these conditions happen, the
Democratic majority will be
forced either to make a pretense
of redeemlng its tariff pledges, or
to frankly admit its lack of states.
manship in ever promising tariff
legislation. 1t needs no prophet
to predict which horn of the
dilemma will be chosen. There
will be an effort to pass a tariff
bill, and goodly number of
Democrats will make sincere
fight for their principles, but
that a tariff bill will pass, and be
signed by the President, which
reflects the platform drawn up
at Chicago, or that any tariff bill
will be passed and signed in time
for the people to form an esti.
mate of its merits before the cleo.
tions OF 1894, is the widest kind
of improbability.
The Democrats. will, as usual,
overreach themselves. for if they
play false with the people. the
effect will be quite as disastrous
to party interests as If thew had