Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1893-10-12
1898 OCTOBER. 1893
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REFORM THE TARIFF.
REFORM THE TARIFF.
THERE SHOULD BE NO DELAY IN THE
WORK OF REVISION.

Some Gratifying Statements From Chair
man Wilson. and Others That Are Not So
Assuring-oogent Reasons For Prompt
and Careful Action.
Chairman Wilson Of the ways and
means committee has said some gratify-
ing things to the Washington CORE
spondent of The Herald. One is that
the hearings" will close in accordance
with the original announcement Of the
committee, when work on tariff bill
will be begun at once. Another is that
he resents the intimation that the COM
mittee does not intend, in view of the
recent crisis, to make such tariff reduc-
tions as the people have demanded. An
other is that the hearings have con-
vinced the committee and the president
that this is a good time to make revi-
sion Of the tariff. Another is that the
committee finds there is more demand
for certainty as to what the changes will
be when they win take effect than for
high tariffs. "Manufacturerse everywhere
are eager to know as soon as possible
what the changes are to be and to havea
date set for their operation"
All this is good. There were strong
objections to opening the doors to rep
etition in the committee roonf of all the
old pleas of greed and all the wornout
sophisms of protection. But if the hear
ings have convinced the committee and
the president that now is the time to
proceed with the work of tariff revision
they have served one useful purpose.
They are not likely to serve any other,
and the sooner they are ended and seri-
ous work is begun the better for all con-
cerned-the better for consumers, the
better for manufacturers and the better
for the party which has the work in
hand. It is gratifying, therefore, to
learn that they will be ended according
to the original announcement.
But some of the statements made by
the correspondent of The Herald are not
so gratifying. He says for one thing:
"The Democratic majority of the COM
inittee is preparing to proceed with great
canton in framing the new tariff bill
and may take little more time than has
generally been anticipated. They hope
to get the bill in force SO far as raw ma
terials are concerned by July next. but |
they believe that delay of month or
two longer SPENT in making the bill per-
feet is preferable to the hurried enact |
ment of an inconsistent and confused
measure"
The Democratic members "hope" to
get the raw material provisions of the |
bill in force by July 1 next year-9t
months from now. and 15a months after |
the Inauguration of President Cleveland |
but talk "about o delay of a month or |
two longer spent in making the bill |
perfect" And yet they tell us that the |
hearings" have convinced them that |
now is the time to revise, and that man
ufacturers everywhere are eager to
know ''as soon as possible" both what |
changes will be made and when they
will go into effect. IF anybody wants |
delay, it is the manufacturer. If he is
eager to have the tariff matter settled as
soon as possible, there can be no excuse
for consuming so much time in the prep |
aration and passage of bill.
1t is time not to prepare" to proceed
with great caution, but to proceed with
the greatest celerity compatible with
reasonable caution. All the reasons /
stating why work should begin at once
and they are cogent ones-are equally
good reasons why the work should be
completed as soon as possible In the
reorganization of industry which must
necessarily follow the panic, tariff un-
certainty cannot give place to tariff Ger
tainty too quickly. Chicago Herald.