The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-01-09
It Faces in the Right direction.

It Faces in the Right Direction
| Hon. Henry Watterson, editor of the
Louisville Courier Journal, doesn't like
| the Wilson tariff bill. There is not
/ enough tariff for revenue only in it for
him. He admits that it is greatly to be
preferred to the Mckinley tariff, because
it cuts down the duties that permit the
formation of monopolies and trusts which
rob the people but it has, nevertheless,
in his opinion, too much protection in it.
He proposes, however, to give it his sup
port because it faces in the right direc-
ton. He hopes that in the course of time
the democrats will be able to get the
tariff on a strictly revenue basis.
It would be hardly possible to frame a
tariff bill that would satisfy Mr.. Water
son. Ifhe had the power of the ways
and means committee he could not draft
a bill that would be in entire harmony
with the tariff views he expresses. He
thinks, of course, he could, and in the
speech he delivered before the Watterson
Club at Louisville last night, a synopsis
Of which is published in our dispatches
this morning, he outlined bill that, he
says, he would propose if he were in a
position Of authority.
But if Mr.. Watterson had the power Of
the ways and means committee, would he
do as he says he would? The probability
is, he would not, because he would find
insurmountable difficulties in his way.
The Mckinley tariff is not the work of a
day. 1t is the work of many years That
work cannot be undone at once without
injury to vast interests. 1t must be IN
done gradually. If the Democratic party
is given time it will give the country a
strictly revenue tariff
The Republican party has made many
changes in the tariff and always in the
direction of higher protection. The Nc
Kinley tariff is their GROWING effort in
that direction.
Mr.. Wilson, the chairman of the ways
and means committee, is just as much a
tariff reformer as Mr.. Watterson, and he
understands the intricacies of the tariff
much better. He has studied
the tariff question more thoroughly
than Mr.. Watterson, and there
are other members of the ways and
means committee who are sincere tariff
reformers. They have looked at the sub
Jet from every standpoint, and their
best judgment is expressed in the Wilson
bill. That bill is not, in all probability,
such bill as they and Mr.. Wilson would
favor if the way were clear for them to
do just what they would like to do. But
the way is not clear. They are going
TO have great difficulty in pass
ing the bill they have prepared,
moderate as it is. Protection is too
strong and too closely connected with the
vast industrial interests Of the country
to be overthrow by a single legis lative
act. If it could be safely and success
fully done in that way Mr.. Wilson and
other tariff reformers on the ways and
means committee would not hesitate to
recommend the adoption of that course.
They are convinced it could not, and so
the Democratic party, without abandon
ing in the least its tariff principles, will
change the tariff system as rapidly as the
country is prepared for the change. If
tariff for revenue only cannot be reached
by this congress it will be perhaps by the
next.
Mr.. Watterson will support the Wilson
bill, although it is not just the kind Of
tariff reform that he wants. And he will
act wisely in doing so. If he were a men,
Der of the ways and means committee
the chances are he would be in entire &C
cord with Chairman Wilson. He would
then know more of the obstacles IN the
way of doing what he proposes than he
knows now.