The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-05-17
CHANDLER ON THE TARIFF.


sizes up the present situation of the
tariff bill from the standpoint OF Re-
publican Senator, well posted and afivt
TO the issues, in an editorial in his own
paper, the Concord Monitor. His state
ment may be considered as an authorita.
tive announcement of the Republican
policy in the Senate.
He says that the tariffs position
in the Senate is unique, for ordinarily
in that body the majority direct:
the course OF business and forces the
progress of such measures as it may see
fit to introduce, and is the active agres-
sive section of the Senate. But the usual
conditions do not exist. As the Senator
puts it:
"The majority or Democratic party OF
the Senate, while ostensibly pressing its
vital measure, the Wilson Voorhees, bill,
shows no aggressiveness, and has thus
fa- taken no lead in Fastening its pro-
gress. This state of affairs is owing to
two causes"
And the first of these two causes is
that no Democratic Senator wants the
present monstrosity to become law.
I" 1t does not suit the protection wing"
he says, "because it is protective in
spots, while in other spots it is not
protective, The spots in which it is
protective are mostly Southern spots.
1t does not suit the tariff for revenue
only wing, because where it is not
protection it is pure and simple free
trade. The out and out free traders, like
Mills, cannot find opprobrious epithets
strong enough to express their dissatis-
faction with it. Even the cuckoos have
no word Of commendation for the bill.
They content their consciences, and try
to satisfy their constituents, by reiter-
ating the statement that they will
accept anything, protection, free trade,
tariff for revenue, or mongrel, for the
sake of repeating the Mckinley law.
Another law which embraces all of the
protective features of the Mckinley law
will be accepted by them If only it can
be passed by Democratic Congress and
signed by Democratic President"
The second reason given by Senator
Chandler is. as he suggests, fully as
cogeDt from their stand point. They
cannot get votes enough.
This, he claims, is the chief cause for
their apathy and this is why they allow
things to drift, ''hoping," as Mr.. Chand-
Ter suggests, ''to make such modifica-
tions here and there in the bill, by in
creasing duties and changing them
from ad valorem TO specific, as 10 gain
the two or three votes which they find
to be necessary for its passage. This
scheme worked well up to certain
point; and when they got about all the
protectionist Senator's SO far satisfied
that they agreed to support the bill,
they clapped their hands in ecstasy,
and gleefully announced that now they
would proceed to do something. But
this glorification was short lived. Their
seduction of the protection brethren had
hardly been accomplished, when the
free-traders refused to have anything to
do with such an unholy performance,
and the energy of the managers of the
bill was once more changed to depres-
sion, and hating uncertainty succeeded
aggressive intention"
The Republican Senators, he states,
are watching events with untiring vigi-
lance and are actually forcing the fight
ing. He explains the reason for their
discussion of the present bill, not as
flibustering for delay simply, as the OPP
position claims, but because they now
have for a first time an opportunity
to discuss in any form the
tariff bill and they "propose he
says to discuss each item of the dO3
clauses and offer such amendments as
they deem proper, just as if they were
considering the bill in committee" As
he intimates, this will take some timo,
but as he points out it will also " pros
duce many changes in the direction
of protection and may possibly bring
about completed bill which will be a
fairly good protective measure" This is
their object, and they are endeavoring
TO find ont whether such bill can pass
through the conference committee of
both houses. If Il can they will aid its
passage, bat If its to be turned back
into the original Wilson bill in that com.
mittee, the vote will be a long time de-
lnvnd and TN, hiIl Lillnd 10 r,nsnil,in