The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-08-01
THE TARIFF BILL.

The news from Washington is that
the cry, THE Senate bill or nothing
! is not so frequently heard as a few
days ago. This is good sign. The
Senate bill is not so good as the VIII
son bill, but it is a vast improvement
on the Mckinley law The sentiment
of the country on the tariff question
was brought out by Mr.. Cleveland's
letter to Chairman Wilson. The peo-
pie Endorsed that letter, not because
they cared particularly about coal Nnd
iron ore. but because they had lost
faith in some Democratic senators who
were, by their course on the tariff bill,
proving themselves false to Democratic
principles and promises. This is the
reason for what may be called the pop
ular demonstration in favor of the Will
son letter. Free coal and free iron ore
would be good things, but there are
other things which touch the masses
more closely and to which Mr.. Cleve-
land might very well have called at
tention. This is particularly so with
the wooden schedule.
The very best effect of the Wilson
letter was the purpose it served in
drawing out the sentiment of the peo-
pie on the question of tariff reform. 1t
showed they were as heartily in favor
of it now as two years ago. 1t also
proves that the elections of last fall
were not evidence of desire to return
to McKinleyism. The people will never
again call for the Mckinley brand of
protection; they are Disguised with the
article, and Colonel Conger's letter will
be needed
Now, the Senate bill is not just what
is wanted, nor is the Wilson bill. The
news from Washington indicates that
there is some little receding by the re-
calcitrant senators from their deter
mined attitude on their bill.> This is
well. If they shall come half way the
House will probably do as much. What
the people now demand is some definite
action on the tariff question that bust
ness may be resumed. The state of the
treasury is such that it is the duty of
both senators and representatives to so
hasten matters that revenue may be
had from imports and the depleted con-
dition of the treasury improved The
way to do this is clear. If it were not
the general belief that a resumption of
foreign commerce would soon relieve
the financial depression, there would
be so much alarm over the outflow of
gold to Europe that the business and
money centers of the country would
soon experience a panic The demand
by some for new issue of bonds meets
with little encourag cement. 1t is a
thing always desired by those who are
boarding their gold and yet suffer be-
cause it must lie idle.
The Democratic party as the friend
of the people, and being in control of
the government, should hasten the
passage of the tariff bill, that prosper
ity may come back and the people feel
that relief from financial depression
that is the consequence of bad Repub-
lican legislation, and for which they
look to the Democratic party
The senators cannot possibly resist
always the pressure of public opinion
on this question, but the. danger is that
they may resist so long as to work an
irreparable injury to both the people
and the cause they have most at heart
tariff reform. The need of the hour
is the passage of the tariff bill with or
without free coal and iron ore