The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1895-06-28

me Tariff . Dlmcult subject fer The Ness
Congress to Handle.

me Tariff . Dlmcuit subject fer The Ness
Congress 90 Handle
The republican politicians confident
II expect the administration 70 ask the
congress which was elected last No
vcmbcr to provide more revenue. They
have an overwhelming majority in tho
house, where revenue legislation must
originate. IL Is therefore for the re-
publicans 10 say what sort Of lcgisla-
ton, If any. there shall be on the sub
ject. IL the admi nistration wants
more revenue undou btedly it will rec
ommend some way OF raising IL. hut
what will the house do? That IS the
interesting question
Such OF the republican politicians AS
have expressed themselves on the sub
feet declare empha tically that they
will pass highly protective measure,
and say to the administration: Take
this or nothing" As updcgraff. OF
Iowa. puts il, they will offer the adj
ministration its choice between pro-
lection and poverty.
But when they come down 10 action
will they dare do this? They must be
able TO convince votersthat there are
industries that need more protection
than they are getting or their lcgisla-
ton increasing protective duties will
be condemned at the polls next year
To what industries will they extend
their Legislative favors'
Take the iron and steel industry.
| The captains" Of this industry are
| the mon who are voluntarily taking
| the lead in voluntary increase OF
wages. The other day the Carnegie
Steel company added ten per cent to
the wages of about twenty thousand
men. The same day the Cambria
Iron company made a like advance. to
take effect June 10. thus adding TWEEN
ty thousand dollars a month to the
paw roll. These advances are made al
though the average of prices Of manu-
featured iron is nearly forty-onc per
cent. below what il was in October.
1870. What excuse. then. can n repub-
lcan house find for putting higher pro-
tective duties on iron and steel? They
will hardly venture to advance rates
in view of the proof that the iron and
steel industries do not need Legislative
help.
Will they give more protection to
the cotton industry? The commercial
agencies report that the manufactures
in this field Is doing we'll and the de-
mand for his products is improving.
New cotton mills are going up and old
plants are being enlarged. especially
in the southern states. With the gen
eral advance in wages demand will in
crease and by the time congress meets
it will be hard to invent an excuse for
putting more protective taxes on cot
ton goods.
viii they bestow their legislative IA
vors upon the woolgrowers ard wool
en- manufacturers? There is no cvi
dence that those people are worse OF
than the rest Of us. and IL they were i
would not be the most popular thing
in the world to restore the Mckinle,
wool schedule. The people have
learned the difference between higl
duties and low duties on wooden goods
and they will not develop enthusiast,
In support OF any party which ma
venture to give them another vista
ton of Mckinley high prices an
shoddy
7 These industries have been the prir
! cipal bcnc Gcaries OF protective lcgii
lation. If the republicans thinls it rr
safe to iegislatc for their benefit the
may as well say nothing about pre-
! lection and content themselves wit
providing any revenue that may b
needed in the easiest and best wa
open to them. They cannot expec
much gain in votes or campaign lat
: in return for favors bestowed upo
mining industries, such rs copper min
ing, and the manufacture of glass
crockery and tin plate.
And yet the republicans must d
! something with the tariff or else ad
NIT that all their cutlery against tarii
reduction has beer. mere sound an
fury. Simplifying nothing. They are Il
o dilemma as To the tariff and tn
dilemma grows more embarrassing a
f; times grow better. II becomes NOR
| dangerous either to touch the tariff o
! 10 let it alone just in proportion
I people come to sec more clearly tina
: tariff reduction. whether prosperity
or actual. so far from causing panic @
hard times. serves to mitigate the 81
fccts of panic and to hasten recover
l from business depression
Calamity Is the meat upon which re
4 publicansm faftens; prosperity is II
CIst A. o. al