Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-02-07
CARL|SLE'S REPLY
His Opinion is Challenged on Both
Sides Of the Senate.
TEE TARIFF IN TIE NEXT CONGRESS-
Democrats Think It Will Come Up
to Plague the Republicans.
PROTECTION IN THE SOUTH

Secretary Carlisles official declaration
that the new tariff law will soon justify
itself, and that ample provision Is made
by it for the support of the government, is
attracting more attention than appears on
the surface of congressional discussion
In the Senate the opinion Is challenged on
both sides of the chamber Neither Mr..
Hill nor Mr.. German has been convinced,
while among the republican Senators it
is still insisted that more revenue is abso-
lutely necessary. The Secretary's COM
muniCaton IS so brief it admits of but little
debate. Senators were expecting detailed
statement, and some of them had prepared
statements Of their own, with the view of
subjecting Mr.. Carlisles figures to a rigid
comparison. These statements, or some of
them, may yet be submitted to the Senate,
but the debate that had been forecast can
not, of course take place. Did Mr. Car
Isle score one on the Senate by declining
to furnish material for the further arraign-
ment of the Wilson bill at this session?
Several Supposes.
But while the Secretary's views are chal-
lenged, these questions have presented
themselves: Suppose they should prove to
be correct? Suppose the Wilson bill does
begin within the next few months to dis
Suppose the trade of the coming fall should
be large, and the warehouses of the i'm
porterS in particular should be filled with
foreign goods paying handsome duty?
Suppose this turn of the tide should be so
pronounced by the time the Fifty-fourth
Congress meets next December that simply
On the score Of revenue alone there would
be reason for disturbing the tariff!
such circumstances? The republicans re-
ply by saying that If any such bridge Is
| in their path they will cross 1t when they
come to 1t.
Revenue reform democrats believe that
the bridge Is being built, and that genuine
trbulation awaits the protection;sts. They
predict great confusion when the bridge is
reached. The eastern republicans, with
the factories in their section all running
satisfactorily under the new schedules
will naturally object to any reopening of
the tariff question. They will insist that
only confessed deficit In the treasury
In the name of business stability, and in
sist upon letting the tariff severely alone
But how will this strike the southern and
western republicans, who have other inter-
ests to subserve ana are complaining of ILL
usage on the part of those who framed the
Wilson bill? The protectionists of Louis-
ana, the low-tarin men point out, are
greatly dissatisfied with the present sugar
duty. They much prefer the bounty paid
under the Mckinley bill and rejoiced in last
years republican triumph because they in
terpreted 1t to mean return, If not to the
old condition of things, to one more to
their liking than that imposed on them by
the democrats. Their claims to this recog
milton are, it is held, certain to be pre-
sented and insisted on. Can they be re-
sisted?
Coal and Iron interests of the South.
The coal and the iron interests of the
Virginias, of Tennessee, and of Alabama,
still complain of the reduction of the duty
on coal and ores from 15 cents a ton to 40
cents. When the question was up in the
House last winter they insisted that such
a reduction would work serious injury to
them. They afterward submitted to the
reduction through their friends in Con-
gress, but only for the reason that they
were told that the choice was between 40
cents a ton and no duty at ALL They ac-
cepted the half loaf rather than go with
out bread. But the 1ow-tariff men believe
that these interests will be found knocking
toration of the old duty and that they will
be strong enough If not needed to make a
great deal of trouble. They, like the sugar
interests, accepted the November result as
and. far more than the sugar interests,
contributed to the size of the republican
triumph. The swinging Of West Virginia
into the republican column and the great
f1uence and activity of the coal and iron
men, directed by Stephen B. Elkins.
The west is demanding the restoration Of
the duty on WOOL The assertion is made
that the placing of wool on the free list
counted for more in last falls campaign
than any other factor, operating to place
the republicans again in power in the new
states beyond the Mississippi. The low
tariff men are confident that this fight will
be renewed ard that the next Congress
will find itself obliged to settle the ques-
tion one way or the other.
The Tariff Question Anyway.
And now, as the free traders are asking,
who shall say how great the task is :hat
N, r>,>,,hlicans have hafora the~" If there
is deficit in the treasury the tariff ques-
ton must be reopened, for the raising of
nlCre revenue make tnat imperative.
If there is no deficit the necessity will yet
remain of satisfying those who feel that
they have a claim on the party, and will
present their case to Congress with all of
the influence they can command. The
sugar men, the coal men, the iron men and
the wool men are all dissatisfied with the
tariff as it now stands and are all expected
to exert themselves toward effecting
changes in their own interests Can New
England prevent this? Will she even try,
when the pinch comes? The democrats are
expecting to realize some capital for the
presidential campaign as the result OF
what they consider must be republican
collisions and disasters on this line.
rJ,oru A~oiuxf Anp,ofnfaoS