The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-11-25
BOUND BY THEIR RECORD.

The expected has happened in the
cropping out on all sides among Repub-
licans of a demand for an immediate
extra session Of congress to pass a new
tariff bill. We believe that the cooler
and stronger heads in the party are
thoroughly aware of the unwisdom and
the probably fatal consequences of this
step. They are bound by their record.
They cannot get away from their own
evil past. That is the secret Of their
acQuiescence in a course which is as
certain to run the Mckinley admins
tration upon the rocks at an early
stage of its voyage, and as sure to elect
a majority Of Democratic congress-
men in 1898, as if a bond had been given
upon the future. The pretense that
this would be necessary fof revenue
purposes is now giving way. Leading
Republicans are admitting that they
do not want to see revenue provided
during the present winter They hope
that the Dingley bill will not pass.
They would oppose a tax upon beer or
any other nOn-partisan measure for in
creasing income. They do not wish
that imports should so increase with
the revival Of business that the regular
and ordinary inflow of duties would be
adequate to the needs of the treasury
What they want is revenue revision for
the sake of protection, and a new tariff
in t1a int bo
This stands confessed upon the face
of the situation. There is no reason
or excuse, from Republican point Of
view, for interfering with the tariff as
average citizen finds with it is that it
is already far too high. Doubtless,
more revenue may be needed, but it
should not be drawn from duties,
unless it were the imposition of
q slight tax on sugar.. Enough
revenue could be derived from that
source, without adding to the cost of
sugar to the consumer, to pay the en-
tire deficit. But the rates of the pres
ent tariff are in themselves so excess
sive, fixed as they were by a highly
protectionist senate, that any PROPOSE
ton to increase them bears the stamp
of its shame upon it's face 1t is use
less to pretend, as Republicans do that
they want moderate" and "conserva-
tive" action upon the tariff. The fact
that it is proposed, within six months
of the first signs Of reviving confidence
and increasing business, to disturb all
the industrial interests of this country
once more, to throw things into confu-
sion and to renew the internlinable
contest over tariff duties gives theslie
to every such excusing protest The
perpetuation of tariff changes is
crime second in enormity only to the
perpetuation of a crusade to change
the monetary standard. Each in its
way reacts disastrously upon business,
and each is impelled by a political mo-
tive and mathematical by every man
who hopes for prosperity, and knows
that an indispensable condition of it is
business stability and security from
change.
If Mr.. Mckinley and his administra-
ton choose for this unworthy purpose,
to face the confessed danger of calling
congress together just after the 4th of
March, it can be for no other reason
than in fulfllment of an obligation
which they cannot escape. 1t must be
that, just as the men who furnished
the money to elect Mr.. Harrison in
1888 demanded and secured their pound
of flesh in the Mckinley bill of 1890, so the
men who furnished the money to run
the Republican campaign of 1896 are
now playing the same role of ShyIock.
They are little more impatient, how
ever, because they are not willing even
to wait for the regular session, but in
sist that the unearned profits to be
passed over to them by excessive tar
eff duties must begin from the moment
that the Republicans are in control.
Mr. Mckinley, personally, is probably
free from the imputation of low motive