New-York tribune., 1896-12-04
CONGRESS AND THE TARIFF.
PREDICTIONS THAT LITTLE WILL BE
DONE AT THE COMING SESSION.

MANY OF THE MEMBERS ARflNINf IN "A'iii>"-
TON THINK AN EXTRA SESSION WILL BE
CALLED--A THOROUGH. BUT coNsER-
vATIvE REVISION FAVORED
lBy TELEGRAPH TO THE TEIsuNEl
WASHINGTON Dec 3-Many varied end con-
nictng opinions as TO the desirabity OF at
tempting any revenue legislation at the ap-
preaching short session of Congress continue 10
be expressed by Representatives and senators
returning to this city Representative BapcocN'
of Wisconsin, the chairman OF the Rcpup''caii
j. Congressional Committee. got back to-day lro'''
his visit to Canton, where he talked over 'he
situation with the President-elect ana MI
Hanna
in nv opinion" he said this afternoon
: there will be extra session of Congress anu
/ think IT Is likely to be assembled Wl'hih
short time after Major Mckinley is inausu-
rated President. l do not believe tha' an a"
tempt will be made to pass the Dingey bill at
the session Of Congress which will convene heN'
Monday The time for the passage of the Ding
/ ley bill has passed. 1t was framed ana ohereu
TO meet a special emergency to prevent the
;ssue Of bonds The bill failed of passage as
every one knows. and the bonds were issueu "
the amount of 100000 600 Even II the DihS
ley bill were passed at the cohins sea3 adaomate
, would not obvate the necessity fcr an auedu%. dnr,
! revision of the tariff at some la'er ua.e ,h
( condition Of the country would not perm. IL. a,,u
lapse Of time which would intervene ~" nou,d
March 1 and the date when tarin Dill couu
! be passed al a subsequent regular session he
! business interests of the country oeinanu ="
prompt solution Of the problem ina, - 'bst he'ter
/ sible for the general depression III Is Delte,'
! therefore. that the new Congress shouu . -
yene early take up the tariff ana act upon ~,
so as to allow the country to settle uoWn |"
hnsiness under a wise and benefcent tarin law.
/ I'm your opinion. what policy VIII be pur
sued in dealing with the tariit MI D"''''
was asked. ,u mass
! will be a revenue producer that VIII be so au-
iusted as to afford ample protects TO American
! industries and American LABOR pu' i"'''" upon
/ conservative lines . , -
AS to Cabinet selections Mr.. Babcock eA
pressed the opinion that nothing was se.'ieu
I He felt confident that MAJOR Mchi'ie! ia" "
reached any decisions
REPRESENTATIVE Theodore +. Burton. OF the
d Cleveland Ohio. district. agrees with Mr. Bap-
cock that 10 revenue legislation Is hkeiy 10 De
attempted this winter. Il don't expect ''u'"
legislation this winter" ne said to-day. i nave
no idea that the Dingley bill will pass. Two or
three things combine to prevent it, the hrs' oi
these is that those who advocate protective
tariff will not be so aggressive for this Dill as
they otherwise might, because it Will seem 10
them a temporary makeshft: also. the admihis-
trative department of the Treasury VIII not
wish IN adiust the collection Of customs to the
Dinglev law when il is probable that within
| wear or thcreabout another law Will he passed
| This factor will indirectly he in the way OF the
| massage of the bill. Then. on the other mana
| the opponents Of the bill who defeated 1t last
! winter do not seem to have materially chahscu
their minds in regard to n. or course the ques-
| tun of the passage of the bill rests WIN .ne
| Senate The present prospect Is Tor an e~Atia ~
| session The immediate demand is Tor more
| revenue Unless this is provided at TINS session
| believe all parties will concur in favorine an
| extra session for settlement OF thls lueS.ioi' M
| We are lust beginning to realize now much W.
| have been suffering from constant agitation am
| frequent changes in our revenue system. Wna'
| the country most needs IS permanent seu,a 80
| ment of this problem such as will give us sum-
| cient revenue ana adequate protection. AttPT
| that comes peace. A less favorable settlement
| than the protectionists desire would be accepta-
| bic if we may be of permanence. am
| satisfied we have been kept back from an era
of prosperity partly by an inadequate tariff but
| evea more by uncertainty as To our monetary
! standard and system of taxation
Representative Aldrich. of Illinois. one OF the
managers of Speaker Reeds canvass Tor the
| Presidential nomination. is disposed 10 1aVoi
| some immediate action to relieve the Treasury
He SAYS: From ntimations and suggestions
| have heard ! think 1t will he possible to secure
some desirable legislation at this session OF Con-
| eress I think tha. the Dingley bill. with some
| notifications ma! be got through congress anu
| not he vetoed by the President The recent Po-
Utica, struggle has changed the relations OF men
| and things Men who have been antagonistc
| have been drawn together the aspect OF GER
! tain things has been changed by being brought
into association with certain other Things IL
| has been said that Mr.. Cleveland would never
sign or permit To become a law any revenue
measure which included a tax on wool be-
lieve tha. under present conditions MS opJec-
tion to tho tax Oh wool may De ou'"eishcu ny
| other considerations ana that he VIII iet a
modified Dingley bill becor,e law II IL is SEN
to him think too. thai we may have stronger
support Cor such a pr,prsiiol in tEe senate
than is generally expected. This is not enn'ely
nv own Judgment, based on genera'itics. but IL
is a Judgment formed by talking over the mat
ter with a number OF persons. If the Dingley
bill were amended so as 10 Increase the TAX on
sugar nut a duty Of ~ cents pound on tea
and provide for the retirement OF the green
hacks I think II wOulS become a law.
"The condition is plainly before US: We must
have revenue II revenue is no. provided al
once Majo- Mckinley may be confronted with
a situation when he comes into ONCE when WI ]
render a sale of bonds necessa:T. do not THINK
any one wants this. Even WITH an extra session
a tariff bill cannot be completed in time to pro-
vide for the present deficiency in the Treasury
The matter has got to be considered entirely
apcrt from the question Of an extra session The
calling of Congress together is thing Majo!
Mckinley will have to decide on by the situation
as he finds It at the time. The lack of reverua
is a condition that confronts us now. There Is
not such great difference on the tariff between
|
side who supported us in this fight as appears Al
first glance. They want tariff for revenue with
| out recognizing the principle OF protection We
want protection. The tariff we must have VII
be both a revenue tariff and a protective tarn
We must have more revenue. and that means
more protection without a very great stretch o
conscience for the revenue tariff men. Othel
. | considerations bind these men To us and W.
should make the ties strong. think the retire
ment Of the greenbacks and liberaliZng OF tht
National banking laws so as to insure an abun
dant currency can be coupled with the provision:
for revenue"
Representative Ellis. Of Oregon who arrived
here to-day says the sentiment among the Re
,,h,;cors of the Pacific Coast is unanimous fo