Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-02-17
ASTONISHING REASONING
Certain Parties Want to Let the Emergency
Tariff Bill Go.
Wiser Republican Leaders Believe 1t
Necessity to Give Money
for Running Expenses.

This astonishing reasoning is heard in GER
tain quarters
Let the emergency tariff bill CO. 1t is no
longer important. There is no longer any
emergency. The war scare is over. the gold
reserve is away above high water mark
again, and all is well. The treasury needs
no noney-will need none for a long time to
come. When another pinch arrives the
President will sell more bonds. He prefers
that procedure to raising more money by
protective duties. So. why further press the
Dingley bill? Better let ii go. and throw the
whole matter into the pl esidential campaign.
Let the people have a whack at ii at the
polls, and whatever they say in November
will go. If they want the tariff revised they
VIII so declare, and the next Congress, which
in those circumstances will of course he
republican in both branches. can proceed
leisurely. and make the job complete. II. 10y
a miracle, the democracy should come back.
or if a new party carries the day. instruc-
tions will accompany the result which VIII
plainly show what the people expect.
Strange sound.
This has strange sound to the wiser Of
the republican leaders. The war scare sim
ply hurried the tariff bill. Congress having
been appealed to with unusual energy by
the President, the House replied with unu-
sual promptness. But there would have
been a tariff bill if the Venezuelan message
had never been written. The treasury sitd-
alton was already known. The necessity of
raising more revenue had already been rec
ogniZed. OF course. as they admit the gold
reserve is intact again. But what has that
got to do with paying the running expenses
of the government? Money derived from
the sale of bonds cannot under the law, be
applied to any such purpose.
Only IA Question of Revenue.
The question, they contend. is one of
revenue, ard no other There is already
deficit. and the treasury continues to run
behind 1t is A Nero prediction which
promises a change for the better under the
existing law. and prediction from a source
which in half dozen trials on other mat
tiers has never. even by accident. hit the
bull s-eye. The supply bills are in prepare
ton. They Will not be drawn against pre-
dtctions. or against money received into the
treasury from the sale of bonds or from
any other source but revenue. Ligh- re-
ceipts will, of course force light appropria-
tons Any other policy would be reckless
and unbuSinesslike. 1t is for Congress to
say, therefore, and TO say now, what the
size Of the fund shall be against which the
supply bills shall be drawn. 1t will make
big difference in several directions if
revenue bill carrying nearly forty millions
of dollars is defea ted.
Effect ON ApprOprint lions.
House committees having supply bills in
charge are finding the pressure strong for
liberal appropria tons. Ii is not question
of party of section. Republicans well
democrats. men from the north well
men from the south. are asking for what
they think their people clearly entitled
to. The arguments are all pitched in a
business KEY 1t is neld that public inn
provanentS should go on: that it is short
sighted policy TO withhold money at q time
when it is needed. and especially in cases
where work has already been begun. Delay
in such cases is really expensive. ENpendi-
lures already male are thereby pat in
peril, and sometimes are lost.
In Need of Money.
Still there is but the one answer: and that
is Invariably returned. The government is
short If money. Ii cannot he committed 10
heavy appropriations on light receipts. Let
the Senate pass the House tariff bill. and
let the President sign 1t. and no complaints
Will be heard. Otherwise. complaints are
likely to be numerous and emphatic