The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-11-12
WHAT LEGISLATION.

strongest interest at once centers around
what the victors propose to do in the
; way of legislation.
Something must be done at once to
meet the deficiency in the revenue, and
here is matter for circumspection. The
probability is that the importers and
their foreign houses will assume that a
strong increase in the duties is certain to
be made by the next Congress, and that
an extra session will be called to do that
work. Therefore, they will Immediately
begin rushing in all the goods they are
likely to sell for the next two years, so
as to take advantage of the present du-
ties. This will swell the present reve-
nue., but at the expense Of the work and
wages of our own people.
This cannot be prevented, but it can
be considerably mitigated by the passage
of the Dingley Bill, the consideration of
which by the Senate last Winter was
prevented by the bolt of the Free Silver
Republican Senators. That bill, it will
be remembered, which was passed by
the House, restored about six-tenths of
the Mckinley duty on wool, and some
other articles now on the Free List, and
makes general though small advance
on the whole schedule.
No one claimed that the Dingley Bill
was anything but an emergency meas
ure, but it met the emergency very
fairly. 1t provided for sufficiency of
revenue to meet the deficiency, and it
would have deferred importers from del
uging the country with foreign goods
during the long period a more compre-
sideration. 1t was absolutely the best
thing to do under the circumstances, and
the course of Senator Teller and his
colleagues i'll preventing action upon it
by the Senate was indefensibly wrong.
1t is now proposed to press the Ding
ley Bill to immediate consideration in
the Senate as soon as the session opens
1t is believed that the boiling Senators
have seen a light, and that they will
offer no more factious opposition. In
deed one of them-Senator Carter, of
Montana-has come out frankly and
said SO. He also speaks for Senator
Shoup, of Idaho.
Of course, the supporters Of the VIII
son Bill will, in the face of the facts,
no deficiency, and consequently there is
no need of amending it They will
probably have some figures to comfort
them in the increase of revenue from
the goods which will now be rushed in
in anticipation of tariff legislation.
But We may safely assume that the
Senate will concur in the Dingley Bill
at an early day, and it will then go to
the President. 1t is hoped that he may
he induced to sign it on the ground Of
its emergency character, and that it has
been made necessary by the failure of
revenue from the Income Tax. IF so,
the National finances will be placed in
reasonably good shape while the next
Congress is considering a thorough and
just remodeling Of the whole revenue
system.
This Senator Sherman promises will
be the first duty of the incoming Con-
gress and Administration. He SAYS:
There will be, in my opinion, a general
revision of the present tariff law. The
Wilson tariff law, as it is known, is full of
incongruities, inequalities and i'jns,ices.
There is scarcely schedule in he whole law
that does not demand correction. This does
not necessarily mean higher rates of duties,
but there should be an adjustment of the rates
so as 10 do justice to all the articles en-
braced in the bill.
The bill was admittedly incomplete aud
full Of plumbers when it became law The
I'D valorem system of duties is repugnant to
Republican principles, and, of course, that
feature Of the present law will be corrected.
The rates of duty should be so fixed as to
provide all the revenue needed for the proper
conduct Of the Government, and also to afford
reasonable protection to those American in
dustres that come in competition with for
eign institutions.
In regard to Reciprocity he says:
| ] would not make positive statement
with regard to that. 1t must be remem-
| bered, however, that the reciprocity clauses
| in the law of 1890 had tendency 10 reduce
the revenues OF the Government and to some
extent brought that law into disrepute
| There are certain features of the present law
that demand immediate atten ton, and will
| form special features in the new law
/ 0ne ia the article of wool now on the free