New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-11-11
TARIFF PROSPECTS.

Until some OF the Sound Money Democrats i'll
| the Senate. or some OF the silver Senators VINO
helped the Democrats to defeat the Dinglcy bill
and declared that they would prevent any tarin
legislation unless free coinage was granted. deii-
nitelv announce their willingness to bow to the
will of the people and vote for such revenue
measure as the popular majority desire, 1t Is
| hardly worth while to discuss the chance OF any
action on the tariff this winter. There Is no
| longer room for question what the people want.
| The enormous popular majOrtles given In the
election of Republican Congressman In 1894 nave
| been greatly surpassed, In some States In 1919
and in almost all States this year, and while the
| Republican vote for President has been swelied
| by several hundred thousand Democrats II IS
| not becoming any honest statesman or journal
| to affect to misunderstood the continued anu
very heavy majority for Republican Congress
men. The Senators who prevented tariff lcsis
| lation last February, II honest with themselves
| and the country, must confess that the people
desire, and have in legal form declared that they
| desire, a return TO the principles OF Republican
| tariffs.
| 1t would be a manly and patriotic act for any
OF those Senators to set aside personal Judgment
| or preference for the sake OF the National wei
| fare In a free Government 1t Is never decent
thing for minority to insist that the pubic
prosperity shall not be permitted unless the VIII
| OF the majority is disregarded. Such condnct
| invariably reacts with destructive force against
| the men or the party thus defylng the peoples
desire When The Tribune warned certain Ke-
publican Senators last winter that they would
| bring upon the freesilver cause crushing dc-
| feat II they resisted the demand OF the people
| for a better tariff. there were some who made
| light Of the warning. They have appealed TO
| the people and know the result. Loyal submls-
sion to the declared will Of the people Is the first
| step toward recovering public confidence.
| The Sound Money Democrats are perfectly
| aware that the revenue Is not sufficient to meet
| the expenditures Of the Government and provide
| safe margin for the protection OF the outstnnd-
| ing paper currency They can with proprlety
therefore declare that the need OF revenue makes
| it their duty to vote for such measure as can
| be passed. and such as the people demand, with
out further insisting upon their choice or meth
| DDS SO the silver Senator'S. having met with
| overwhelming defeat, can properly bow to the
decision Of the people. Except in Kansas and
Washington. two Popullst States, and In five
small silver States. the Republican party in every
state in the Union has cast against free silver
| larger share Of the popular vote than 1t had
| previously Dttn HDIt W COuuiuuu. AhV oh''i
Senator who respects and bows to the will Of the
people and consents that the tariff question shall
be settled without longer delay In accordance
with the will OF the majority, takes the only
course now open to him which will tend toward
| recovery Of public respect.
These considerations may lead one or more OF
| the Senators who defeated legislation last win
| ter to change their attitude. IL sO the fact will
| be made known and the passage Of some meas
IRE may be possible. 1t ought to be assumed
| that President Cleveland wns honest In publicly
telling Congress that he would join In such meas
ures Of relief as Congress might prefer, even
| though not such as he would choose. The Ding
| ley bill was by no means an ideal measure and
| probably would not have been favored by any Of
| the Republicans except as an effort to find some
| compromise which might be accepted I'm circum-
| stances Of peculiar National emergency. The
| conditions have now greatly changed. The GER
tainty that a Republican Congress and President
will soon have power to act makes resistance
merely for the sake Of delay inexcusable. 1t
ought to be possible to enact at once very brief
measure. more satisfactory than the one offered
| by the House last winter, and In the line Of the
| policy which the new Congress will adopt But
| 1t IL evident that neither this nor anything else
| can be done unless some of the Democratic or
| silver Senators stand ready to bow to the de-
clslon OF the people.