The morning times., 1897-01-09
Tariff in Front, /.
Cannon in Rear.

| lican party as IL it were all bound up in
| the work now going on in the Ways and
Means Committee, but it Is not SO. The
object Of the most concern now to thought
ful men in the House, is the appropriation
| bills''
] The speaker was a fine, portly old busi-
ness man, who rejoined a party Of Bos-
! tonese in the cafe. They were refreshing
| themselves over select spread, after an
arduous days work in Mr.. Dingley's COM
| mittee Groom.
Il believe" continued the merchant,
| that we would have accomplished just as
| much with that committee if we had signed
| statement, and sent 1t on by mail. 1t
| would have saved us our time and the
expense, which is something no wadays. to
| the best of u.s.
What makes You think that the tariff
| is not an object of so much concern to
| the leaders, queried one Of his listeners
| :'BecaUsc gather from what Reed init
mates, that they know just what they are
! going to do, have known practically for
some time what shall be done with the
| schedules. These hearings are all right.
however, In. theory. / suppose, indeed 1
guess, they are necessary for the satisfac-
| ton OF the public But, all the same, 1
| am satisfied now that we have not, by
personally urging our wishes, influenced
| the tariff managers any more than If We
had written to them. However, it's all
| right in one Sense. 1t gives the commit
tee the benefit Of the daily advertisement
that respectable men do want tariff
changes and are not afraid to say so''
what about the Importance OF those ap-
preparation bills you were talking about?"
'Oh, Reed gave me to understand that
If this new tariff bill did not produce rev.
enue enough to run the government during
the first year of its operation, then he was
in favor OF cutting down the expenses OF
every government department in the coun-
try TO the notch where its receipts equaled
them
That will make high and rank rebel
lion in the departments, won't it? 1t viii
! hurt the party, too" rejoined a friend.
1t will hurt the Republican party far
more to run behind and the take up bond
sales to make the deficiencies good. Why,
that policy OF Cleveland has completely
wrecked part OF the Democratic party,
which he persists in calling the real De-
mocracy."
Il wantto sayto you, gentlemen, and say
it frankly, because we are all good Repub-
licans in so far as the tariff is concerned
1--WE all believe in it J. that our principles
are going right away to be put TO mighty
sharp test. We are going to have a de-
cided advance made by the committee on
import duties. IL that advanced schedule
does not sensihly add to the revenues OF
the government before the lapse OF an
other year, assure you we will be un-
horsed in 1898.
Reed thinks a great deal OF that Illinois
man, Joe Cannon, who has the Appropria-
tiOn Committee under his thumb. They call
him Uncle joe think. He would make
a good counterfeit or Uncle Sans face if
he wore chin whiskers and let his hair
grow trifle longer.
This man Cannon knows Reeds view,
and ! guess, for that matter, it grew spon-
taneously In the minds of both men. But,
talk about work in Dingley's committee
compared with the labor III Cannon's room
when he begins to pare down the salaries
OF those departmental Clerksl The deserv-
ing ones will have to suffer with the per-
funct ones, and the latter will make
tremendous outcry, because they have
nothing else to do
The well-groomed merchants listened in
silence, and before it became oppressive
deep-chested, stocky member OF the party
exclaimed
''Gcntlernen 1 am very much afraid that
we have about reached the end OF the tariff
rope. l am persuaded against my preju-
dice for the tariff, to say so here, be-
tween ourselves. l am not ready quite
yet to get up and say so in public. | am
inclined to have one more fair trial of the
good old policy Of high protection before
do abandon it; or, rather, before it is
taken by the march of economic conditions
from us.
1t won't help us any to Complain OF
what has been done in this Country during
the last four or five years, which seem
to have been hard ores for most of the
legitimate business of this part OF the
restoring general activity to business,
and do it pretty soon, then, l firmly be-
lieve that nothing that you or l can do
will prevent the silver men from taking
the control of this government in 1898
and 1900. ..-.s
I'VE have said to our wOrkrnen that we
have laid them off and have reduced wages
because cur tariff laws did not properly
protect them, and we have all said to
them that with the election OF Mckinley
we Will resume work at once and sustain
"A few of US will keep this pledge.
A great many of us cannot do it today,
but we live in hope. Still, gentlemen, if
men are not working they cannot be
trusted to reason it all out as we do. They
will vote against us next time unless the
anticipated work and wages are given
them. I.E
There are so many things looming up
right ahead for us to face and settle
within the next six months touching this
question Of whether or not we must reduce
wages, how can we raise pricese If we
do not reduce wages we must get better
prices. 1t does seem to me that our people
are not free buyers today, low as the prices
are They have not the money tobuy with
"a rcadjustment Of wages or a readjust-
mont ,,f ya1ups nlca Stlrell by standard poId