The Topeka state journal., 1897-03-16
TASK OF CONGRESS.

AS the public had been given reason
to expect, President McKinley's mes
sage delivered to congress yesterday
dealt solely with the question of the
tariff, but it is noticeable that he dis
cussed the question more from a reve-
nue. than from a protective standpoint.
He presents a depIorable picture of
the fnanciering of the past four years
and emphasizes the fact that the real
incentive to the issuance of bonds by
his predecessor was not for the purpose
of maintaining the gold reserve, but to
obtain funds with which to carry on
the government. The president urges
congress to so legislate as to prevent
a recurrence of such a necessity. He
points out what should be done in or
der to attain the desired end, but he
fails to indicate clearly how to do it.
1t may strike thoughtful, unprejudiced
persons that the president has set for
congress a well nigh impossible task.
He says:
In raising revenue duties should be
so levied upon foreign products as to
preserve the home market SO far as
possible to our own products; to revive
the manufactures; to relieve and to en-
courage agriculture; to increase our do
mestic and foreign commerce.; to aid
and develop mining and building; and
to render to labor in every field of use
full occupation the liberal wages and
adequate rewards to which skill and
industry are justly entitled. The ne
cessity of the passage of a tariff law
which shall provide ample revenue
need not be further urged"
Following in the lire of these sugges-
tions, the tariff bill prepared by the
ways and means committee, and which
perhaps may be properly regarded as
an administration measure, provides for
a protective duty on woods and woolens.
While the duty so levied will doubt
less tend to build up American manu-
factories and stimulate the production
of native wool, as a revenue raiser it
must be in a great measure failure
from the fact that it is already being
discounted by heavy importations, and
it is unlikely that anything to speak of
will be derived from that source for
many months after the passage of the
new tariff law. Mr.. Mckinley says the
need for more revenue is urgent and
he presents the figures which prove it.
Another class of products selected by
Chairman Dingley's committee for an
increased duty is iron ore and manu-
featured iron. Since we are already
underselIing foreign countries in the
worlds markets on this class of pro-
ducts, it is difficult to see how the iron
schedule can be productive of any large
amount of revenue.
Another article selected for an in
creased duty is lumber. This will
hardly be a good revenue raiser owing
10 the limited amount which will likely
be imported.
The best source of revenue in the
whole list, perhaps, is sugar. Sugar
has always been a great success in this
line But even that may not sustain
its past record, in view of the fact that
great strides have been made in the
beet sugar industry, and the protection
afforded by the new schedule must nee
essarily stimulate its production.
1t would appear that there is no good
to result from starting the factories un-
less a market can be had for their pro-
ducts. If a home market is afforded
then there is no room for similar pro-
ducts coming from abroad. If there
are no importations there can be no
revenue therefrom. and there you are
But perhaps Chairman Dingley has
this problem all worked out. At any
rate the progress of his bill through
congress and its ultimate results will
be watched with no small degree of in
terest, especially by those who have
been supporters of the iff-for-reve-
nue-only idea. The custom house re-
ceipts are likely to be considerably in
creased in the immediate future, how
ever by those who will endeavor to
forestall the action of congress.