The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-05-11
TARIFF LEGISLATION.
Party Prejudice Prevents the Draw
ing of the Best Possible Bill.

ing OF the Best possible Bill
Washington Letter IN Philadelphia Tele-
graph.
If party lines could be obliterated now
and the thought of party advantage. grow
ing out of this question be abandoned pend
ing It's consideration. it would be, found
that there is in the Senate, as well as in
the House, a strong majority who believe
IN the principles of protection and who
would like to see a scientific and business
like tariff bill passed, which would secure
sufficient revenue and provide adequate and
equally distributed protection. The idea of
paking a party issue, however, holds men
back in their respective ranks, and individ-
uaIly to sacrifice their principles and better
Judgment in the hope of party advantage.
From this craftsmanship the highwayman
profits.
1t is obvious to every careful and intelli-
gent observer of the sentiment in Congress
that the question of protection or free
trade has practically ceased to be Il party
issue. The Democrats have substantially
confessed the Northumberland theory to
be impracticable. They discovered this
while they were trying TO frame the Wilson
bill, and they have since had it impressed
upon them. They find that, with nearly five
hundred millions of revenue needed each
year, it would be very difficult to determine
the difference between a revenue bill ana a
protective tariff bill. They do not want TO
nght over that question any more. They
want to drop it. The only sort of a tariff
fight they are willing to make now is over
the details of the bill, and in order to do
this they would encourage the Republicans
to make mistakes or would help to place
lIleIl III the power OF the ul6TCeIldIN lIlul-
viduals in their own ranks.P Practically, the
principle is no longer at issue; it is only
the details. Party division on the tariff is
an anachrOnism-a fraud The question be
tween the two parties now is whether 1t Is
protection or free silver that will bring
prosperity, and those who contend for sill
yer do not pretend to think that protection
is not "a good thing in it's way"
With practically both parties either pro-
fessedly or tacitly agreeing that we must
have a tariff that affords the protection re-
quired, an artificial party issue is made
over the details, and a really good bill
thus is rendered impossible. 1t is very
generally conceded among men who know
anything about the matter that the only
way for the tariff to become a political
issue in the future is for the present bill
to be made bad enough to receive popuIa
condemnation, and yet some of the men
who are Withholding their assistance to the
Republicans to improve it would most dis
like seeing the issue made.
The letter by Senator Cullom in which he
declares himself to be in favor of a tariff
commission is a recognition of the desira-
bility of taking the question out of partisan
politics, and l find the opinion very general
that, as a matter of fact, it cannot long
be maintained as a party question. The
general belief about Congress is that II the
proposed new law is satisfactory there will
be no change for a long time, and that if
it is not satisfactory, the necessary
changes will have to be made on business
PRINCIPLES.