Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-04-07
4 VAIN HOPE.

| In the protest Of the New York Cham
her of Commerce against the ratihcauon
of the Dineley tariff bill IL an invitation 10
| tho commercial and trade organizations OF
other cities and States to cooperate III
nross,ng moderation upon Congress.
number of papers are urging that THIS
invitation be acted upon. Tney are hoih-
ing out the hope that the Senate wouid
/ listen TO the people and business
| speaking through the trade ana CONNER
cial organizations. and so amend the Dill
as 70 eliminate it's vicious features ana
induce the. House to compromise on
reasonable measure.
To our mind. our contemporaries are
! INDUCING in vain hope frac'icd'S
about the only way TO eliminate the VI
cious features OF the Dingley Dill wo~d
he 10 strike out the enacting clause.
The whole history of the bill. both In
committee and in the House, goes 10
show that even assuming that the Senate
would pass amendments along the hhe
of material moderation, the House would
| not ACCEPT them. Acceptance would mean
bill was framed. which is not TO raise
revenue ana promote the senerN pusi-
ness interests Of the country. but TO
| further enrich n restricted class OF IN
terests. that poured out money like water
for the purpose of eecting Mckinley
The vicious features in the DILL were
nominated in the bond" given by Hanna
and Mckinley TO the trusts, combines
and monopolies. and even should II be
true. as has been assumed, that there
are Republican senators who really favor
taking the viciousncss out OF the measure
Mark may be trusted to whip or cajole
them into helping him TO pay the BOND.
For that IS Mark in the Senate.
AS TO the suggestion Of some Of our
contemporaries that despite these con-
ditions. Congress might be forced to
hearken TO the voice of the people and
of business, speaking through the trade
and commercial bodies. experience would
indicate that there is nothing in II.
From one end OF the country 10 the
other the people and business have, i'm
pronounced tones. spoken through such
organizations to Congress touching cur
rency reform. only to be ignored. AT
the time the people and business were
| knocking loudest at the doors of the room
of the Committee on Banking and Cur
rency. 1t was almost impossible 10 get
a meeting OF that committee. Yet the
| Committee on Ways and Means was in
continuous session formulating the tariff
injauity. Not to put too fine point on
it, the reply of Congress to the appeal
of the people and Of business for remedial
financial legislation has been about on
par with the memorable remark of GER
| tain New York railroad capitalist touch
| ing the public. A similar reply Congress
| Is likely TO make to protests of the
| people and of business against the Ding
ley tariff bill.
Nevertheless, we would not discourage
| the business bodies OF the country In
the matter OF meeting and putting them
selves on record on the tariff question.
We would not discourage their educating
| the public as regards the viciousness of
| the present bill, and its thoroughly parti-
san inspiration. We would like to see
| thrive such cooperation as the New
York Chamber of Commerce invites, to
the end that when the inevitable reaction
| against McKinleyism and Dlngley-
ism comes, the business interests Of the
| country, profiting by experience, shall
unite in restoring the Democratic party
| to power. and securing the settlement of
the tariff issue on a business and a stable
.ef-