The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-03-14
THE EXTRA SESSION.


In accordance with the terms of
President McKinley's proclamation,
congress will meet in extra session to-
morrow. The message he will send it
Will be awaited with great interest It
is hardly likely that it will deal with
more than one or two subjects, revenue
and the money question; possibly it
may only deal with the question OF
revenue. While what he will say is
awaited with great interest, still the
people already know practically what
it viii be. Attention will be called to
the condition Of the public revenues,
how they are below the expenditures.
Following this will come some recon-
mendations regarding the best way to
remedy this condition. This recon-
mendation will certainly take a tariff
shape, suggesting an increase of duties
both for revenue and to afford protec-
ton to American manufacturers and
all engaged in any industry. Will the
president, in this connection, have any
thing to say in the nature of a warn
ing against making the duties too high?
Even the most ardent advocates of
high protection realize that conditions
have changed since the tariff law of
1890 was passed, and when they say
that they realize this it is tantamount
to an Acknowledgement that there is
danger in excessive duties. To find the
line OF excessive duties will be very
difficult task, but it must be found be-
fore they go too far. For this reason
anything the president may say on the
subject will be of great Importance.
When the president has sent his mes
sage to congress and congress has
acted upon it. has adjourned and gone
home, the people viii be anxious to
know what the effect of it's action will
be upon the business interests of the
country It must be confessed that the
result of President McKinley's election
upon those interests has not
been what his supporters antici-
pated that it would be. Things are
no better than they were, and the out
look for the immediate future is far
from encourag iEg. A leading trade re-
view, in it's summing UP of the bust
ness situation and in giving its fore
cast for the future, says that mo gen
uine or lasting improvement could come
otherwise than slowly, and step by
step, after such a, depression as the
past four wears have witnessed, and
the most hopeful feature of the situa-
ton is that the gain is so nearly devoid
Ct elements which involve unsoundness
and probable reaction But the gain,
what has it been? 1t has been so slight
as to be scarcely appreciate. So sensi-
tive and timid is business today that
any unfavOrable rumor from any part
of the world flurries the markets When
such condition exists it is ANYTHING
but encouraging. And this extra ses-
sion that meets tomorrow gives rise to
grave doubts rather than to any feel
ing of confidence. The people do not
feel any assurance that the work of
congress will have a beneficial influence
upon the business interests of the
country, or that it will invite that re-
turn Of prosperity for which all have
been so anXiouslv waiting for so great
a while. The attitude of the people to-
wards the extra session is that they
must wait and see what will come of
its action, hoping for the best, assured
Of nothing.