The Topeka state journal., 1897-04-05
HOW LONG SHALL SUCH
THINGS BEP

In an editorial article relating to the
Dingley tariff bill the Chicago Tribune,
which contributed largely in making
that measure possible, sketches most
daplorable picture of the condition of
affairs present and prospective. 1t
charges first that the tariff bill was
framed for the benefit OF special inter-
ests in the following paragraph:
The Dingley bill. which looks after
the revenue interests of the government
much better than it dOes-in several
instances-after the public welfare, was
framed mainly to suit the views of
special interests. They sent their rep
resentatives to Washington They at
tended the sessions of the committee on
ways and means. They asked for what
they wanted, and they generally got it.
AS if the foregoing were not bad
enough if true, the Tribune then goes
on to point out a correspondingly rep
rehensibIe situation in the senate as
follows:
The American importers and the for
eign exporters are the individuals who
are going to run the senate now. The
tariff question is to be handled IN a
way which will be to their interest
There is to be a general increase of du-
ties. They see their way to make tens
of millions out of that increase by fill
ing up this country with all kinds OF
goods before +he new tariff law can
take effect.
Therefore the importers and foreign
exporters Will order their senators to
go slow. They must be exceedingly
deliberate. They must debate every
item That will give months of time in
which to bring in all the goods which
it is deemed safe to bring in and Whlch
the money can be obtained to carry.
If four months time is all the i'm
porters need there may be new tariff
law in four months. But If they were
to need eight months the senate would
not act finally until December. If they
needed a years delay their friends in
the senate would see they had it. There
is no limit to delaysiTl body which has
no previous Question:
Then as to the effect of all this on the
country, the Tribune says further;
When the importers do allow the bill
to pass some months hence several
hundred million dollars worth OF goods
will have been brought in by them.
That will swell the revenues this spring
and summer, but they will be lean for
two years or more to- come.
Then, next year, there will be q lack
of revenue. The consumers will begin
to ask why that is the case when they
are paying more for goods The disap-
pointed people will put this question TO
the politicians, and they will be unable
to answer it satisfactorily.
Then men in the factories and mills
will ask how it is that under a law de-
signed to give them more protection
there is less demand for their services
The politicians can explain to them
that SuCn VAST STOCKS OA SOOoS ffSAC
brought in prior to the enactment of
the tariff law that the market is over
supplied and there is no demand for
American products. But will that ex-
PLANTATION be satisfactory?
If the people are not satisfied then
1893 may be a repetition of 1890, and
1900 may be a repetition of 1892.
Why it is that one class of special in
terests are in control of one branch of the
national legislature and another class
in control of the other branch. or why
one class OF special interests does not
control the action of both branches
does not appear. If the Tribune's al
legations and prophecies be true the
question must naturally arise, where to
the people come in, and of what bene-
fit will it be to them to repeat the his
tory of 1890 and 1892? How long may
they reasonably be expected to submit
to having their interests and the busi-
ness Of the country thus banded about
a plaything as it were for the manu-
facturers. the importers and the polit-
ical friends and beneticiaries of these
classes?