The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-03-11

Silly Talk Hgainst
The EStra Session
From the Chicago TimesHerlld.
The stupidity of the opposition to an
extra session of congress ut this time is
eXasperating and inexcusable. Fortu-
natcly the opposition has not assumed
such formidable proportions that it can
be regarded as Il serious menace to the
party that has promised a change in the
economic policy of the government. The
opposition will not excite the serious con"
Germ of the new administration, for the
reason that it proceeds from sources that
have never been friendly to the great
American doctrine of protection, Il princi-
pie that is certain to be recognized in the
tariff bill that will be reported at the eX-
ira session which has been called for the
18th of this month The most inscrutable
phase of this opposition is that which
takes no account of the urgent need of
revenues for the relief of the public treas
ury. AS long as there is a comfortable
surplus" derived from borrowed money
This class of obstructionists are serenely
Indifferent to the fact that there Is an
actual discrepancy of alarming propOr-
tions between receipts and expenditures.
They are singularly oblivious to the fact
that the government is not ON a paying
basis-that 1t is running behind at the
rate of $5,0O000O per month. Three years
of comfortable security in the ability Of
the government TO borrow funds to meet
current expenses seem to have rendered
them incapable of realizing the existence
of actual deficits that are a reproach to
a government that has such manifold re-
raisinp without i'm
posing direct taxes upon the people.
-:.I:-
The most indefensible form of this kind
of obstinacy is disclosed in Harper's
Weekly. which not only violently opposes
an extra session but declares that "if
Mr. Mckinley aud his advisers are wise
there will be no tariff legsation.' The
public will doubtless be disposed to con-
done this grievous offense against econ
omiC sense and public polity out of defer
ence for the noble work done by the
Weekly for the cause of sound money
during the recent campaign, but the OPP
position to an extra session is based upon
such fallacious preteXts that they should
not escape exposure. Harper's Weekly
upon three contentious, all of which are
untenable i'm logic and are peculiarly ag-
gravating in their stoid and unyieldng
defiance of public sentiment and their un-
blushing disregard of established facts.
| The Weekly's opposition is apparently
based upon the following propositions:
First, that an extra session will unsettle
business and retard the revival of pros
perity; second, that no increased revenues
! are needed; third, that the enactment of
a protective tariff law would be an affront
to the gold Democrats who, it claims,
elected Mckinley"
-:'':-
The most superficial observer of polit-
| inIiNi1na1 fnr
! the last three years will find it no diff
| ticult task to dcmolish these contentious.
| They are based upon assumptions that
| are so palpably erroneous as to make
! their defense by a high-class journal at
| this time ineXplicable and astonishing.
! In the first place the business of the
country, while showing an encouraging
| tendency toward recuperation in antici-
! patton of friendly legislation, is in an un-
settled condition. 1t Is in a state of sus-
! pense. Capital is anXouSly waiting for
| the adoption Of an economic policy that
| is friendly to American productive inter-
! ests before it will seek Investment. There
! must be some assurance as to markets
| before manufacturers win invest heavily
| in raw materials or pile up any consid-
| erable quantities of finished product. This
! condition of suspense viii not be relieved
until the causes which have Frustrated
! Industry are removed. The question H.
! Shall the suspension of productive actiN-
! ity be prolonged until the regular session
| of congress in December, or shall the
! change in our economic policy, for which
! the people voted by such tremendous ma
| joritieS, be speedily formulated ana en-
| acted SO that the recovery from Industrial
paralycis may set in at once ana be Wen
under way before another winter Is upon
u.s. Common business prudence as w,ll
as Culinary political sense dictates that
the relief be provlded,at once. The uuly
way to restore business confidence is to
PASS a revenue measure that will provide
/ against treasury deficits and afford rea-
sonable security IT, our domestic inl lus
trics against ruinous European and
Asiatic competition.
-:.:-
| But Harper's Weekly not only ignores
thr need of more revenue but takes the
uosition that the Wilson law has in
| crensad the rnyeuuas If saws. "The pri-
yote citizens who ura concerned i'm the
/ hin do not care what may be tho effect
of larger rates Of ,uty ON the public rev.
, auuas but the nnhlic mpu who must
urascnt II ana vote for, If know that in
creos sed duties often reduce revenues. ana
tbat undcr the Mckinley law. for exam
nln which raised fine average rate of dlty
| from a non, cent to ~ u4r cent customs
revenues fell i'm follr yalrs from So95 All O7,;
ia s1oS SS1 SG0 yybila under the Wilson bill
ravnues from customs duties have in
rrensed " The treasury Ooures ara
against tho lyealxIv The Mckinney law
yas enacted ror, the exnress tslrpose of
"radurlng the gurnIus " and resulted I'm
an nyarnae raJuction of % ner cont in
innort dutiae 'Iast montb vps tho mir
tiath month since tha Wilson law went