The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-29
What. Does Senator Chandler Plead
the Baby Act?

What. Does Senator Chandler Plead
the Baby Autf
United States Senator WILLIAM It.
CHANDLER Of New Hampshire has been de-
servcdly regarded as a statesman Of sturdy
American fibre. We fear hat his reputa-
ton for sound sense and manliness will
suffer somewhat from his letter to the
Boston Hcraid. Instead OF opposing at
the proper time. when the measure came
before the Senate, the Dingley tariff bill
containing q clause imposing n 10 per cent.
dlirerential duty on foreign goods carried
to American cOnsunrrs by Canadian rail-
ways, he voted for the bill, differential
clause and all, but now protests that he did
not know what lie was voting for. When
his New Hampshire constituents sent him
to Washington they undoubtedly expected
that he would keep his ears open and not
let any legislation slip by him OF which he
professed to disapprove. Yet it appears
that when the DinSley bill was reported
back from the conference committee and
read in the Senate Mr.. CHANDLER was too
pleasantly employed 10 listen to it. Per
haps he was discussing the news from Klon-
dixie with Senator TlLLMAS, or cracking
jokes with Senator MASON, or taking a nap,
or flirting in the lobby, or imbihing clam
Juice in the restaurant. His mind, at all
events, was not concentrated upon legisla-
tive business; 50 1t came to pass that a
"trick" was played on him, and the Ding
ley Tariff bill got his vote without his
knowing that there lurked in it a clause
levelled at the Canadian Pacific In the in
terest of American roads.
Let us reproduce rer6ofim the confession
of the distinguished Senator from the Gran
lite State: For myself" he says. " regret
to say that l did not notice what the con-
ferees had done. Having had experience
with conference reports, which should have
warned me to read every word of this re-
port, l have no excuse to offer for not doing
so. Ihope to be forgiven by my constituents,
but l shall never forgive myself" Mr..
CEANDLER's contrition is comprehensively
expressed, but it does not go far enough.
He needs not only his own forgiveness and
that Of his constituents, but also that Of
his fellow Senators who served on the
conference committee, for, II the 10 per
cent. differential clause was inserted by a
"trick," as MIR. CHANDLER asserts, those
Senators must have been parties to 1t. To
say as he does. that the conference committee
went beyond Its powers when it permitted
the insertion of the clause will be recog-
nized az preposterous by those who recall
how transformed materially, nay, utterly,
bills have been of late years in confer
ence. Not only were the Senators and
Representatives who took part in the con-
ference strictly within their powers when
they adopted the differential clause, but
they did n far-sighted and patriotic act, for
which they deserve and will receive APP
plause from the great majority Of the
American people.
For years our ranscontinental lines have
been subjected to injurious competition at
the hands of the Canadian Pacific through
the use Of the bonding privilege by the
latter. There is no possible service rem.
dered by this foreign corporation to some
Of our citizens in New England and the
Northwestern States that could not be
rendered with equal efficiency by Amer
lean roads. Our transcontinental rail.
ways have as good a right to be protected
against foreign competition as have New
England manufacturers, and on this
ground alone there is ample justifca-
tion for the differential clause. In its
favor, however, may be urged larger
and weightier considerations, which no
American statesman, who has at heart the
healthy expansion of his country and the
welfare of the English-speaking race upon
this continent, can afford to overlook. The
Canadian Pacific Railway is not a lcgiti.
mate commercial enterprise. 1t was built,
and Is now subsidized, for military and
strategic purposes. 1t was avowedly in.
tended to tighten the hold OF Great Britain
upon the Dominion of Canada and to
strengthen the apti.American party there.
To that end The pecuniary resources
OF the railway are VIGOROUSLY used at
general and provincial elections. When
we replenished those resources by our con.
cession of the bonding privilege, we sacri.
feed momentous public interests and
helped to shackle and gag our friends on
the north side of the border.
1t was high time that this state of thinen
should cease, and now it will cease, thanks
to the wise and Just provision OF the Ding.
ley act, that an additional duty of 10 Dor
cent. shall be imposed upon goods Imported
from foreign countries that reach us over
Canadian railways.