New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-06-30
LATER CHANGES IN THE TARIFF BILL


The decision of Republican Senators 10 i'm
pose an ad valorem duty Of 20 per cent on I'M
ported hides may not prove the wisest course
available. Why such duty was preferred to
the plain specific duty of ~ cents proposed by
the Senate committee Is not the more easy to
understand in the light Of many explanations
and comments offered, and it may have been
due 10 the personal preference of one or two
Western Senators rather than to any other rea-
son or cause. AS it was first decided by Repub-
leans that an additional revenue amounting to
about 81, 900 900 should be raised on this class
of imports 1t would apparently have been easier
and more In harmony with Republican prin-
ciples to fix the duty by weight rather than by
reported foreign value These considerations
make II not improbable that the conferrees repre-
senting the House and the Senate will have this
point Of difference as well as some others.
At the same time 1t is admitted by all close
observers at Washington that the conditions
are now much more favorable to an agree
ment between the two houses Of Congress than
they were at the time the measure was reported
by the Senate committee. There has been
strong tendency on the part Of the Senate to
fix duties more nearly in accord with those
of the House, and this course has been rendered
shown that they are ready to support the bill
IN view Of provisions beneficial to their con-
stituents The public announcement of Senator
Teller that he would neither vote nor pair
against the bill has the same influence also. The
Republicans having gained power to pass In
nearly all important schedules such bill as
they deliberately Judged best for the country
have In many instances adopted in the Senate
<la hox,a
proximated to them closely, as In the wool sched
ule multitude Of changes in that direction
have inclined Republican members Of the House
to regard the measure much more favoraby,
so that, although there will be sharp differences
Oh some articles, it is by no one now expected
that those differences will endanger the passage
Of the bill or delay it many days.
The work Of estimating the revenue-pro-
ducng powers Of the bill, after each days
changes In the Senate, is necessarily of diff
Guilty, but such review as has been possible
seems TO leave some ground for doubt whether
the bill will in that respect entirely meet the
wishes Of prudent men. 1t looks as If the meas
ure would now yield little more than the bill
as it passed the House would have yielded, but
not for the first year, owing to heavy antci-
patory imports. The compromise on tobacco
than the House provision would have permitted.
possibly yielding larger duties though at lower
rate, and the same may be said of some other
clauses. But the omission Of the duties on jute
baggng and burlaps gave away more revenue
than the duty on hides will probably yield, and
It does not now seem probable. in view Of other
reductions made, that both would increase the
revenue too much. In the final vote and in Con-
ference Committee this consideration of revenue
will have and ought to have more careful atten-
ton than most men have yet given it.
1t IS the simple truth that the Republican
party cannot afford to pass a tariff for deficit,
even though the deficit should remain only a
year There is needed such provision for the
Treasury as will prevent any revival Of anxiety
about the currency, and IL there should come in
the winter several months Of gold exports, al
time when the receipts under new duties par
TALLY anticipated fall short Of expenditures, the
Republican party will be open to criticism. II
has owed much to its splendid past record, which
proves that II has always been able to protect
the public welfare with unerring certainty, and
the contrast between that record and the deficit
created by Democrats has been one of the most
effective arguments on the Republican side.
But the people would have some reason TO fear
that Republican wisdom or patriotism had be-
gun to fade II the party should not be able, in
an emergency such as now exists, TO provide
the Government with ample revenue from the