The San Francisco call., 1897-03-22
THE TARIFF DEBATE.

The new tariff bill has been reported to
the House and de bate on it will begin to-
day. From the proceedings which fol-
lowed the report it seems there will be
much stronger opposition made by the
Democrats than has been expected. New
er,heless it is more than probable that
the plans of the Ways and Means Com
mittee will be carried out and the bill
will be sent to the Senate by the first of
April.
The arguments for the bill are so famil-
lar to the people that it is hardly worth
while repeating them. For years there
has been a continuous deficiency of reve-
nue. under the Democratic tariff. That
deficiency now amounts to S203. .S1l, 129.
More than that, the expenditures con-
tinue TO exceed the revenues, and until a
new tariff is adopted we shall have con-
tinual increase in the deficiency and
further necessity for the issuing OF bonds.
Under these circumstances 1t is the
plain duty OF Congress to revise the tariff
so as to secure a revenue ample for the
needs of the Government. In addition to
this, as was pointed out by Mr.. Dingley.
these duties must be so adjusted as to
secure ample protection TO the many in
dustries of the country which have so
seriously suffered during the past three
years from unfair foreign competition.
1t will only be another evidence of the
capacity OF the Democrats to blunder it at
this time they make any factious attempt
to delay the prompt passage OF the bill.
II the new tariff can be put into effect by
the first of May instead of the first of
July it Will save to the treasury $15,000,-
600 revenue. If the delay takes place, that
sum, and perhaps even larger one, will
be turned into the pockets of spectators,
who will hasten to import foreign goods
before the new tariff can be enforced.
The element of time is therefore an inn
portant one in the problem, and the Re-
pubiicans of the House have good reason
to push the measure forward as rapidly as
possible and to allow no concession what
ever to obstructive tactics.
1t is reported from Washington that
while Mr.. Dngley is confident the bill
will not be seriously obstructed in either
House, Speaker Reed is less sanguine.
The Speaker has had good deal of ex-
perience with the Democrats in Congress.
He is aware of their infinite capacity for
OOlug the WONG tHlHR, duu, huoWlhS tuaS
the best thing the Democratic leaders could
do to restore the fallen credit Of their
party would be to show a patriotic desire
to increase the revenues of the country,
he foresees that they will do the opposite.
The proceedings in the House when the
bill was introduced show that Speaker
Reed is not wholly wrong in his estimate
of Democratic nature, and it is possible,
therefore, that the present session OF Con-
gress may prove to be stormy one,
There is hope the Democrats of the
Senate will be wiser than those of the
House. Certain statements recently
made by the ablest leaders of the party.
such as Senators German, Morgan and
Jones, imply that they will not encourage
obstructive tactics against the bill. If the
counsels of these men prevail there may
yet be clear sailing for the bill despite the
present unfavorable outlook. The Repub-
licans of the House, under the leader
ship of Mr.. DingIey and the speakership
OF Mr.. Reed, can be relied upon to make
short work OF the obstructiyes there, and
if the wiser Democrats of the Senate can
keep their followers in that body quiet we
may yet have the new tariff in time to
celebrate it with the picnics and festivals
of May day.