Evening journal., 1897-06-08
THE SAME OH srnRY


When may we expect or even hope
to get tariff law that will be satis-
factory? When may we hope to get a
measure through Congress that will be-
even partially satisfactory? Ever since
Major Mckinley stirred up the tarin
pool with new and undeveloped notions
in 1888, our people have suffered pro-
longed epidemic Of tariff fever, which
has been to our business what the
great Eastern plague has been to life
In India-a dread decay. During the
past decade all our tariff legislation has
been a perpetual political farce. The
Mckinley bill proved n disastrous
revolution in the effect Of its object;
the Wilson bill was just as harmful in
the radical changes It introduced and
now 1t is plain TO see that the Dingley
bill Is going to fall in line with its un-
popular predecessors.
The tariff question is a hard one to
cope with. Our great modern philoso-
piers who stand together on most, If
not all other, subjects, are strongly di-
vided on this point There is one thing
certain, however, which becomes more
and more evident as presidents and
congressional sessions come and go, and
that is, that so long as our Senate is
composed of such men as its Republi-
can majority constitutes to-day, a
practical and helpful tariff law will
remain a lost issue. This Is a feeling
that is now becoming general between
all common-sense politicians regard
less of partisanship.
Congressman Walker, of Massachu-
setts, complains Of the discrimination
that has been made in favor OF far
Western interests in the Dingley bill,
and shows how the smaller industries
have been slaughtered for the benefit
of the large ones. Congressman Bar
thold who represents the district In
st. Louis in which are located all the
big breweries OF the city protests
against the tax on beer saying that It
- has been made so high as to reduce
the output and consequently to de
crease the revenue Senator Mcmillan
takes up the sugar schedules and
shows that while the original bill
played into the hands of the trust, the
amended measure does so in far greater
degree. Even Mr. Dingley feels called
name. He is quite sure that under
normal conditions the House billwould
yield sufficient revenue to run the gov
eminent, and he is at a loss to under
stand the radical changes that have
been made by the Senate committee
The sole result up to date has been TO
put nearly everybody on the defensive
so far as the original bill is concerned,
and on the aggressive with reference
to the amended measure. which shows
the futility of trying to model a salts
factory tariff bill along political or sec.
tional lines.
What the country needs is not more
protection, but more revenue The de-
fcit can be partially met, at least, by
cutting down extravagant expenditure,
especially in the Pension Bureal. but
the tariff tinkers are unwilling to re-
duce expenses. They are unwilling TO
frame a tariff for the primary purpose
Of revenue, and will content themselves
with nothing less than the extension
of scandalous favors to the interests
that contribute literally to the party
treasure box. Senator Cullom says that
the true solution Of the problem is in
the appointment Of an expert commits
sion to regulate the rates Of duty, and
for our own part we are convinced
that he is right We are tired and sick
Of the old way Of modelling a tariff for
vote-getting purposes. There is no
reason why the tariff should be a po-
litical issue than the question Of trans
portation charges OF any other question
that Is capable Of arithmetical solu-
ton