The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-18
NO TARIFF CHANGES.
They Are Not Wanted by Business
Men of Either Party.

New York Letter in Philadelphia Press.
Chairman of the Ways and Means Com
mittee Dingley is reported as having said
yesterday that the war revenue law would
not be changed this winter, for the reason
that the government needs the revenue that
is produced by it. Congressman Dingley
might have added another reason had he
not thought that the necessity of the gov
eminent was of itself sufficient. He must
know that in this city, and probably in
every manufacturing community in the
United States, a protest that would be i'm
preSsive would he raised were it understood
that 1t was the intention OF the ways and
means committee to change in any material
way the existing law, or at least that part
of it which applies to the customs tariff
In fact, this feeling is so strong that
reported interview with Senator Hanna has
occaSioned some anxiety here, and it is a
common remark that it is to be hoped that
Senator Hanna was inaccurately reported.
The opinions which are quoted as coming
from him have been carefully read and as
a result it is the impression here that the
senator does not mean that the war revenue
measure or the tariff law must be changed
in any important respect, but simply that
haps some additions either to the internal
revenue list or to the tariff list which will
bring us a larger income
Nevertheless, the anxiety which the re-
ported remarks of Senator Hanna have oc-
casiOned of itself shows how intense is the
desire that for a time at least, business and
commerce be permitted to continue undis-
turbed by any tariff legislation upon the
path which the amazing figures furnished by
to be one of unprecedented prosperity.
1t was noticed in the campaign which has
lust been ended in this State that in none
of the resolutions, either of the State or
of local conventions of the Democratic
party, was there any reference to the issue
which Cleveland made pre-emine1t in botn
about the tariff in resolution nor upon the
stump. The question was not ignored as
matter of policy, but it was treated as an
issue that had been determined and that be-
longs now to history rather than to the
present administration of the government
The only Democrat in the campaign who
did speak of the tariff question was Abram
S. Hewitt, and he stated two or three times
that as a question of policy or of eXpediencY
the view which he for many years took and
which was pre-eminently the view OF Cleve-
land in his first administration respecting
the tariff had been. in the light of new con-
ditions and of trade expansion, rendered OBJ
solete.
Hewitt is understood to be of the opinion
that the American people have accepted q s
final the principle embodied in the Dingley
law, and will consent to no modification of
il until possibly after experience in the adj
ministrauon of colonial governments it may
be found expedient to modify it in some re-
Roswell P. Flower is confirmed by recent
experience in the view which he took year
ago However much the Chicago platform
of the Democratic party may have dis
pleased him. he discovered in it, or rather
out Of it, something which gave him the
greatest qualification, and that was that for
completely subordinated the tariff question.
Flower is now of the opinion that any man
who is in business or who depends upon the
income or labor OF others for his support,
tariff laws, should have copservator ap-
pointed over him as person of unsound
mind.