Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-06-22

{reeIy announced that the tardA Wae N
sponsibIe tor this condition Of anairs.
Like President FIavemeyer. Nj. Schwab
was frank enough to admit that the
tariff was at the root of the whole mat
ter. At any rate, this aspect OF the
tariff question is no longer question.
The people understand it and Europe
has understood it so long that she has
come to the conclusion the only way to
deal with the matter is, no longer by
appeals to the understanding on this
side Of the water, but by vigorous war
on American products all along the line
The administration at Washington
has come to so thorough an under
standing of the matter that diplomacy
is about to be appealed to to avert the
danger of a tariff war which Secretary
Gage has caused by his discriminating
orders. The opinion is held that both
Russia and Italy violated their treaties
with the United States when they in
creased the duties on articles of Amer
lean manufacture. At the same time it
is also admitted that possibly the treaty
with Russia has been violated by the
imposition of countervailing duty on
sugar. 1t is stipulated in the treaty
that goods imported from either coun-
try into the other shall not be compell-'
ed to pay higher rate of tariff than
the same goods from any ot'ler foreign
country.
Correspondence through diplomatic
channels may discover that the action
OF neither Secretary Gage nor Minister
De White is justified by the treaties now
in force. Such correspondence might.
however, lead to a revocation of the
treaty containing such provision, and
the gravity of the situation thus be in
lensifed.
If the trade treaties with Russia and
Italy were aDrogated either country
could apply maximum rates to all i'm
Poi 10 iiOiu tuC Ouilcu oldIcS. LIS 5OF-
eminent could retaliate, as the Dingley
tariff act provides for such contin-
gency, and all importations from Rus
STA and Italy might be excluded
Secretary Gage is generally sustained
in his contention that the Dingley law
allows no discretion in the matter of
levying discriminating duties against
importations on which bounties are
paid. The law says that discriminating
duties shall be levied" So the fault
is shown to be with the Dingley law.
AT any rate what with the threat of
tariff war coming from abroad and
open talk of free trade legislation at the
coming session of Congress the admin
istration is thoroughly alarmed AS
dernier resort Secretary Hay advances
the opinion that the danger of a trade
war with Europe can be averted By
ratification of the reciprocity treaties
now awaiting action by the Senate. AS
reciprocity is one of Mr.. McKin! 9y's
favorite nostrums for dealing with the
tariff situation we may look for Wig
orous pushing of the treaties already
negotiated and pending in the Senate.
But there is not plain sailing in this
matter even in the American House of
Lords for the antagonism of Senator
Aldrich and other influential leaders to
these treaties is yet to be overcome and
may prevent ratification at the coming
session as it did at the last.
The fact is the position of the tariff
sharks was never so weak as now in
Congress and only the overwhelming
Republican majority adroitly handled
will prevent radical reform in the in
terests of the people and American trade
abroad.