The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-11-09
OUTLOOK FOR TARIFF LEGISLA-
TION.

!
Representative Grosvenor, with other
! Republican leaders, visited the White
House Thursday, and in the course of
a conversation with the President on
some of the features of the latter's
! forthcoming message told him that he
regarded the result of the recent cleo
! tions as approving present and past
Republican policies. and especially the
present tariff
1t is evident that there is no inten-
ton on the part of the Republican
leaders to propose tariff legislation of
any kind during the approaching ses-
sion of Congress, or to give encourage
ment to reciprocity treaties. They
have been comforting with each other
in an informal way and have practical
ly decided that an attempt to revise
the tariff now would be a mistake from
the standpoint of the welfare of the
Republican party.
VIII Representative Babcock of Wis
consin, who has been doing a good
deal of talking during the last year or.
two about the need of tariff revision,
accept this decision of leaders of his
party? Does he understand the feel
ing in the West on this question bet
ter than they do? If he is right and
they are wrong. the fact win become
evident before very long.
There are reasons for thinking that
President Mckinley took pretty much
the same view of the tariff situation
as Mr.. Babcock does. He saw that
there was a growing feeling in the
West in favor of lowering the tariff,
especially on articles produced by
trusts. 1t is well understood, of course,
that the tariff enables certain of the
trusts to charge much higher prices
for their products than are necessary
for reasonable profits on the capital
they have actually invested.
1t is true that trusts might not be
reached by reciprocity treaties, but
they would draw the attention of the
people away from the iniquities of the
tariff for a while at least, and thus
give the Republican party an excuse
for delaying a revision of it. 1t is
DTODdDlt lHdl the 1ItSiuGill mas DCtH
comforting with the leaders of his par
ty in order to keep in touch with them
in the preparation of that part of his
message which bears on the tariff. 1t
would not be surprising, therefore, if.
instead of carrying out the tariff policy
of President Mckinley as he Prom
Used, he should take the position that
the country is well satisfied with the
tariff as it is.
1t is a fact, of course, that Presi-
dent Mckinley did not have much sup
port from the leaders of his party for
his reciprocity policy. His Buffalo ut
terance took them by surprise by its
holiness. 1t is not unlikely, therefore,
that the President will not advance
along the line Mr.. Mckinley marked
out so far as reciprocity treaties are
concerned.
Only a few days ago Mr.. Carnegie,
who is in close sympathy with leading
men of the Republican party, said that
he did not think much of reciprocity
treaties-that if there was to be freer
trade it should not be by means of
treaties. Apparently his idea was the
same as that of Mr.. Grosvenor, name
", that there should be no Interior
ence with the tariff at all at this
time.
1t is a safe statement that the tariff
will not be disturbed during the com
ing session of Congress. Indeed there
will be no relief from the present bur
densome tariff until the Democratic
party gets into power.