The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-09-23
TAKE The TARIFF
OUT OF POLITICS
Continued from First Pege.

ton Of certain schedules of the Dingley
law. but doubt has been expressed as to
whether he would feel warranted in in
jectinE that question into the present cam
paign. Nothing of course could be done In
the short session of congress which meets
in December and adjourns March 4, and
it would be a tactical mistake to open the
question a Year later in December, 1903, on
the eve of a presidential campaign. Presi-
dent Harrison permitted that to he done in
December, 1891, when the Mckinley bill
was taken up and disaster befell the re-
publican party in the following November.
Congress was in session nearly to election
day. The democrats, taking advantage Of
the ignorance of. 1.-THE country, excited
widespread alarm throughout the middle
west by their representa- lions concerning
how the Mckinley law would operate The
people hadn't had time to study the details
Of the law and, carrying their vague ideas
to the polls, elected a democratic presi-
dent.
Special Sessions for Tariff TInkering.
Prof1ting by this dearly bought expert
ence, President Mckinley, when once we'll
seated in the White House. called con-
gress in special session to enact the pres
ent Dingley law. These special sessions
are always farthest removed in time from
campaign years and probably will here
after be selected, no matter what party
is in power, as the best time for tariff
changes. If President Roosevelt d feels
that the sentiment of the country In favor
of tariff modification will not justify the
republican party in waiting until after
1904, he may anticipate the democrats,
who have failed in their effort to galvan-
lie imperialism into life, have fallen back
upon the tariff and trusts as their prin-
cipal issues. r .
Cutting Up Democratic Issues. g,
The president has cut the ground from
beneath their feet far as the trusts are
concerned and at present this is notably
true of the tariff. The Cincinnati speech
Of Saturday night, whether designedly so
| or not, was a full reply to Tom Johnson
and his democratic followers and the
president having thus gone half way in
the work of anticipating democratic is
sues, may go the remaining distance by
favoring tariff modification at a special
session of congress next spring, and this
+ leads us up to the rumor concerning the
| Milwaukee speech tomorrow night. Very.
many republicans, especially in the middle
west, and the northwest would be glad to
| have the president take this position. .
| It will not please the ultra protectionists
| Of the east. But if the country wants
| the tariff modified and the republicans
who are now in power fail to do their
work, it will be done by the democrats
| and to know what democratic modifica ton
means, the country only needs to turn
back to the Wilson Forman tariff Of
Cleveland's second term. = - 1885,. !
Before 1904, or After7 49,. &
The president undoubtedly indorses the
| expression so frequently heard within the
past year that the tariff, if revised at all
must be revised by the friends rather than
the enemies Of protection. His Milwaukee
speech, therefore, may indicate whether he
thinks the popular demand sufficiently
great to bring revision before 1904 instead
of after it. The, latter time is the one
upon which eastern protectionists are in
sisting, for they foolishly believe that af-
ter 1904, with the republicans still ir
power, the popular demand for revision
will cease. Z, But revision sentiment may
be SO strong that the republicans will not
there is no genuine sentiment among re-
publican leaders favoring revision may
affect the November elections Of this yeal
unfavorably. All these things the presi-
dent is undoubtedly considering carefully
In the meantime, it will probably be vel
for everybody to watch for the Milwaukee
speech" or for one of the speeches to be
made in Minnesota Or in Iowa. ~ >
At Cincinnati the president discussed
the tariff as a 'remedy>for the trusts anC
left the way open for a speech later on ir
which. he1 might discuss the tariff apar
from the trusts. 1t is in this connection
| that the Milwaukee rumor is heard L
the milwaukee, .rumor Is proven to be cor
rect, the president will have determined
the result Of the November elections O.
I this year. his will be q strategic move
of the highest Importance. The democrat!
now, and in 1904, will still be without az
issue, -