Evening star., 1902-02-06
FOR TARIFF REDUCTION
POSITION OF SOME REPUBLICANS on
LOWERING DUTIES.
Ways and Means Com mmittee sertIme.t
ON Cuban Concessions Unchanged
senator Piatts Statement.

The fight for reduction OF useless and
top-heavy schedules OF the customs tarin
has only begun. From this time on il is to
be fight for blood"
This is the announcement of the republi-
cans from the central and middle west
| states who are in favor of taking action al
this session Of Congress in response TO the
| demands from their const'tuen for some
lowering Of, tariff duties which they con-
slider excessive and not necessary for pro-
lection. AS stated in The Star yesterday.
the situation I'm the House. as arranged by
the republican leaders. will preclude the
probability OF a tarin fight being opened
4 up in the consideration Of the war tax re-
duction bill That bin is not to be brought
| up in the Honse until assurances have been
given that ii can be passed without amend
ment.
A Republican Revision.
1t is said that the efforts OF the western
republicans viii be continued in the direc-
tion of working up sentiment within
their. own party exclusively in favor OF
dealing with the tariff at republican hands
and along republican lines. Democratic aid
not only will not be solicited, but will be
| declined whenever offered. The contem-
| plated revision is TO be a republican revis-
! ion IL IL can ne accomplished IL has not
yet been decided when a caucus upon the
! subject viii be asked. There is no hurry
| for a few weeks yet and IL is realized that
| the sentiment is growing stronger every
! day for action along these lines and that
pressure from the west will Increase. L.
Is asserted that there is strength enough
| In the movement already To compel eau
Gus at this time but IL Is deemed the part
| of wisdom to wait a while.
The war tax reduction bill will pass the
| House practically it was reported from
| the committee. The ways and means COM
| mittpR will take apfinn l'uhan
I SionS meantime. There has been no change
| of sentiment i'm the ways and means COM
| mittee within the last few days upon the
question of the Cuban sugar tariff. While
| it is true. as Chairman Payne has stated.
| that there has been no expression Of opln-
| ion by the republican majority of the COM
| rittee the position of the republican mem
| bers Individually is well known. The state
ment can therefore be made as a fact that
| as the committee stands today there is a
/ majority against Cuban reduction among
| the republican members At the same time
/ IL is admitted that the Cuban question Is
| bound 10 come up for settlement, and IL is
| the general belief that the settlement Will
| be practically what the President has sug-
gested. .f
senator PIatt's Statement
| One of the most significant incidents in
come ction with the pending controversy is
a statement which has been made by SEN
ator P,att Of Connecticut in the pubic
| press. 1t has been known, of course for a
| long time that Senator Plat was favorable
| to Cuban concessions. and this paper which
| is verbatim report gives his reasons. He
| said:
| 81 am a protectonist and have been so
much so that | have been called a partisan
| | am as strong a protectionist now as ever
| but i believe that proper and reasonable
| tariff concessions be made on Cuban
| products in return for Cuban tariff con-
cessions on American products, which
would greatly benefit the trade of both
| countries and not appreciably injure any
| American industry.
Il think the cause of protection is being
wounded now in the house of its professed
| friends and that the free trader cannot in
| Jure the cause Of prote ction as much as
protectionists who insist upon unreasonable
and unnecessary customs dues"