The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1902-04-04
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MI. M'CLEARY AND TIE TARIFF.

Mr.. M'CLEARY AND IdE TARlFF.
The letter of Congressman McCleary
which we published last evening re-
garding the reduction or removal of
the tariff on lumber, in reply to a
communication from the Merchants
Protective association of this city,
will doubtless be read with interest by
the people of southern Minnesota.
There has been some criticism from
some quarters because Mr.. McCleary
has not introduced a bill to remov
the tariff upon this commodity. 1t
would be easy enough to prepare and
introduce a bin to merely take the
duty off of lumber, but unless there is
some fighting chance to get it through
congress, it would do little good. Mr.
McCleary is thoroughly conversant
with this fact, and it will be noted
from the questions which arise in con-
nection with it, that he has been gath
fuence with congress in the attempt
at such removal. The late President
Mckinley always opposed the taking
up of separate items out of the tariff
schedule for legislative tinkering. be-
cause he said that a tariff measure was
the scientific adjustment of schedules,
with their relative bearing upon each
other, and that it was impossible to
treat a certain item without more or
less d~emoralizing other features of the
law. This is true.
There are also other features con.
nected with such work. If for in
stance, and simple removal Of the
duty on lumber would be agreed upon
and put through properly adjusted to
any relation it might have to any
other schedule, it would not be a very
serious undertaking. But there is the
rub. Some other advocate of tariff
reduction wants an item he is inter-
ested in taken up in connection there
with, and before the end comes, there
are many items involved and the mat
ter of tariff revision as a whole is in
volved. And so, many who would not
object to this or that one item, are led
to object to anything being done.
The Free Press believes that the
tariff on lumber should be removed.
With our rapidly disappearing forests,
it is a duty no longer needed or re-
quired. Here in the northwest the in,
dustry in its present magnitude will
be greatly curtailed and in many
localities disappear altogether with s
few years at the most. What is need
ed most is forestry legislation which
will ave and revive our vanishing
forests.
But the feeling is growing every
where that the present tariff as
whole should be revised, that condi
tions have changed rapidly since the
enactment of the Dingley law, which
render many changes desirable Mr.
McClesry recognizes this but insists
that the revision should be made BY
the friends of the protective policy
and in this he is strictly correct. Tn
country wants no repetition of tn,
experience it had in 49,. when the re
vision of the tariff was handed owe
to the enemies of protection. We hav
not yet reached that point where W
can abandon the policy entirely, henc
it's friends should frame the Legislation
necessary. For this reason it is mos
essential that the control of the mex
house be in the hands of the Republi
cans and with that end in view.
From Washington this mornini
comes the information that a new
tariff bill correcting the inequalitie
which have grown up in the past fv
years, and are so much complained @
so as to meet present conditions, j
likely to be framed next winter, an
that President Roosevelt will in a
probability call an extra session {
congress Immediately after March At
next to consider it. This it is sal
is the outcome over the contest for til
concession to Cuba, and the revision
lists will win. In this contest, as hs
been heretofore noted the MinnesoI
delegation has taken a prominent par
and in the work of revision the sta
would occupy a most prominent plac
And so the work of agitation,
seen5, has not been in vain, and
will surely not be in vain, if it r
suits in securing such revision ne:
winter, and it's enactment into la
in the spring following by the frien
of the protective policy.