The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-05-17
The TRUSTS
and TARIFF.
The President Will Make
These the Prominent
Issues for 1904.
Position of the Insurgents
Seems to Be Justified
by the Outcome.
from IRe journal Bureau. Roo,a rs, Posi-
RuiLHinQ. WnshinItOE.

From, T7se Journal Bureau. Boom rs, Posi-
Building, Washington.
Washington, May 17.-should the
fifty eighth congress, to be elected next
November, be republican, special SEES
sion will be called shortly after March 4,
1908. to consider the trusts and revision
of the tariff.
Several times lately the president has
announced it as his purpose to call a
special session, but recent events have
emphasized the need, and to visitors at
the White House this week he has made
a definite announcement of his Intentions
Trust Legislation.
BY next March the governments prose-
cution Of the trusts will have gone far
enough to test the efficacy of the exist
ing laws and to point the way to new leg
tslation which may be needed. 1t will be
the presidents plan to make the trusts
and the tariff revision prominent in the
1904 campaign by making each dovetall
into the other at the special session.
Should the fifty eighth congress be
democratic, however, it is the plan to
have the republican party bide its time
and take the question up after the presi-
Dental election, making statement on
the stump this year Of its intentions.
Such a program will confine the democrat
ic party this year and in 1904 to the single
Issue of anti-imperialism.
The judgment Of party experts is for a
continuance Of the republicans in power.
Tariff revision, of course, cannot be
brought up at this session, nor will there
be time for it at the short session next
winter. 1t would be unwise, considering
what happened to the republican party in
1892 when the Mckinley law was enacted,
to revise the tariff on the eve Of presi-
Dental campaign, and so a special ses-
sion next spring and summer is all that
remains.
Senator AIdrich Opposed.
The president sees this and his pur-
pose has Endorsement of nearly every
western and middle west republican rep
resentative. 1t is not Endorsed by Sen
ator Aldrich and other high tariff lead
ers from New England but events are
shaping themselves in a way to show that
these men cannot be followed in the pres
ent emergency.
Minnesotans Pleased.
The Minnesota delegation feels compli-
mented in knowing that it's attitude to-
wards Cuba is directly responsible for
the course events are now taking. The
delegation has been steadfastly opposing
LEGISLATION lOT CuDd, Ill OrueI 10 COHpel
tariff revision and it is the only delega-
ton in congress which has acted as a unit
at all times during this controversy and
maintained the respect of all factions in
congress.
1t should be said that a tariff revision
would have been ordered while the Cuban
bill was in the house last winter, but for
the attitude Of Representative Roberts of
Massachusetts,. Mr.. Roberts was an in
surgent but was compelled to desert his
insurgent friends through fear that he
would fail of denomination, Senator Lodge
having served notice upon him that he
must not oppose the administration policy.
Mr.. Roberts wanted free hides and the
house insurgents were entirely willing to
hold that free hides amendment to the
Cuban bill would be germane. This &C
ton would have opened the way for tariff
revision. Senator Lodge did not act any
too quickly. After Roberts deserted the
isurgents, the lines were closed and all
thought Of general tariff revision was
abandoned. The insurgents kept up their
fight, however, largely for the purpose of
forcing revision on the fifty eighth
congress and the Minnesota delegation or
ganized this fight and led it.
The president now seems to have &C
knowledged the force of the contention
which the insurgents of the house made.
His plan to have an extra session next
spring is exactly what the insurgents
have wanted.
W w Jermane