The Savannah morning news., 1902-06-28
THE coNcREssIoNAL ELEcrIoNs.


There are two things which will
likely have a very decided influence on
the congressional elections. namely, the
| defeat of the administrations Cuban
reciprocity policy and the failure of
! Congress 70 make a reduction in the
! DINGHY tariff. The defeat Of the admins
| istration's Cuban reciprocity policy was
due to a difference of opinion among
the Republicans. There is no doubt
| very large number of Republicans who
are IN favor of giving aid
to Cuba, and it is proba-
BILE that, believing that as long
as the Republicans have control of
both houses of Congress no aid to
Cuba will be extended. thousands of
| Republicans will vote with the Demo-
Gratis in the congressional elections. On
this question enough Republicans may
vote with the Democrats to change a
number of congressional districts.
There is undoubtedly a widespread
feeling, especially in the West, in ia
vor of a reduction of the tariff. This
is true particularly in regard to the
tariff on the products of trusts. The
claim is made that if the tariff were
reduced on articles which are produced
by trusts the monopoly of trusts would
b. destroyed, and there would not be
so much ground for complaint of trusts
as there is at present. Indeed, the ar
gument is advanced, and with good
reason, that there is no better way of
dealing with trusts than to deprive
them of the protection which the tariff
now gives them.
Instead Of trying to satisfy this de-
mand the Republicans, during the
present session of Congress, have re-
sisted every effort to interfere with the
tariff. They do not intend there shall
be any revision of the tariff One of
the arguments advanced by those who
resisted the Administrations effort to
bring about reciprocity with Cuba was
that the reduction of the tariff on Gu
ban products would be an entering
wedge for a reduction of the tariff all
along the line.
Some of the Republican leaders in /
Congress have taken the opportunity
to tell the country that to the present
high protective tariff is due the pros
perity which the country now enjoys.
Senator Gallinger of New Hampshire
made a speech on that line in the SEN
ate of Wednesday. THE prosperity of
the United States" he said, under the
operation of the Dingley law, has OK
ha of tlo
the most remarkable in history" He
did not for a moment admit that the
prosperity to which he called attention
might be due to other causes AS a
matter of fact, it is quite safe asser- I
ton that under a tariff that would not
permit trusts to rob the people the
prosperity of the country would be
even greater than it is. The Dingley
tariff has been a hindrance instead of
help to prosperity, which came in
spite of that tariff There had been a
period of depression. of hard times.
Manufacturing had almost ceased dur
ing those times, and the markets were
almost bare of manufactured goods.
Confidence gradually returned, and
there was all at once an immense de-
mand for manufactured goods. The
Dingley tariff had nothing whatever to
do with the matter. and the Repubn-
cans will not be able to make the
people believe it had.
The people realize that they are be-
ing taxed by means of the tariff for
the benefit of the trusts, and they do
not intend to stand it. That fact the
Republicans will find out next fall
when the Congressional elections are
held.