The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-04-22
Are Slumbering Peacefully. With
Scant Prospect of Ever
Being Disturbed.
LET WELL ENOUGH ALONE" "
This Seems to Be Policy Of Major
ity-Congressman Robertss Plan
to Appoint Revision Commit
tee Foredoomed TO Failure.


Washington. April 2l.-The people will get
no relief from the tariff taxes by this Con-
gress. In spite of the inevitable discussion
Of tariff revision. trailing in the wake OF
the vote on the Cuban reciprocity bill in
the House. there is no indication that there
win be any successful movement at this
| session of Congress looking toward a revi-
sien of the tariff
The usual number of amendments to the
existing law. looking toward reduction or
an elimination of the duties on various prod
ucts, have been introduced ana referred TO
the Committee on Ways and Means, where
they slumber peacefully.
While admitting there are reasons why
Certain schedules could be properly revised
without danger to the interests concerned.
the disposition is general to have no move
ment put on foot which would be likely 10
intimidate capital and paralyze business.
The leaders take the ground that tariff re-
vision is always accompanied by a staSna-
tion of business. and, as long as the country
is prosperous. they say the tariff should not
be disturbed
Plan for Revision Committee.
Representative Roberts of Massachusetts
has announced his intention of circulating
petition for a caucus 10 appoint a COM
mittee to sit during the recess of Congress
and revise the DinGley law. He claims
that. unless some effort is made along this
line by the Republican party. it is in dam
ger Of losing the fall elections.
When asked to-day as to the probable
success of Representative Roberts's endeav-
or leading Republican member of the
Ways and Means Committee pointed out
that in the vote of last week, although the
votes were taken in the heat of passion -
the general tariff revision amendments.
such as the Babcock biz. did not receive
single Republican vote, and many of them
were not supported unanimously by the
Democrats. He thought that this indicated
very general desire, particularly among
the Republicans, that the tariff should be
let alone. and he did not believe that what
they refused to do in the heat of passion
they would agree to do in cold blood
Speakers Position Defined.
During the course of the conversation to-
day on this subject. member sufficiently
familiar with the views of the Speaker and
leaders of the House to speak with au-
thority. after giving a number of reasons
why he considered tariff revision at this
time inadvisatle, explained the position of
the Speaker as follows:
THE Speaker of the House of Represen-
tatives is put there by the country at
large and must, as presiding officer, help
to shape the business of the House, having
due regard to the interests of the entire
country and cannot wholly give himself up
TO the views of any one district or part of
the country. 1 know, however, that he be-
lieves certain schedules might be revised
He had hoped that an arrangement could
have been made whereby agreed bill,
treating a few OF the schedules that should
be treated, could have been agreed upon in
advance by the Republican members of the
Finance Committee and the Ways and
Means Committee of the House and that
the Senate would caucus upon and agree
in advance TO such 4 bill which might be
taken up and passed by the House, COW
ering these items.
Opposition From the Senate.
81 further know that the Speaker went
over all these questions fully with the
President, who seemed gratified with the
suggestion, but when 1t came to be tried it
was found to be impossible to reach an
agreement at one end of the Capitol that
would secure such action, and he was COM
PEELED 10 abandon the project
In view of this authoritative statement, It
would appear that Representative Roberts's
plan is not likely 10 meet with any approval
is not at all probable that the House leaders
would care to antaEoniZe the Senate or to
waste time with a tariff-revision committee
whose labors would be thrown away.