The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1902-08-21
REPUBLICANS AND REVISION.

kIfIDIiAhNS NV
Republicans and tariff revision is the
subject Of an entertaining article in the
Springfield Republican. 1t follows
The Republican congressional cam
paign book is receiving wide dlstribu'
ton, say the Washington dispatches.
This book ignores the Cuban reciprocity
issue and the tarilf-trust issue. These
are questions which the party will
avoid as much az possible in the cam
paign Senator Platt of New York APP
peared in Mondays papers as saying
that the Republican convention OF that
state will not bother with federal
issues' which in another way Of saying
that the party does not care to be
drawn into fight over tariff revision
or tariff reform, either for reciprocity
with Cuba or for depriving the trusts
Of the shelter Of high customs rates.
Gen. Grosvenor of Ohio, one Of the
party leaders in congress, on being re-
nominated Saturday, said that when
the proper time comes the tariff
shedules will be oyerhauled and such
changes will be made ~ are deemed
necessary The Republican party
could be trusted TO attend to the bust
ness at the right time, and it was
work that the people should never per.
81, n, g.. 10
I'VE have to 90 further west than
Ohio to find any marked symptoms OF
Republican dissatisfaction with the
tariff, and they are sporadic, The Iowa
convention stands pretty much alone.
Here and there Republican candidates
for congress will talk in favor Of re
vision M against the trusts, but the
party ~ a whole will evade the ques
ton. So much il now evident Its
recognized leaders will talk of revision
~ something 10 be undertaken ut the
proper time but when that time is no
one will be informed. Obviously, ~
the question is TO be excluded from this
campaign ~ far AZ possible, the proper
time will not come in the life Of the
congress to be elected this fall. That
puts revision over for at least two
years and until after the presidential
election Of 1904 Meantime the trusts
can make the most of their protection.
But can the Republican party he
trusted 10 revise the tariff when the
proper time comes, or 10 consider any
time az proper within the lifetime Of
this generation And if 80 revision
which way Down or up The answer
OF experience II not promising Years
ago the party used to admit the neces.
sity Of reform and modification Of the
war tariff 1t made some reduction in
1872 and unmade il IN 1876. BY 1882 it
had got around TO the concession Of a
revision through u tariff commission,
but the resulting modification Of 1888,
as every one knows, amour cd to moth,
ing. Then came the accumulation of
issue by President Clevelauds tariff
reform message Of 1887, and what Re.
publican tariff revision then meant
was shown in the enactment Of the Me
Kinley law Of 1880 making the protec-
tive rates higher than ever. We had
another sample Of Republican revision
in 1897 when the Diugley law was
passed. imposing rates even more ex.
treme than the Mckinley rates. Is
revision at the proper time now 10 he
understood ~ meaning "a further al.
vance in rates instead Of modiica.
ton
Thus, by trusting the party to 70
wise at the proper time, the whole
question IL left In the dark, and will be-
kept there by the Republican leaders.
There if doubt of what II meant by re.
vision. There il greater doubt as e
the time. And the conclusion must be
that no intention exists on the part OF
those now in power 10 permit any re-
vision, except possibly one in AN up
ward direction one that will give eyer
greater shelter 10 the trust than they
have under the Dingley law
If then, the country needs anG
wants reform Of the tariff schedules
how is il 10 be obtained, except through
the opposition party The people ap
pear to lie talking Of this reform a.
something that needs To be done
especially in view Of the rise Of tn,
trusts. The Republican leaders appear