The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-09-19
Special Correspondent of The New York Evening Post.

AAH Much interest attaches here to
 v the conference of tomorrow at Oyster Bay between the President and several senators, because of the belief that the political situation generally Ia to be discussed, and particularly the tariff question. Evidences abound that the discussion of this question In the west which the President is to visit soon. has reached a stage that requires him. as the leader of his party. to approach the subject with great delicaey It is thought to be high time for an under standing as to party policy, east and west
 The reports from MT. Tawney's district in Minnesota are illustrative. His oppo- nent is making the fight on the charge that Tawney is too conservative a protec- tlonist, and that as a member of the Ways an Means committee he helped to form the present Dingley tariff and so is responsible for rates which the peo- pie of that district now realize to be ex- treme. especially where they apply to l articles the producers of which hold a practical monopoly. That this fight should be made against Tawney Is rather remarkable, as he was the only republ- can on the committee who voted with MT. Babeoek. and yet Tawney promises to be still more of a tariff revisionist if re- turned to congress. In other districts throughout the northwest there are sim liar rumblings against the tariff system; and it Is not unlikely that a considerable
 
 congress. in both houses, will find them- selves committed to tariff readjustment. This republican contingent if allied with tariff reformers on the democratic side might push a measure through the house. much in the same way as the Cuban re- ciprocity bill won in the house against the opposition of the republican leaders.
 In the senate, however. such measure would encounter strong resistance at any tlme and particularly in the short com ing session. The equal representation of of the states in the senate brings out the united we stand. divided we falr' principle as 1t does not appear in the house. For example, Mir. Foss, who is candidate for the republican congress sional nomination in the new boston dis- triet on the tariff reform issue, asws for free hides and free wool. This request would sound well in the house, and would get many republican votes from the pop ulous eastern states, which have a large representation. But whoever proposed this in the senate would be asked if the party cared to lose a number of Rocky mountain states. or at least to forfeit ,f any tariff measure that the party might have in contemplation. MT. Warren of Wyoming, state which now has pop ulation three-fourths as large as that of the city of Worcester, Is justly indig- nant at the suggestion of free hides, while New England would continue to enjoy protection on many things. If Ari- zona and New Mexico were by that time states in the Union, their senior senators would doubtless say that the only con- dition upon which these southwestern commonwealths had agreed to remain re- publican was that duties should remain on the products which Mir. Foss desires to free from tax.
 Again. somebody might propose to re- duce the duty on borax, which is about
 
 sumner to those who control the borax product as would be money paid in coin out of the federal treasury. There would be one answer to this proposal. Do we want to lose Senator Stewards vote? Shall we abandon Nevada?
 Long schooling in the philosophy of standing together characterizes the sem ate and its legislative decisions. Any tariff revision measure to command It's support must consist of a comprehensive proposal more favorable than the present one to the business interests of a majority of the republican states, or at least sup posedly so. or course, predominant weight will be given to the desires of the pro ducers over the consumers, since the stake of the former usually reaches pro- portions which give him degree Of inter- est in the matter which multitude of petty pennies of consumers, although they may more than equal 1t in the ag- gregate, do not offset
 The members of the senate are. as a rule. old and experienced politicians. Tar if revision does not easily adapt itself to their methods of doing business. MT. Roosevelt's recent experience in trying to secure thriiing and temporary cut through reciprocity with Cuba, in the duty on product which enjoys a pro- lection of nearly 100 Ter cent, is a good example. The President who would see his proposals readily taken up by con- gress and successfully put through should come out for radical increases in the rates of duty, to be distributed oyer the pro- ducts of gigantic monopolies, in inverse ratio to the difference in labor cost. if any between this country and abroad. Such a proposal, properly disguised in soft phrases concerning the American work l ingman would meet a very responsive | echo in the. republican caucus of the United States senate Those republicans who believe tbat l prosperity is now at it's high water mark. | and so should not be interfered with. and | are at the same time convinced that changes in the tariff ought to be made. | recognize lack of suitable machinery | under our system of government with | which to accomplish their ends. We have | apparently nothing but a surgical opera | ton for dealing with the tariff, during | which our industries must be under an | anaesthetic. What we need is more | delicate method of treatment, and this |