The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-11-30
Manufacturing Interests Would
 be Greatly Benefited
COUNTRY HOLDS ITS BREATH.
Revision Always Affects Business cons ditions In a Greater or Less De- gree, and This Is What tho
 Republican Party Fears.

Washington, November 2s.-(special.)--a Representative Underwood of Alabama arrived in Washington this morning to attend the approaching session of con- gress. He Is heartily in favor of tarifn revision and Is in hopes that the Presi- dent will call an extra session for that purpose in order that the work may be concluded as early as possible.
 Representing, as he does, great Iron and steel district, MT. underwood's views on the subject are of good deal mora importance than the average democrat
 AS to the necessity of revision of tha tariff" said Mr. Underwood, T do nod suppose there is man in the United States from the President down to tha youngest shipping clerk in any furnaces factory or mill. who has given the ques- tion any thought or study, that does not recognize that the Dingley tarim schedules are entirely out of adjustment with the present business interests or the country, and are a serious menace and Injury to the extension of our trade with foreign nations. That the manu- featuring and business interests of the country would be greatly benefited by a careful and proper revision of the tarifr cannot be doubted Of course, revi- sion of the tarifr by either party affects business conditions until after the new tariff has been enacted and it's effect tried on the country.
 Like the Country Physician.
 .srhe position of the republican party in reference to the matter Is a great deal like the country physician. who was called to treat a case of cancer and as he did not know enough of surgery to operate on the case and remove the cause. he continually administered opiaies so as to relieve the patient of any pain as long as he lived 1 have not heard of q politician in the last campaign who | did not admit that the Dingley schedule needed revision, but they objected to revision taking place because the oper- ation might temporarily hurt the country. | Of course there never Is time when l you can have a revision of the tariff, un- der the present method of revising the same, that the country will not hold it's breath until the operation is over
 But that does not justify the parry in power doing nothing. and serious ly hampering the development of our for eign trade because they are afraid to apply the necessary remedy
 Favored Making Trade Contracts.
 Mr. Underwood stated some years ago | he advocated the enactment of bill au- | thorizing the President to make trade contracts with foreign nations subject to the ratification of the house of rep resentatives and the senate. This would | only require a majority vote in either house. and not a two thirds vote as 1 does the ratification of a reciprocity treaty In the senate.
 In this way the President could gradu- ally amend the schedules without in any
 way seriously affecting business condi- tians and at the same time use 1t to
 extend our foreign trade and relieve the unjust burdens of the present tariff sched-
 ules.
 He did not think that there was any
 chance of the republican party adopting
 such a programme because It would De opposed by certain large protected inter
 ests that were unwilling to stand alone
 on the merits of their individual cases and always insisted on general revision should one be necessary, so that they may have room in which to trade.