The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-11-21
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 All the indications are that our Re- publican statesmen are in for some strenuous times during the next few months. and all on account of the tar- If. That there is a wide divergence of opinion among them on this im- portant and always perplexing ques- tion is beyond doubt. The exigenctes Of a campaign and the necessity of working in harmony to win. caused them to temporarily lay aside their differences, but that is all over, they are largely in the majority in Con. gress. and now we may look for a con- troversy which. We hope. will disor- sanize their forces beyond ali repair.
 Beyond doubt the stand pat" dogma was the real feeling of most. at least of the strongest leaders of the party. That they recognize their obligations to tariff-protected corporations Is too plain to be disputed. and that this class of Republicans consider the tariff good enough as it is does not admit of doubt. They are satisfied to let 1t re- main as tits benefciaries want 1t and that's all there Is to it.
 But there Is another class of Repub- licans, like Representative Babcock of wisconsin, who are earnestly and hon. estlx. 1t would seem, in favor of tariff revision. not only as a matter of policy but as e matter of right and justice, and 1t Is getting to be pretty plain that they will have a large and strong fol- lowing Indeed, ex-Governor Wash burn of Minnesota, asserts that nine tenths of the thinking Republicans of the country, and especially the Western ones. "dsmand businesslike and just revision of the present tariff sched- ules." He may be mistaken as to the strength of that demand, but 1t is evil dent that there is a strong sentiment of that kind extant in the West, that there Is also much of 1t in New Eng land, and that 1t cannot be held in abeyance, now that no campaign is on.
 Then, to add another to the compli- cations, we arc given to understand that the President favors revision, and will not only recommend but insist on it. Just how far he will go, or exactly in what direction he will go. is not yet apparent, but with his known bullhead- edness, If he decides that very ma terial reduction should be made he is certain to advise and try to enforce his views. Now that he has been trI- umphantly endorsed. and has no more favors to ask, he will follow his own inclinations, and if they be towards material revision and reduction in the interest of all the people he will exert himself to bring about such revision and let the stand-patters go hang.
 That is the way 1t appears now, and the picnic will begin when Congress meets. Suppose--lt Is only suppo- sition-but suppose that the party should come together SO far as to agree that there should be revision, the fun will come when they try to agree on the particulars. Which infant industry shall continue to be coddled and which shall have the nursing g-bottle taken from 1t. There will hardly be a prom inent Republican in Congress who will not have some tariff protected indus try in his district which he doesn't want injured. or some trust-fed cor poration he must take care of, or some millionaire tariff baron whose enmlty he dare not incur. All of them will have an infant to nurse, and will not want violent hands laid on It's cradle.
 It Is just here that the fun will be- gin. as we view the situation, and 1t bids fair to be in the nature of a circus for the Democrats. for they will not be among the performers, unless it be in the character of understudies. They can sit in peace and quiet and see cat-fght that ought to afford them genuine amusement, and perhaps they can find opportunity to put in a wedge occasionally, or slip in word to add to the gayety of the occaaion.
 That the tariff ought to be materially modified is not a question that can be disputed. Even its strongest advo- some of its burdensome inequalities, but they can give various reasons for delaying any change whether they can continue to put 1t off seems now very doubtful, especially in view of the attitude of some members of their own party. They give out that the party cannot and should not longer bear the odium of the present system and seem sincere in advocating a change. The constant argument of some Republicans that "the tarifr must be revised by it's friends" has reached its limit, for the friends of the iniquity will have every thing their own way for a time. We are curious to see what steps they will