Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1904-12-08
REVISION NOW AND THEN.
The Tariff Situation as It Is To-Day
and Some Twenty Years
Ago.

Conditions political n onoml re-
lating to the tariff closely resemble the
situation % years ago. The country had
been for some time in the midst of great
prosperity, complaints directed against
various tariff schedules were accumulat-
ing in large volume, particularly from
the west, and the republican party,
having recovered control of congress
and won a presidential election, was in
clined to be indulgent in the matter,
So the tariff commission of 1888 was
authorized, and the country was asked
o behold what it had never seen before
and has never seen since-the tariff re-
vised and moderated "by its friends"
says the Springfield Mass Republican.
What resulted is too well known to
require r%ecounting. Democrats in con-
gress generally opposed the reference
of the question to a commission on the
ground that it was a scheme to delay and
defeat revision. The truth probably is
that the republican majority started out
in good faith to revise and reduce, but
it baked when the time came to act.
The commission recommended only
moderate reductions, but the republican
congress refused to accept wen a mild
cut, and it was a question, when the job
had been finished up, whether the tariff
had not been left quite as high as before.
in defeating reductions, as the demo-
Gratis had predicted. The country did
indeed witness a tariff revision 'by its
friends" but it was the sort of revision
the friends always give us-revision
without reduction.
Only in one important particular does
the situation to-day relative to tariff re-
vision differ from that of 20 odd years
ago. Then a large surplus revenue, dis
turbing to the money market and taxing
the efforts of the secretary of the treas
ury to dispose of, was pouring into the
government vaults, and this was a con-
sideration in favor of tariff reductf on
which was given prominence in the dis
cussions leading up to the appointment
of a commission. And the existence of a
surplus revenue has always figured
prominently and primarily in tariff re-
auctions. This was true of the COM
promise tariff of 1888, of the reductions
of 1857 and 1872, and of the tariff reform
agitation started by President Cleveland
in 1887.
At the present moment, however, this
most important factor in compelling
considerations of tariff reduction is lack
ing. The treasury not many months
ago was enjoying or suffering from
troublesome surplus venue But the
last congress met the problem by in.
creasing expenditures instead of reduc-
ing taxation, and now, as a consequence
the treasury is dealing with a deficit
which exceeds 5000 0 900 for the fiscal
year to date. Reduce taxes when a pol
icy of extravaganza has imposed the
need of more taxes? That will be the
cry raised by the tariff extremists wher
the question is brought up in congress
and that it will prove of force and effecI
we can hardly doubt.
However, agitation for reduction
either direct or through reciprocity ar
engagements, has obtained too mucl
Roadway in republican business circle:
to be ignored, and the president evident
ly recognizes the fact. What he will dt
remains to be seen. But the experience
of 1883 must convince him that the plal
of a commission will be excellent fol
purposes of delay and evasion, and fol
little else. Furthermore, a reference
of the question to a regular session o
congress would also be likely to brins
to it scant attention of an immediate
and practical nature. If, then, the presi
dent really means business" in tn,
matter, he will adopt the suggested plal
of calling a special session next sprins
to deal with the subject especially. w,
shall see as to this; but meantime tn,
republican friends of reduction through
Canadian reciprocity or otherwise mus
recognize that the deficit producing ex.
~travagance of the last congress, evi
IDENTIFY to be followed by tbs next con,
gress, has robbed them of q powerful
weapon; for the high tariff party will
never consent to a reduction of revenue
from customs to be made good by addi
tional internal taxes.
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