The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1904-12-23
REVISION OF THE TARIFF.
Not Much likelihood of Reform I'm.
der Rule of the Repub-
lican Party.

Evidently the standpatters are begin
ling TO make themselves felt For II
s now said that the president has decided
hat there shall be no extra session
uext spring, while the question OF sum
noning congress in the fall prior 10 the
meeting Of the regular session is to be
held In allegiance. We should say that,
IL the matter Is postponed till the reg
ular session next December, the out
look for tariff reform. or revision. or
adjustment. Is not encouraging. says
the Indianapolis News Qnd). For a
Jaw enacted then would 90 into effect
IN the midst OF a congressional cam
paign, and that is a contingency which
members Will be most DESTROYS 10 avoid.
The experiment was tried With the Nc
Kinley and Wilson bills, and 1t did not
work well. The agitation in behalf OF
the Mills bill, which was being cOnsid-
cred by the house at the time when the
national democratic convention Of 1855
was in session, caused a good deal OF
trouble. So 10 seems To US that the cam
paign Of the standpatters has for its
first object the preventing Of an extra
session OF congress Immediately on the
adjournment Of the present session.
That object has apparently been ac-
complished. The present tariff is safe
Tor almost year, at any rate. OF
course the tariff cannot thus be taken
put OF politics-rather it will gain new
prominence. But those who feel that
lnaction is safer than any action that
has been proposed, will no doubt con
graduate themselves az the turn which
affairs have taken While those who are
fattening off the present exorbitant
duties will rejoice with exceeding great
10y. We are not at all surprised that
he republicans should be somewhat
embarrassed in dealing with this ques-
ton. Few Of them are deceived by the
owlish talk about amending special
schedules or changing particular rates.
They know that the whole thing hangs
together. that everything depends on
everything else, and that when the
question is opened up il will be opened
up wide. Free hides for instance.
would. unless the boot and shoe duties
we're cores 9ondingly lowered, mean
Just so much protection TO the manufac-
turers Of boots and shoes. There is
many manufacturer who will sub
scribe enthusiastically TO the doctrine
Of free raw materials. who would fight
bitterly any attempt 10 lower the duty
on his finished product This is not true
Of all Of them, but il is true Of many.
So the problem Is not so simple. Our
republican frierCs have been taught TO
believe that the Diueley tariff IS the
perfection OF legislation; they point TO
the prosperity that we have had with ii
in force; and the men who oppose any
revision are insistent in their argument
of which we have heard SO much
that we should let well enough alone
All the same the question is one which
the republican party will sooner or later
have 10 face. II it runs away from it
some other party will have TO do the
work. There are powerful influences
among the republicans favorable to re-
form, but the question is whether they
are as powerful as the financial-pollt
zeal combination opposed to change. At
present the latter appears 10 be the
stronger But its history may be short
lived. For after all the power is with
The people, and the question is whether
that power can make itself felt. 1t is
not very important what this or that
member Of congress may think about
this or another matter. For our con-
gressmen have many times shown that
they can turn somersadlts with remark
able neatness and dispatch. Even those
OF them supposed 10 be subject TO trust
and corporation influence want to know
first of all what their constituents think,
and il is by the opinions OF these latter
that they govern thenE elves. There |
fore. We would suggest that those repub- |
leans who want to see the tariff re-
formed shall inform their senator's and
of their wishes.