The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-05-28
Is Revision Sentiment Dying Out?

Is Revision Sentiment Dying Out?
The Boston Transcript of May 20
contains a letter from Minneapolis
discussing what it describes as the
subsistence of tariff revision sentiment
in the west. The writer for the
Transcript refers to the fact that for
sometime past there has been a
strong tariff reform sentiment among
the republicans of the west, including
Minnesota, and that tariff revision has
had a good deal of exploiting by the
Minnesota press. He is of the opin-
ion. however, that there is not now
much sentiment among the republic
cans in this state in favor of tariff
revision, and that as to Canadian reci-
procity, while the sentiment in bust
ness centers is favorable, it is not so
in the rural sections. He points to
the overthrow Oft the Cummins fac
ton in Iowa and the abandonment of
what is known as. the iowa idea,'' by
the republicans of that state. He
cites the endorsement Of Congressman
Volstead by his own district and the
pains taken to make 1t appear in the
district convention that the republic
cans of his district strongly supported
his opposition to Canadian reciprocity
The attitude Of Illinois and Ohio is
also cited in support Of the theory
that republicans turnout the svest are
coming to be "standpatters" and that
revision sentiment is dying out.
The surface indications support this
conclusion to some extent, ,altho as
an Offset to the abandonment of, the
'Iowa idea" in Iowa may be cited
the clear and unequivocal declaration
Of the republicans of Wisconsin in
favor of such tariff revision as will
rob trust-made articles Of such pro-,
lection as will enable the manufac-
turers to exact exorbitant prices.
Z Undoubtedly the. attitude of the
president toward tariff reform and
his expressed judgment that it ought
not to be undertaken in the midst of
q political campaign has silenced the
voices Of a good many advocates Of
revision until after the election is
over. The theory of the president
was that revision undertaken in times
Of political excitement and worked
out under the influence of an active
campaign Is less likely to be we'll
considered and 8, fortunate than If
postponed to- a.: time when calmer
judgment might prevail. A great
many republicans who received this
intimation from the president. in this
City over year ago were not little
disappointed then at the position
which he assumed, altho their loyalty
to him and confidence in his SINGER
ity, have since led them to adopt his
opinion and agree that tariff revision
should be so deferred.
This undoubtedly explains in large
part the prevailing tariff attitude of
the west, and particularly of this state.
Tt is a much more probable explana-
ton Of the subsistence Of the demand
for tariff revision than the theory
that the people of the west have be-
come imbued with the idea that the
tariff needs no revision and should re
main indefinitely as it Is. We are in
clined to regard the declaration of our
home paper at Alexandria, as defining
tariff sentiment among republicans
in this state at the present time. He
Is quoted as having said recently that
tariff revision in the face of a presi-
Dental campaign was seldom safe
and rarely satisfactory. But in his
judgment the tariff Is to. be revised
:. ~
next congress which will be elected
largely upon that issue.
The transcripts correspondent say
that the revisionists and the reel
procity advocates have been making
all the noise. If they have been more
demonstrative in the past than thu
"standpatters'' the positions of thos,
two elements have already beer
changed. Nobody is quite SO nois.
nova days as the "standpatter." H
has come to feel that republican sue
cess is certain and that concession
to the tariff reformers are unneces
sary. The "standpatter," from tn
very name he bears, will make no con
cessions until he is obliged to. With
candidate for president who appeal
to the west so strongly that he is him
self a platform, regardless of any
thing the convention may say, the pc
litical leaders who shape the policie
of the republican party seem to fin
it better politics to ignore and evel
suppress the revision sentiment of tn
west that they may the more success
fully appeal to the high protectio
preferences Of the east With Thee
dore Roosevelt as the republican can
didate this may be successfully done
With any man less popular in tn