The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1904-12-09
DIFFERENCE IN REVISION.
rhe Tariff Situation az 1t Is To-Day
and Some Twenty Years
Ago.

Conditions political and economic re
lating 10 the tariff closely resem BILE the
situation 22 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 presidential election, was in
clined to be indulgent In the matter
So the tariff commission Of 1883 was
authorized, and the country was asked
% behold what II had never seen before
ana has never seen sinoe-the tariff re-
vised and moderated "by its friends, :"
says the Springfield (Mass) Republican
What resulted Is too well known TO
require recOunting. Democrats in con
gress generally opposed the refere4sc
Of the question TO a commission on the
ground that il was a scheme to delay and
defeat revision. The truth probably is
that thr republican majority starred 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 even a mild
cut, and IL was question. when the JOB
had been finished up. whether the tariff
had not been left quite as high as before
Thus the commission device did result
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-reyision
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 large surplus revenue. dis
turbing to the money market and taxing
the efforts of the secretary OF the treas
ury 10 dispose Of. was pouring into the
government vaults. and this was a con
sideration in favor Of tariff reduction
which was given prominence In the dis
:ussions leading up 20 the appointment
OF 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 1893, 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 a
troublesome surplus revenue. 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 $4,000 900 for the fiscal
year to date. Reduce taxes when pol
icy of extravaganza has imposed the
need of more taxes? That will be the
cry raised by the tariff extremists when
the question is brought up in congress
and that it will prove Of force and effecl
we can hardly doubt.
However. agitation for reduction
tllntl Nilttl vi NHlOlNA it'lHi RNAls a.
rangements, has obtained too much
Roadway in republican business circles
TO be ignored. and the president evident
" recognizes the fact What he will dc
remains TO be seen. But the experience
Of 1883 must convince him that the plan
OF a commission will be excellent for
purposes Of delay and evasion. and for
little else. Furthermore. a reference
Of the question to a regular session OF
congress would also be likely 10 bring
to il scant attention OF an immediate
and practical nature. If. then. the presi-
dent really means business" in the
matter. he will adopt the sugges. ed plan
of calling a special session next spring
to deal with the subject especially. We
shall see as TO this; but meantime the
republican friends of reduction through
Canadian reciprocity or otherwise must
recognize that the deficit producing ex-
travagance Of the last congress, evil
IDENTIFY to be followed by the next con-
gress, has robbed them of a powerful
weapon; for the high tariff party will
never consent 10 a reduction Of revenues
from customs to be made good by addi-
tional internal taxes.