Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1905-01-22
pessimistic View Of President
Rooseyelt's Plans.
STAND OF THE cIN1RL WEST
Very Vague and Dim arc the Assur-
ances Held Out Regarding Material
Modification Of the Taritt-ln Hands
Of Its Friends.

lhcrc is no reason to believe that
any tariff revision which may be effect
ca during the next two years will
bring about ? material reduction Of
ehosc duties which President Mckinley
referred to in his last speech as no
longer needed, says tue Hartford
Times. Such a thing as putting steel
on tho Tree list. which could be safely
done, IS not spoken of as possibility.
even by the most earnest advocates of
revision. Indeed. there is great indef-
nltencss in the conversation of all the
Republican politicians when they be
Sln tc talk about the tariff. The only
duty 10 which we find any one Of them
willing to refer as likely to be changed
is the duty on wood pulp. Illinois is
represented in the Senate by one Chi
caSo man. Mr. Hopkins. In Chicago it
anywhere in the West there ought to
be welldeveloped sentiment and de-
mite opinion in favor OF tariff reduc-
tons. But this is the position Of Chi
Cage ana the Central West on the
question CT tariff reform, as stated BY
Senator Hopkins:
There are a few schedules in the
present tariff law which may need
modification-or revision, if you please
but do not find the sentiment to be
IN favor OF very general revision Of
TIE tariff. ! believe that the paper
schedule ought to be rearransed SO as
to strike at the white paper trust. and
there are. perhaps. a few other sched-
Nles Which. with benefit to the whole
people. might be readjusted. My be
i!el IS that We shall take up some leg
lSlatlon on the tariff. either at the next
regular session of Congress or at a
special session TO be called probably
Tor next October or November. Mean
time. members OF the Finance Commit
tee OF the Senate and of the Ways an,
Means Committee OF the House will
study the conditions and have a meas
urc practically prepared to offer when
ever Congress shall assemble Public
hearings, such as have been held in the
course OF the preparation Of tariff bills
IN the past. will be scarcely necessary
as tho statistical bureaus OF the gov.
crnmeEt now ore so thoroughly per-
fectel and up to date that all the data
needed i'll the framing OF a tariff meas
IRE are at the disposal OF the commit
tee performing the work"
very vague. very dim are the assur-
aEces held out here for such material
modification Of the tariff as will tend
TO Interfere With any of the monopolies
= Or so-called trusts. We hear a great
IDEAL about the iniQuities OF the Stand
ard Oil Company. but is there any rea-
son to expect that the duty which the
Dlngley law puts on Russian petroleum
VIII he taken off by tariff revision in
which Senator Allrich, of Rhode Is
land. has a hand? Abolition of the
needless duties on steel ana iron is not
openly advocated by any Republican
newspaper or politician in the land. so
lar as We know, nor is an effort being
made to carry through any well-undcr.
stood program of action.
The tariff is to be revised in the
dark 1t is to be revised ''by it's
friends. 1t is to be revised without
public hearings. When the process is
completed it will DO found that ten
schedules have been raised where one
has been lowered
In such tariff revision as this we
take little interest The President of
the United States is represented to be
earnestly in favor of tariff revision
What does he mean when he uses the
word revision? Nobody knows Tariff
revision as it is likely to be accom-
pllshcd by Mr.. Roosevelt and his
trends in Congress Will be found to be
{; schema to secure increased privi-
leSes for the monopolics and a further
long postponement of any real relief
from tariff burdens.