The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-01-14
REVISION OF TARIFF.
Discussion to Re Stopped and Congress Called Ostensibly for Rate Law.


 Called Ostensibly for Rate Law. Walter Wellmans Washington Special to Chicago Record Herald. How to readjust some of the tariff schedules without too much talk about it and without disturbing business con ditions is the perplexing problem now before President Roosevelt and the Republican leaders.
 It looks tonight as if they had solved it by adoption of an informal agree ment comprising the following pro- gram:
 First-To stop talking about tariff revision; to give word out to the coun- try that a majority of the Republican membership of the House is against it. Second-If the expected event that no railway rate legislation be passed at this session, President Roosevelt to call a special session of the new Con- gress to take up that subject early next autumn.
 Third-At that session, without ad- vertisement or announcement, without disturbing business by the menace of coming changes, to pass a bin modify ing few of the schedules, which need overhauling.
 Speaker Cannon was a visitor to the White House this morning and later 1t became known to few well-informed men that the atmosphere was clearing and that something like the foregoing program had been tacitly agreed to, the only condition being that meanwhile public sentiment continues to express itself in favor of revision.
 On leaving the White House Speaker Cannon advised the newspaper men to stop talking about tariff revision and special sessions, and advised them to write of the death of the devil or some other live subject.
 Within an hour after the speaker had returned to the capitol it was declared by his lieutenants that a pretty care ful canvass of the Republican member ship had been made and that a large majority of the members were opposed to tariff revision.
 A Republican Senator who was at the White House this afternoon said the President would call an extra ses- sion to take up interstate commerce bills; that meanwhile Chairman Payne of the House Ways and Means Commft- tee and Senator Aldrich of the Senate Finance Committee would get together quietly and unofficially and agree, if possible, upon program; that bills would be ready for introduction when the special session meets and that thus tariff modification to satisfy public sentiment would be reached without unsettlng the business interests by an announcement long ahead that duties were to be overhauled
 Such Is the present aspect of the It, tie tariff revision drama. What it will look like tomorrow or next week one can only guess. as 1t shifts from hour 10 hour. The idea that an advertise ment of coming tariff changes would hurt the business of the country and incidentally damage the Republican Party has been a hobby with Speaker Cannon. He has talked. of 1t early ana late. On account of this fear he has insisted that if the tariff is to be overhauled the work should be done as early as possible--in March next and be out of the way before much damage could result. The understand Ing that word is to go out to the coun- try that the subject has been dropped and then go ahead and do something when the proper time comes Is a sort of compromise between the two forces. President Roosevelt has managed the auair from his standpoint with great skill and he now has hopes of bring ing down two birds-railway rate leg islation and tariff readiustment-wfth a single extra session stone If seems quite certain he will get action as to the railways. and while the other is probable some of the keenest observers fin Washington are not ready to be- lleve in tariff changes till they see then, actually on the statute book