Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1905-03-09
REVISION IN THE DARK.
Tariff Reduction as It Is Planned by
Republicans and Mo
nopolists.

There is no reason to believe that any
tariff revision which may be effected dur
ing the next two years will bring about a
material reduction of those duties which
President Mckinley REFEREED to in his last
speech as no longer needed. Such a thing
as putting steel on the free list, which
could be safely done, is not spoken of as
a possibility, even by the most earnest
advocates of revision. Indeed, says the
Hartford Times, there is great indefinite
ness in the conversation OF all the repub-
lican politicians when they begin to talk
about the tariff. The only duty to 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 Chicago man, Mr.. Hopkins.
In Chicago, if anywhere in the west
there ought to be a well-developed senti-
ment and definite opinion in favor OF tar
if reductions. But this is the position
of Chicago and the central west on the
question of tariff reform, as stated by
Senator Hopkins:
There are a few schedules in the
present tariff law which may need modi-
fcation-or revision, if you please-but
| do not find the sentiment to be in favor
of a very general revision of the tariff.
| believe that the paper schedule ought
to be r~earranged so as to strike at the
white paper trust, and there are, per-
haps. a few other schedules which, with
benefit to the whole people, might be re-
adjusted. My belief is that we shall take
up some legislation on the tariff, either
at the next regular session of congress or
at a special session to be called, probably
for next October or November. Mean
time, members of the finance committee
of the senate and of the ways and means
committee of the house will study the
conditions and have a measure practical
~ prepared to offer whenever 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 the statistical
bureaus of the government 0 are so
thoroughly perfected and up to date
that all the data needed in the framing
of a tariff measure are at the disposal OF
the committee performing the work."
Very vague, very dim are the assur-
ances 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 deal
about the iniquities of the Standard Oh
company. but is there any reason to ex-
pect that the duty which the Dingley law
puts on Russian petroleum will be taker
off by a tariff revision in which Senator
Aldrich, of Rhode Island, has a hand;
Abolition of the needless duties IN steel
and iron is not openly advocated by any
republican newspaper or politician in the
land, so far as we know, MOI is an effort
being made to carry through any well
understood programme of action.
The tariff is to be revised "in the dark
It is to be revised "by it's friends" 1t il
TO be revised without public hearings
When the process is completed it will bt
found that ten schedules have beer
raised where one has been lowered.
In such tariff revision as this we TAX
little interest. The president of the Unit
ed States is represented to be earnestl.
in favor of tariff revision. What does h,
mean when he uses the word revision
Nobody knows. Tariff revision as it i
likely to be accomplished by Mr.. Roose
welt and his friends in congress will b.
found to be a scheme to secure increased
privileges for the monopolies and a fur
Their long postponement of any real re
lief from tariff burdens.