The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1905-01-28
TARIFF MAKES TROUBLE.
Vigorous Opposition of Some Repub-
licans to the Presidents
Policy.

1t Is limited in Washington that there
Is the prospect of a serious split in the
republican party on the subject of the
tariff. In the house, under the leader
ship of Speaker Cannon, there is Wig.
orous opposition to the presidents poll
icy OF tariff revision. OF tariff revisio5
the republican national platform said
TO a republican congress and a repuE.
lican president this great question can
be safely trusted" They can be. They
can be trusted, as we predicted at the
time the platform was adopted-trusted
to do nothing. Tariff revision, "by its
friends" has been the cry of the republi-
can party for the past II years. That has
been the specious promise of the party
for campaign purposes, and apparently
for campaign purposes only, says the
New York Observer. What amusement
these repeated platform declarations
must afford those who control the legis.
lative acts of the party. 1t must be a
huge joke to them, these repeated dec
larations that the tariff is to be revised.
nv hhOW wv well I1dL III ICDQOlINub
party is not going to revise any tariffs to
the hurt of their profits. They know that
the party to whose support they are such
generous contributors will not cut down
their opportunities to make larger prof
its at home than they do abroad.
The stand patters" at the capitol.
of whom Speaker Cannon is the recog.
nized head, heard yesterday that it was
the purpose of the president to call an
extra session of congress for October
next to consider a revision of the tariff.
At once there became manifest a strong
opposition to carrying out any such pro-
gramme, even to the extent of a split in
the party. Speaker Cannon declared that
if the president did call such a session
it would be in direct opposition to the
wishes of the leaders of the party and
on misleading information as to what
the great majority of the republican
party desires. While the speaker op.
poses any tariff revision whatever, he
believes that if such a thing is to be at
tempted the special session should be
called in the spring; that a fall session
would be suicidal. He was very out
spoken in regard to the presidents plan,
and seemed determined that, if an extra
session is to be held, he shall have some
thing to say as to-when it shall be.
There were several things in Wash
ington that Gay calculated to disturb the
equanimity of Uncle Joe. In the first
place he doesn't believe there is any gen.
eral demand for tariff revision. He
doesn't believe it will be possible to re-
wise a few schedules without opening the
whole subject to discussion. Represent
ative Tawney, of Minnesota, had stated
to the president that his interviews with
his fellow members in the house had
forced him to the conclusion that there
was a strong demand for tariff revision.
This is directly contrary to Speaker Can
mons opinion of sentiment in the house,
and he manifested considerable irrita-
ton toward Mr.. Tawney. He also feels
it would be unwise to let the fact that
the tariff is to be revised become known
so long in advance. AS one correspond
ent says:
"Mr. Cannon holds that to let the news
so out that there is to be an extra session
in the fall TO consider the tariff would
be TO serve notice on the country that
tariff revision is inevitable. This would
cause a great s~tagnation of business in
this country, in his opinion, which would
begin at once and would extend until the
new tariff bill was in operation-probably
more han a year. 1t would check i'm
ports. The result would be a period of
hard times and great loss of revenue
There is already a deficit in the treasury,
and the excess of expenditures over re-
ceipts to-day for the five months and nine
days Of the present fiscal year amount to
$22, 10, 49S. SO.
Speaker Cannon seemed to be inclined
to lay great stress on the condition of the
treasury which confronts the administra-
ton if the country was to go through the
next II, u or IA months with tariff agitation
in the air. He predicted a much larger
deficit under these circumstances.
This is why the speaker is insisting on
an extra session in the spring If there
must be an extra session at all. His watch
word is: If you must revise the tariff. do
il quickly. and avoid upsetting the coun-
try for eight or nine months before you be-
gin"
The net result-or the nit result-will
be what it has been for so long a time,
nothing done. The tariff should be re-
vised, but the men who control the re-
publican party are not willing it should
be. and the rank and file of the party are
unable to force revision. Those that
could won't, and those that would can't.