Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-25
THE TARIFF GHOST
Speaker Cannon Worried Over
the Outlook.
MEMBERS WILL TALK
THOSE ON WAYS AND MEANS
COMMITTEE WON'T STAND PAT.
McCleary Has a Plan of Retaliation
Needham Objects to Cuban Reel
procity-There Are Others.
WILL TALK

Speaker Cannon, it is evident, is going to
nave hard time keeping the lid on the
tarln cauldron after Congress reassembles
Two or three branches of tariff discussion
are bound to come up and several gentle
men in the House are aching to get the
floor.
Although the Speaker organized the ways
ana means committee as a "stand-pat'
pody, there are some republican members of
II who are looking for trouble and are
likely to make a breeze before they get
through. What the Speaker and his stand
pat friends desire more than anything else
Is that the tariff be let aIone-keep mum:
don stir up any talk in the House and
give the wicked democrats a chance to saw
unpleasant things that may smack of rea-
sonableness to the country
1t doesn't seem, however, that this much
Desired policy of repression and silence can
be carried out. There is Mr. McCIearv
the new member of he committee who VS.
put on because it was said he represented
the views of the extreme protectionists
VINO has a bill that once presented in the
house VIII open wide discussion Mr. Nc
Cledry is pressing a minimum and maxi
mum tariff bill and says he believes II can
be reported 10 the House.
The McCleary Pan.
TIE McCleary plan is to impose an in
creased duty of % per cent of existing rates
upon the products of any country which
dlscriminates against the United States
The bill is aimed at Germany. He thinks
the only way to deal with the German in
creased tariff is to retort in kind When
that Dill comes up in the Housse II will
cause debate on reciprocity and low tariff
Then there is Mr. Needham of California
another republican member of the commit
zee on ways and means. who is cunning for
cuban reciprocity. Mr.. Needham desires
10 END the arrangement by which we secure
lower duties on American goods going into
cuba IN return for a reduction OF % uer
cent of the tariff on Cuban sugar and to-
Ddcco. He holds that the balance of trade
is against us and that the favor to cuba
dIscrlminates against American agricultur-
lists.
No denial can be made of the fact that
the balance of trade is against the United
States, as Cuba will sell us this year about
Sloe.ue,eoo worth of goods and viii take
nom US only about S45,000,0O0. But the
point is this: The United States would have
to buy that sugar and tobacco. whether
reciprocity existed or not, and it cannot
be denied that reciprocity has increased our
sales 20 Cuba.
In 1903, without reciprocity the sales 70
Cuba of American products were S23, 800 600
In 1904 they had increased to So, $50 900
and this year they will approximate S45,-
o0,VD, 1t Is thought. There is a feeling of
irritation in Congress against Cuba, which
may serve to secure more attention TO the
Needham bill.
Cuban Reciprocity.
Congress entered into reciprocity with
Cuba very unwilingly. In fact it might
be said Congress was dragged into 1t by
the administration But the reasons which
impelled that action are existent now as
they were in 1903, 1t is claimed by the ad-
ministration's friends in Congress, and there
Will be decided opposition to the Needham
bill What worries the Speaker, however,
Is that the pesky thing leaves room for
tariff talk.
Mr.. Babcock has not flushed his tariff
plans yet. but It is assumed that be still
has hostile eye upon the high steel duties |
John Dalzell of Pittsburg is watching him
like a hawk, TO see If he is going to
draw" It's terrible the way Dalzell feels
about Babcock. If one could imagine the
horror with which a holy nun would re-
gard Faust, it might describe Dalzel when
he contemplates BabcoCk laying impious |
hands upon the sacred steel schedule
But Mr.. Babcock represents a district |
where tariff revision is rampant, and he |
will have a fight his hands when he |
comes up for denomination. 1t may be nee |
essary for him to shock Dalzell very Sc |
verely before the session is over. And |
there, says the Speaker, throwing up his |
hands in despair, will be more tariff talk" |
The Democrats Militant.
Then there is the democracy, militant this |
year and intent upon prodding the repub- |
licans into awakening from the stand-pat |
stupor into which their leaders are trying |
to keep them. Considerable latitude of de- |
bate is allowed in the consideration of ap- |
propriation bills in committee of the whole, |
and great many democrats are known TO |
be getting ready for tariff speeches
John Sharp Williams, the democratic lead |
er, has plan for dealing with discrlmina- |
tions different from Mr.. McClearys. Mr.. |
Williams, instead OF going after the dis |
cripinators with a club, in the shape of ad- |
dit nal duties of % per cent, would coax |
them with a sugar plum to be good-offer |
them a reduction of 20 per cent If they |
wont discriminate against us.
And for every word uttered about these |
several plans in the House, there will be a |
dozen words about high duties and the ne |
cess;ty for reduction. Hence these tears |
from the stand-patters, who don't see their |
way clear to head off the talk.