The Paducah sun., 1906-03-28
Replies to Mccall and Makes
His Position Plain.
The Chairman Says the Majority Is
Against Change At Present
Session.
ISSUE Is STRONGLY STATED

Washington, March 2S.- What
may be regarded as the final pro
nouncement against tariff revision al
the present session of congress Is
contained in a letter from Chairman
Payne, of the house ways and means
committee. in reply to communica-
tion sent him by Representative Nc
Call on behalf of the Massachusetts
delegation In congress. Mr.. Mccall
calls attention in his communication
to the declaration in the Republican
state platform of Massachusetts for
tarin revision, with adherence to the
policy OF protection, and to the dec
iaration In the Republican national
platform regarding the readjustment
OF duties when conditions demand
and intrustlng the question TO a Re-
publican president and congress. The
Massachusetts view, as presented, is
that conditions have so changed as
TO demand change over the Dlngley
rates, which have served nine years
In his reply Mr.. Payne first calls
attention to the method by which
The tariff legislation must be brought
aDout--by concurrent view of the
majority Of the party in power. He
next points out that this concurrent
view does not exist. The house, he
says, is divided into groups OF mem
bers. each group favoring the modlH-
cation OF different schedules, while
he says a majority OF the Republl-
cans In the house do not believe that
there should be any change at all.
He declares that the people have for
gotten the disaster politically and
commercially. which followed the tar
IN change OF 1860, and concludes
with the following reasoning:
Congress Is not prepared to review
the tariff schedules in that calm, ju-
dicial frame of mind, so necessary in
the preparation OF a tariff act at a
time so near the coming congression-
al elections. The Dingley bill was
the most successful ever enacted. Its
political results were so evident to
the country during the rs months
that elapsed between its passage and
the next election that the people
have continued the policy of that
bill TO the present day. IL would be
unfortunate should any precipitste
action in the future result in a tenn
porary reversal in the policy OF pro-
lection in the United States.
while II is true that some i'm
provement could well be made in the
rates under the Dingley bill 1t was
probably as free from defect at the
time OF its passage as any new law
which could now be enacted. During
the nine years of its operation the
Country has enjoyed prosperity un-
paralleled, a prosperity which at the
present time is simply marvellous.
We may well hesitate to take any
chance OF interrupting the business
OF the country by general revision
OF the tariff and we should never en-
ter upon 1t until we are satisfied that
such revision will accomplish re-
suits far outweighing any well
grounded apprehension of business
depression and consequent evil re-
suits. which would come. even tenn
porarily, from such revision.
81 can not, therefore. agree with
your delegation that II would be best
at the present session of congress to
enter upon a consideration of a tariff
with view to its revision and read
justment. While this is my indlvid-
ual opinion. ! have reason to believe
that IL is also the judgment OF a de-
cided majority of the committee on
ways and means"