Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1906-12-25
REPUBLICANS AGREE
ON TARIFF POLICY
PARTY LEADERS IN CONGRESS
DECIDE TO POSTPONE RE-
VISION UNTIL 1909.
SPECIAL SESSION
TO BE HELD THEN
Last Elections Show Trend of Public
Opinion Favors a Change, But
Criticism Is Feared If Issue Is
Raised,

Criticism Is Feared If Issue Is
Raised.
Chicago, Dec. 24.-According to the
Washington correspondent of the Chi
oago Daily News. Republican leaders
IN congress have mapped out a tariff
policy to govern the Republican party
until 1909. 1t is as follows:
There will be no extra session of
congress next spring to revise the
tariff.
The tariff will be revised at spe-
cial session Immediately following the
inauguration of new president on
March 4, 1909.
At the close of the long session of
the Sixtieth congress in the spring of
1908 tariff commission may be Gre
ated for the purpose of making be-
ginning on revision of the tariff.
President Yields Reluctantly.
Only the last step in revision of
the tariff is not wholly agreed upon
by the leaders in the senate and the
house. The above decision has been
reached only after numerous confer
ences, some of them of an argumenta-
OF congress has been told to President
Roosevelt. 1t is believed this pro-
gramme will be accepted by him with
reluctance. The president would like
to call special session next spring,
but he could get no assurance from
congress that it would do the work he
wanted done.
Moved by Last Election.
The decision of the Republican lead
ers may be ascribed to number of
reasons each important and pressing
One of the most powerful was the re-
suit of the congressional elections ev-
erywhere the tariff issue was raised
and fought out squarely. followed by
q redoubling of the clamor among con-
gressmen who returned to Washington
this fall Even the stand patters''
have had to admit that the Republic.
an party was face to face with grave
crisis and that a definite policy akin
to a promise to the country must be
made. In the face of presidential
election the leaders feared to under
take revision and for that reason also
hesitate about appointing tariff COM
mission. They prefer that agitation
be allayed pending legislation.
This sentiment does not meet with
general approval and may be revised,
as it is known that several influential
leaders in both house and senate are
prepared to press this issue, despite
the tentative decision now reached
Last but not least in point of influence
toward a revision of the tariff, is the
desire of the president that it be done.
Proposed Inheritance Tax.
In his first message to this session
that an inheritance and income tax
should be included in the revenue sys-
tenn of the United States when the
tariff Is revised This introduction
of new revenue measures into the rev.
enue system exerted potent inf1u-
ence upon the leaders in arriving at
their conclusion. There was disagree
ment among them as to the probable
disturbance of business if the whole
revenue system was overhauled Many
of them feared criticism in the face of
the presidential election and in the
course of private discussion the ques-
ton of ignoring this part of the presi-
the income and inheritance sugges-
tons, came up but an exchange of
ideas showed that it would be impos-
sible to confne special session next
spring to a revision of the Dingley
schedules alone. Another dilemma lay
in appeasing the Republicans who are
demanding immediate action and who
might be drawn to the support of the
Democratic candidates if something
was not done before the election.
Promise in Next National Platform.
In the face of this situation it was
the judgment of the leaders that q
definite promise should be made to
the country. This promise will be en-
bodied in the next national platform
Of the party, and it is the belief and
the hope of those who decided it that
It will tend to minimize the tariff as
an issue at the next election. The
leaders believe that if the promise is
made the country will trust the Re
publican party to carry 1t out.
Thus far the president has not in
Gated his approval OF disapproval OF
the decision OF congressional leaders
of his party. 1t means that his ad
yocacy Of the Inheritance and income
tax policies must be left to future
administration to carry out, but 1t
also means that he can devote his en-.
tire time in this term to complete his
plans for the regulation of corpora.
lions that do an interstate business
and 1t may be that If the COMPRESSION
al leaders will stand by him he will
agree to stand by them. The tariff
reyisionists, including the president
do not propose to lose their advan
tage by being lulled to sleep by prom
Uses at this time.
Seee Cornses Falls Dead