The Grenada sentinel., 1906-12-15
CHANCE IS IN 1908.
TIME FOR VOTERS TO DEMAND
TARIFF REVISION.
At Present the People Practically
Have No Voice In Congress- Con-
troversy With Germany and
Canada Becoming Vexing.

| Senator Cullom, Of Illinois, who will
be reelected to the United States
senate when the legislature of the
state meets, declares there is a gen.
eral demand for tariff revision. Sen
ator Burrows, of Michigan, and Sen
ator Fulton, of Oregon, are reported
to agree with Senator Cullom that If
tariff revision is to be undertaken at
all 1t should be at special session
OF congress to be convened imme-
diately after the adjournment of the
Fifty-ninth congress on March 4th,
next. Those two standpat senators
do not, however, agree with Senator
Cullom that there is any general de-
mand for tariff legislation, yet if the
question of revising the tariff so that
the protected trusts would be COM
PEELED to reduce the price of their
products was submitted to the voters
Of Oregon and Michigan there is no
doubt that large majority would
decide for revision. AS it is now the
people who want tariff reform have no
voice in congress, for those Repub-
lican members who believe that tariff
reform is necessary are so tied up
by the rigid rules of the house of
representatives and the autocratic
power of a standpat speaker that
they have no opportunity of recording
their tariff revision attitude.
In the campaign of 1908 the tariff
will be an important, if not the para
mount issue, and the voters will have
more direct opportunity Of deciding
whether they are content to continue
to pay high trust prices, 80 that they
are expending nearly so per cent more
on the cost of their living than when
the present tariff act was passed in
1897.
! The tariff controversy with Germany
aid Canada and other countries who
are determined to retaliate against
our extreme protection, will come to
a head next year and will open the
eyes of many voters who have kept
them shut through partisan prefer
ences. The standpatters have de-
will stand for is to revise the tariff
rates higher, with a provision that
the present rates shall be the mini
mum for those countries that will
allow our products to enter at their
minimum rates or otherwise new max
imum rates will be imposed. Such an
amendment to our tariff law would
be deemed by Germany and Canada
as a slap in the face and add fuel to
the flame of disagreement, and pro-
woke tariff war that would be dis
astrous to the trade between the
United States and those countries
1t is very serious question and
cannot be lodged as the domestic
tariff issue has been lodged by the
Republican leaders by forcing other
ernment feels that it was hoodwinked
into granting a stay of proceeding
last year and by agreeing not to en-
force their new tariff until June 80,
next, for which the United States
made no return but the promise of
reforming the way in which the details
of executing the law on imports is
carried out. Our standpat congress
refused to carry out the promises
made by President Roosevelt through
the state department and the German
government naturally feels aggrieved
and will enforce their maximum and
prohibitive tariff against American
products unless concessions are made
The standpat statesmen will now
have to take the responsibility of see
ing the exports of our products to
Germany, Canada and other countries
materially reduced, or be willing to
take from our protected monopolists
part of the protection they enjoy
under the Dingley tariff. The ques-
tion is up to them whether they will
fish or cut bait and there is not much
time in which to decide which horn
of the dilemma they will take.