The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1906-05-25
cANNON'S TARIFF VIEWS.
The Speaker Believes That Tariff Re.
form Cannot Be Pre-
vented.

Whether Speaker Cannon is a con-
vert to tariff reform only for cam
paign purposes, or whether he has
really experienced change OF heart
we do not know. But 1t Is certain
that he is beginning to feel the pres
sure. For W L. Wells. president OF
the United States Potters' association,
has received n leeter from the speaker
in which he says:
81 am satisfied that there will be no
tariff revision this congress, but 1t
goes without saying that the desire
Tor change which exists In the Coun-
try mind viii drive the Republican
party, il continued In power, to tariff
revision do not want 1t, but 1t viii
aome in the not distant future"
OF course, says the Indianapolis
News Gnd this is merely an express
be prevented. The speaker does not
pledge himself to it-much less does
he attempt to pledge his party. 1t
looks very much as though he were
trying to eliminate the tariff from the
congressional campaign by making 1t
appear that n Republican victory can
not stop revision. III continued in
power" he says, the party will be
driven to tariff revision This Is as
much as to say that n vote for a Re
publican candidate will not be vote
against tarilf revision. for that Is
bound to come.
Yet we believe that this declaration
II MIR. Cannon means something more
han this He must know how strong
the pressure is for action on the tlriff,
and how determined the Republican
rcysers are. For the pressure is cx-
ortcd directly against him ami his
rules committee, and 1t is to him that
the Republican revisers have appealed
over and over again. The speaker Is a
man of ability and shrewdness. Prob.
Hbly there is no one at Washington
more skilled in reading the public will.
lie knows what the people are think
ing about, and he Is interested In in
tcrpreting their wishes correctly. So
we conclude that this letter indicates
hat the speaker mas made up his
mind that the stand-patters will have
to give way "in the not distant fu-
turc.' will have to submit 10 the will
II the people. As the speaker Is the
leader of the standpattCrs his words
will have great weight.
Only a few days ago the Hon. Fred
lands told us that the tariff really
never could be reformed because We
never could have a perfect tariff. and
also because when we go; the now one
conditions would have changed so as
TO make It practically obsolete the
very moment It went into effect. After
our representative had taken this
AjaX-like stand in behalf Of the infal-
libility of Dingleyism, II was most
cruel in the speaker to make the dec
laration that the tariff would have to
be revised "in the not distant future"
The speaker Is right. Present condl-
lions can not continue permanently.
We shall nave to lower our tariff wall
very considerably. Free raw materials
our manufacturers must have. Our
farmers must have wider markets and
better chance in the markets they
now have.
But the important thing is that we
now have the first break In the stand
pat forces. And the break Is ut the
very head of the column. The people
should continue to apply the pressure
and to apply it the more strongly as
the opposition seems to Yield Mr.
Cannon admits that he has been
forced into his presen. position. Speak.
Ing OF the reform he says: II do moi
want It, but 1t will come in the not
distant future" He is no more OF O
tariff reformer than he ever was. HI
simply gets In line.