New-York tribune., 1907-07-21
in his favor. He kills only one at a time
Their manslaughter is wholesale.
NOT 4 MORAL ISSUE.

1t Is hard TO understand the moral Indignation
OF some Of our Cobdenite contemporaries over
the proposal, made by eminent Republicans, to
revise the tariff, in 1909. These critics profess
10 be anxious to have the tariff revised but
they want II revised in manner which.
whether or not it does the nation the most
good. will certainly do the Republican party
the most harm. They seem to be more inter
ested in reaping some partisan advantage from
{; revision than in promoting national efficiency
and advancing national welfare. II is an axiom
in politics that the pendency of a Presidential
campaign stimulates factional spirit and
courageS political ppttifoggng. The two parties
in Congress begin to manpuvre for position and
To engage with special ZeSt i'll the game of put,
ting each other "in Il hole" To win Il petty
advantage much devious strategy is resortcl to
and party solidarity is often enforced ut the
expense Of individual preference and juSg-
ment. The work Of tariff revision should be Gi-
vorced as far as possible from partisan prcjU-
diccS and frictions To be thoroughly acceptable
a tariff should deal eQuitahIy with all sections
and be enacted with the support of all sections.
But if one great party holds aloof and seeks to
make the new law cdious TO the states in which
il exercises control those states will naturally
be deharred in Il measure from the benefits
which they would obtain were the work done in
n spirit OF friendly cooperation among all the
sections.
1t has been the fault of some of our recent
tariff laws that they were entanglcd with par
tisan interests and colored by partisan animos-
tiles. The Mckinley law aud the Wilson-Gor-
man law were both party measures, and both
quickly repudiated by the voters not only
because they represented no successful attempt
10 conciliate opposition and do alI-rouud jus
tice. but also because they We're submitted for
approval at the polls before they had had
chance to demonstrate their real pocntality
for good evil. The DmCley law. on the con
trary. has stood unchalCnsed in the main, per
haps because il was passed without much par
tlsan contention and had fair opportunity to
falsfy the predictions of IFS critics.
Why. therefore should the Republican party
be so loudly condemned 'for deciding to give
due heed to the lessons of experience: It wants
to frame a new tariff which will meet all tests
as successfully as the Dngley tariff has done.
and wants to do the work free from the diStrac-
tions of partisan electioneering. Our Golden
te friends naturally do not want to have the
task well done, and they are insisting that it is
not wisdom. but 'rascality, cowardice. and stu
pd cowardice at that" 10 postpone a revision
till the agitatOns OF the next Presidential cam
pnign have subsidized Our esteemed contem-
porary The New York Times argues queerly
when it says:
The duty OF revision is immediate and I'M
perative In the forum Of morals duty admits
of no postponement. If a grocer ac-
cused of selling short weight groceries should
plead that he might be allowed TO continue the
practice until accruing profits should pay off his
mortgage. he would he denounced by everybody
as en uncomfortable rascal II is rascality on
an immensely greater scale for the leaders Of
the Republican party TO postpone their duty in
respect the tariff until they have made sure
OF four years more.
The Dlngey tariff law can hardly be de
scribed as n law under which short weight gro
ceres" are being sold by a swindling trades
man. The Times" has admitted that under
that law export and import trade has dou-
bled and our foreign commerce is increasing
much more rapidly than our population Judged
by its effects, the tariff act of 1891 has proved
one of the most successful acts OF that sort IN
American history. 1t is not fraud nor fail
ure. and no moral obligation of any sort exists
10 repeal it. 1t Will be revised, but only on
grounds of business eXpediemcy. and the Re
publican party is fully entitled to choose the
season most suitable for revising il.