Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1908-10-13
Obstacles to TariT Revision.


Tariff reformers have long been ac-
customed TO being described as ami
able dreamers Hard-headed men In
actual contact with the rude facts
have drawn them aside and told them,
half in amusement and half in pity,
that they really did not know what
they were talking about. 1t was all
very well to take high moral grounds
about an Ubiquitous tariff, but their
plans were absolutely impracticable.
my dear fellow, you don't know all
the political ms and outs of the tariff
as well as / do. If you imagine that
duties can be changed, or the protected
interests induced to yield anything
without political CONFUSION and the
ripping of business to pieces, you are
living. in an unreal world"
But If the ideas of the tariff reform
ers are unreal, what shall we say of
the Republican dream? Is there not
a commission at work or supposed to
be at work making an examination Of
the tariff schedules, consulting Treas
ury Department experts, gathering all
kinds of information and generally
paving the way for the revision to
come after electionf There is no
blowing of trumpetS there are no
hearings; it is all business. Not pro-
a wolf on the fold, not a demand has
been entered for information as to
what schedules were being "examin-
ed" At least, that is the way the
Republicans were going to proceed
when Senator Beyeridge was urging
the appointment of a commission of
experts, the idea being to take the
tariff out of politics.
But, somehow or other, it hasn't
been taken out. Mr.. Cannon calls 1t
one of the two issues. An earnest Of
what will happen when the Republ-
cans begin their revision of the Ding
ley schedules, if they are permitted
the privilege and really and truly take
advantage of 1t, is given in The Globe
Democrat, which Is clamoring for a
duty on, zinc ore and telling pitiful
tales of the restitution in Southwest
ern Missouri as the result of the COM
petition that has come from the pau
per labor Of Mexico. 1t is just little
difficult to imagine the Republicans re-
vising the tariff and revising 1t down
ward, when it is plain that every re-
duction will be met by just such oppo-
sition and Just such tales Of distress
as are now arising in behalf of zinc
producers.
1t is not necessary to go step far
Their, for the reason that the Republi-
can party is bound hand and foot in
the tariff prison-house. The standpat-
tiers have not allowed 1t to bulge in
the past Both President Roosevelt
and Mr.. Taft were rebuffed when they
went to Congress to get little tariff
mercy for the Filipinos. The protect
ed interests feel that they own the
party and there is something more
than suspicion that their hold upon
1t has been increased by recent contri-
buttons wrung out by pleas of distre IS
For six years we waited for Mr..
Roosevelt to affirm or to controvert the
last and most important announcement
of policy President Mckinley ever
made. He never moved In the matter
and never explained why he did not
move. Now the most that has been
offered is weak promise of tariff re-
vision-after the election. That, of
course, means after the election of
Republican President and Congress. 1t
means revision by a House Of Repre-
sentatives under the control of Can
non and a Senate under the leader
ship of Aldrich.
1t requires acquaintance with only
a few of the related facts to bring the
conviction that any effort the Repub-
licans may make to alter or revise or
reform the tariff will be a farce so far
as the gaining of any relief from the
injustice, oppression and special privi-
lege concentrated In Dingleyism is con-
cerned.-St. Louis Republic.