Omaha daily bee., 1909-03-08
Early Tariff Revision.

elected with him will soon be put 10
the test OF their sincerity concerning
plans for the revision of the tarin'
which Ia to be made the special and
sole subject for consideration at the
special session of congress to be on-
vened on March Is. In his inaugural
message President Taft made 1t plain
that he would advise the special SEES
sion to drop all other questions and
to devote It's entire time to a consid-
! Grafton Of the tariff problem. He has
stated in public interviews his belief
and wish that the special session may
be able to take action on the tariff re-
vision problem and adjourn by June
/, thus letting the manufacturing and
importing interests of the country
know what they may expect for the
next four years. The president evil
IDENTIFY believes that the revival from
the industrial depression which has
prevailed for more than a year de
ponds very largely upon the prompt
ness with which congress deals with
the revision question.
The special session will be more
significant than is generally supposed
and will be measured largely by the
action on the tariff question. The
| disposition of congress is very gem
orally toward an agreement with the
president and such policies as he ad-
~vocates, but the fact must not be lost
sight of that the r~eactionaries in con-
sress are still formidable and many oil
them, including some of the leaders
in both houses, are inclined to oppose
any radical revision Of the Dingley
schedules. The ways and means COM
mittee of the house will offer a tariff
bill at the special session, and the ex-
tent to which Mr.. Taft and the new
congress accepts the decision of those
trained men will measure, to a large
degree, the support oil opposition to
be offered to the new administration
This is a t%o-edged proposition
viewed from any standpoint. Mr.
Taft declared for a complete revision
| of the tariff long before he became q
candidate for the presidency and be.
fore any other republican leader hao
taken a pronounced stand on the prop
osition. The republican party In ma
tional convention endorsed his views
and the new congress is pledged tc
support him. II the bill to be pre-
sented by the ways and means com
mittee bears indications Of having
been honestly and conscientiously pre-
pared. there may be little difficulty II
securing its early enactment, with the
prospect of an early adjournment. 1
the new congress decides that tn
Payne bill ia not radical enough, o.
furnishes suspicion that 1t has beer
framed to protect the standpat inter
ests, then the war will be declared
and the result will determine whethe
the radicals or the reactionaries shall
have the dominating voice in framing
the new schedules.
President Taft may be over-optimis
tic, however, in expressing the belle
that the special session may complet
its work by June 1. The extra session
called by President Mckinley o.
March Is, 1897, did not complete it
labors until July "a. There is just a
much reason for speedy work now a
there was then. In 1897 the countrc
was recovering from the effects of tn
panic of 1898. In 1909 the countr
is rallying from the setback of 1907
The republican congress in 1897 har
to take the tariff from the wreck o
the Wilson bill operations. The con
gress that meets on March Is will
have the advantage Of the study an
experience OF an administration tina
has given more or less study to tn
tariff problem for the last eight years
That will give the e congress a dis
tinct advantage over the congress tina
framed the Dingley schedules. 1t i
possible, therefore, that the specis
session. II It takes up no matters othe
than the tariff, may be able to end 1t
work by June 1. The country will In
sist, however. that the revision
whether II be accomplished by Jun
/ or November 1, shall be intelligen
and framed to benefit producers, mar
> ufacturers and alike.