The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-05-19
THE TARIFF REVISION.

THE TARIFF REVISION.
AS the consideration of the tariff
measure progresses to conclusion IN
the senate 1t becomes more and more
evident that the present revision is
going to be pretty much the same sort
of one that has occurred on differ
ent occasions during the past dozen
years. Instead of being such an
adequate revision of the tariff down
ward as the people of the country de-
manded and had a reason to expect
from the pledges of both of the DOM
inant parties in the last campaign, 1t
is apparently to be a revision of the
give and take variety with the selfish
and sordid interests in control of the
situation.
Save for a handful of Republican
senators and an equally small num-
Der of their Democratic brethren, who
are making something of a right
eous fight for a real tariff revision,
the kind that their constituents and.
even their president, Mr.. Taft. is de-
sirous of securing-and these men are
in a hopeless minority-the senators
are going ahead and fixing up a pro-
tective measure that will really give
the Dingley and McKingley laws
cards and spades in levying burdens
on the people in ways that are crafty.
They are knocking off a bit of a
schedule here but they are adding on
there and the aggregate revision
downward will not be of such an ex-
tent that it can be noticed. The sem
ators in control, and their brethren
in the house, seem to be working on
the idea that the various industries
in their states represent their con-
stituencies. They are compromising
with each other so as to protect these
industries to the limit. They have the
wrong idea, though.
1t wasn't the manufacturers, it
wasn't the producers, it wasn't this
interest and that, which demanded a
revision of the tariff. 1t was the con-
sumers, and in this case. unless there
is a wonderful change of heart among
the national solons, history will re-
peat itself. The consumers, the great
majority of the constituents of every
man in congress, voted men into Of
fee to do a certain thing, but their
efforts in this line were to little or
no purpose. When their representa-
tives reached the goal of their ambi-
ton they have gone ahead and done
just as they pleased. It's the same
old story and is being told in the same
old way.
And it is pretty hard for the people
to figure out where they are to turn
for relief. The Republicans promised
them adequate tariff revision, but the
Democrats went the Republicans sew
eral better and insisted that if they
were elected to office they would
sure-enough revise the tariff and they
were the only ones who would do SO.
But when q test came recently the
Democrats in the senate focked in
solid phalanx, or nearly so, to the aid
of Mr.. Aldrich in fixing up protective
and oppressive schedules.
Mr.. Taft has hopes that the con-
ference committee which is to be ap-
pointed by the senate and the house
to make a final draft of the measure
and settle the points in dispute be-
tween both branches of congress will
make such reductions in the sched-
ules as will make the measure some
thing like one in keeping with the
pledges of his party on the subject
and one which it will be possible for
him to sign. His faith in this regard
Is not generally shared in Washing
ton, according to recent dispatches
from there. He will be justified in
vetoing any measure that falls short
of such ends and the people will ap-
plaud such an act. They would pre-
fer no tariff revision at all rather
than have something on the order
which the senate proposes to provide
them with