The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1910-12-23
The Tariff in the Next Congress.

The New York Herald of Monday
gives a thorough canvass of the members
of the next House of Representatives,
which reveals an overwhelming major
ity in favor of reduction of the tariff.
OF the 3oI members 2S6 are in favor Of a
reduction, the great majority of the
Democrats demanding a tariff for revenue
only All but of the SO Democrats from
the South stand on this ground, and six
of them are Sugar Democrats from Louis
lana OF the Southern Democrats of the
House of Representatives this is all that
is left of the members who support pro-
tectve duties on home products under
the suse of revenue.
This canvass shows that not less than
| 70 of the Republicans elected to the next
| House of Representatives are in favor
of reduction of the tariff, but ION pro-
! lection lines" AS further evidence
of the force of public opinion, which is
after all, the great legislator, there will
be left in the next House but 81 lone
some and detected stand patters. with
| Speaker Cannon at their head. Even in
the Republican minority more members
are now in favor of reducing the tariff
| than of letting it longer remain as an in
strument of spoliation.
! With such majority in the House of
Representatives it should not be hard
| for that body to pass Tariff Bill that
will be satisfactory to the entire country
| When the eXtortlonate features Of the
PayneAidrich Bill are eliminated, and
the duties reduced to a reasonable basis,
it does not matter much whether some
who perform the work are tariff for rev.
enue Democrats and some Republicans
still calling themselves Protectionists
Names so for nothing. There is unques-
tionahly majority in the next House
| of Representatives in favor of putting
wool with all of the crude materials on
the free list, and in this majority will be
found some Progressive Republicans.
| AT the same time there will be major
ity favoring total repeal of the duties
on bread and meat.
But the last word on this question will
be with the Senate, to whom the tariff
benetclarleS are now looking with a
good deal of confidence. There was a
touch of personal sympathy in Speaker
Cannon at the New Jersey Societv's
dinner, the other night when, turning to
Senator Penrose, he expressed the fear
| that the Democrats, aided by the Pro-
gressive Republicans, will be in control
of the United States Senate. In such a
case our inveterate Pennsylvania stand
patter will not succeed Senator Aldrich
! as Chairman of the important Com
mittee on Finance.
1t may not be doubted that public
opinion has made its impression upon
the United States Senate in only a less
degree than upon the House of Repre-
sentatives. If. then, the Committee on
Finance is not thoroughly reconstructed
by an alliance of Democrats and Pro-
gressive Republican Senators, the result
| of the November election for Congress
will be nulity. Instead Of a tariff bill
in the next Congress, in accordance with
the Country's decree, the whole question
will 90 over to the campaign of 1912,
and the American people will remain the
+ victims of mOnopolistic extoriion As at
| present constituted there is not one lib
eral Republican on the Finance Com
mittee, 50 sagaciously has il been formed
in the interests of the tariff spoilers. 1t
will therefore become the pleasing duty
OF the Democrats and Progressive Re
publiCans to reconstruc the committee
on a tariff reform basis and make Pro-
gressive Republican Senator its chair
man, Since the selection of a Democrat
IS ont of the question This is only next
In importance to the construction of the
Ways and Means Committee.