| Show TA ereg SENTIMENT IN republican PARTY FAVORS SUCH A COURSE ahny do job and anke con Id erable ot ex berf hennery on the subject K would seem that the wisest plan to pursue la thlu matter would be for tho caucus to appoint a special committee which would devote months ir need bo to the question of tariff modification the ways and moans committee Is al ready in possession of practically all the data bat are necessary to the study of the subject and the republican members of this committee would form a very representative and a very well equipped committee for this purpose with the expressed sentiment of tho caucus for a guidepost gulde post they could frame a measure that would ame very near representing the views ol 01 the par ty at large in an intelligent and tacal way the attitude of the republican leaders lo 10 congress on the general subject of tariff revision was recently expressed by speaker II enderson in a letter replying to one of his iowa constituents who had forwarded a petition for tariff modification signed by seventy of the leading republican business men of waterloo and cedar falls the letter follows I 1 alia daa 1 ot your favor of the transmitting a petition generously signed by many of the leading men of black hawk county asking tor a revision of our present tariff laws and especially ally for a reduction or removal of all duties on goods manufactured in athla country and sold in foreign markets at a less price than at home that there could be wisely revision in certain parts of the tariff laws and reductions can be wisely made in some matters no sane man will attempt to deny tho danger Is howader ho waver that in trying to reach a few remedies we will involve tho country in serious difficulties I 1 cannot better express my views on this subject than by calling your attention to the language of our chief executive in his annual message to congress here is what ha says there Is general acquiescence in our present tariff system as a national policy the flarnt requisite to our prosperity is the continuity and stability of this economic policy nothing could be more unwise than to disturb the business interests of the country by any general tariff changa fit this alma doubt apprehension uncertainty are exactly what we most wish to avoid in interest of our commercial and material well being our experience in the past haa shown that sweeping revisions of the tariff are apt to prodica conditions closely approaching fanlo in the business world yet it Is not only possible but eminently desirable to combine with the stability of our econom lo system a supplementary system of reciprocal benefit and obligation with other nations such reciprocity la an incident and result of the arm establishment and preservation ot our present economic policy it was especially provided for in the present tariff law I 1 cannot for the sentiment of the united states senate on this general declaration la although I 1 believe it very generally voices the sentiment of the republican party in the house there Is almost universal sympathy with the sentiments just quoted from the presidents message my own judgment Is that it Is more important at this time in the interests of this country to reduce taxation upon our belvea and stop to a proper degree the influx of the peoples money into the public treasury with the country in an unparalleled prosperous condition I 1 cannot believe it ale to begin a reduction which inevitably evit ably will open up the chota field of revision and thus put ia cerious check upon the business of the country the moment that the country understands that there Is to be a revision of the tariff jobbers will suspend large purchases hoping to buy at lower prices this will compel lr manufacturer to reduce his business and this will compel a reduction in pay rolls and with the experience of our country before us during revisions of the tariff serious business calamity might en cue however I 1 desire you to advise your co that I 1 will bring their petition to the attention of the committee on waya and means with the assurance that the petition represents the earnest and patriotic thought of black hawk county very sincerely yours D B the welcome announcement Is boado washington that the republicans of the house will in the near future hold a caucus on the subject of tariff revision this decision Is due in part to the persistence with which mr babcock and those of his way of thinking have pressed the measure for a reduction of the duties on iron and steel and in part t 0 the general sentiment of the republican party in favor of tariff modification as evidenced by the party press and by numerous petitions to members from republican constituents it Is quite likely that the caucus will j determine that something should be I 1 done for the tide of party sentiment in favor of Is altogether too strong to be resisted on the question of how it should be done there will bo variations of opinion whether it shall be by tariff reductions or by reciprocity treaties or whether betl methods should be used are questions where there la room for much argument already the suggestion has been made that the whole subject be referred to a commission of experts to make recommendations ions our experience in that line has not been encouraging commission after commission has made voluminous reports to congress most bt which have been unread by the great majority of the members the plan was tried in relation to the tariff lo 10 1883 and all we ever bad to chow for it acro a big expense account and a large report which was read by college professors and newspaper reviewers but not by congressmen unless there Is acme active force behind such a report any further the report it never goes of the monetary commission recommending om the adoption of the gold standard and submitting a bill for that purpose would never have made the impression on congress had it not been for the activity of the committee behind it then it was not pos ible to accomplish anything until the republicans of the house appointed a caucus committee which dratted a bill pt its own along the same lines and |
