Duty Of The House

The conference committe of the senate and house is still wrestling with the monstrosity passed by the senate and called a tariff reform jill. About all that can be said in favor of the bill from the standpoint of tariff reform is that it is an imDrovement on the McKinley act. 3ut it is no such measure as the country ordered and demands. The )ill which was sent to the senate was more conservative than the country expected, but it contained a goodly measure of relief from unjust tariff taxes and was based upon a principie. The principie ïas been eliminated and the promsed relief from onerous protective duties largely disiapated by the emasculated senate bill. The free ist has been mangled and largely destroyed. Coal and iron have )een taken therefrom and placed on the dutiable list in violation of party pledges. Wool remains on he free list, but on woolens the rates been increased to such an extent that the consumer will not be benefited thereby. The rates on chemicals have also been ncreased making the cost of manuacturing greater. Duties on iron and steel have been lowered but till remain prohibitive, while the urrender to the sugar trust smells o heaven. The bill still contains he income tax provisión but in a weakened form. The duty of the house in the remises is plain. It should stand tiffly by the principal features of its own measure. That there is a disposition to do this becomes more apparent with each day. News comes from Washington also that the president is back of the house in its opposition to the vicious protectionism of the senate bill and that the only reason for his silence upon the question is the fear of being charged with unwarranted executive interference. The house should stand by the people in this contest for a satisfactory measure of tariff reform.