Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 October 1897 — SECTION 22 IS KILLED. [ARTICLE]

SECTION 22 IS KILLED.

Attorney General McKenna Hold* It to Be Inoperative. The long opinion of the attorney general upon the operation of section 22 of the tariff law was made public Tuesday after being considered for a second time by the President and his cabinet, and after Senator Elkins of West Virginia and Mr. Richard C. Kerens of St Louis had made a most determined but futile effort to persuade the President and the attorney general to accept their construction of the law. The attorney general construes the section as not imposing a discriminating duty upon foreign merchandise imported In bond through contiguous countries, and holds that section 4228 of the revised statutes has not been repealed. Therefore, goods purchased abroad and imported in bond by way of Canada or coming to ports of the United States in British bottoms will not be subject to a discriminating duty of 10 per cent. The opinion is a disappointment to some owners of American merchant vessels and to those interested in the transcontinental railroads of the United States. There is no doubt that it was the intention of the framers of section 22 as it became a law to discriminate against the Canadian railroads and foreign ships. Senator Elkins, who claims to be partly responsible for the added words which called forth the opinion, admits as much, and exerted his influence to the utmost to convince the President and the attorney general that such was the intention of Congress. The methods adopted by the advocates of the discriminating duties are said to be in a way responsible for their faiure. Fearing to make their object too plain while the tariff bill was under discussion they framed a clause which they believed would have the 'desired effect and then had it inserted in the section while the measure was in conference. Senator Elkins has for some time ad' vocated a bill to impose a discriminating duty upon merchandise imported in vessels of foreign register, his object being to encourage and build up the American merchant marine. Realizing that such a measure could not be passed at the last session he endeavored to accomplish his object by having the substance of his bill incorporated in section 22. The Pacific railroads and allied lines de-

siring to divert to themselves the bonded merchandise intended for the United States now carried over the Canadian Pacific railroad are said to be responsible for the other new words in the section. Having failed to impress their views of the meaning of the law upon the President and the attorney general these Interests will carry the question into Congress, and will attempt at the next session to have the tariff law amended so as to incorporate the discriminating features they desire. It is understood that the opinion of the attorney general is entirely satisfactory to the President and the Secretary of the Treasury.