The Middlebury people's press. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1841-1843, 1842-09-06
PEOPLES PRESS,
Tuesday Sept. 6, 1912.
WASHINGTON, Aug. %, 1912.
To the Editor ofthe Peoples Press.

To the Editor ofthe Peoples Press.
Sir: You will see by the Intelligencer OF
this morning that we passed tariff bill
through the House yesterday. This will be
an agreeable surprise 10 you, as 1; is source
of qualification 10 me which can hardly
find words TO express. Almost all our friends
despaired, week ago, Of being able to &C
complish any thing during the present sea-
son. The last Veto threw the wings into
confusion, as At lvas intended TO do. The
President knew, and his advisers knew, how
sensitive the wings were in regard 20 an
arbitrary exercise of Executive power
especially the power of the veto, which
they had seen exercised so wantonly during
a former administration, aid ye! more wan
tonly during the short existence of this.
That sensitiveness, and the reluctance to
do any thing which could seem like submit
ting TO "Captain Tyler" had well nigh cost
us the Tariff. There was also a very great
reluctance 10 give up the public lands TO the
combined power of the President and his
new allies. Many ofthe Southern and
Western wings who had gone with us for
the veloed bill felt that they could not sus-
tain themselves at home should they vote
for it without the clause providing for dis
tribution. 1t was thus made to appear how
much the passage of the tariff bill had de-
pended upon the severance which it propo-
sed to effect, of the proceeds of the public
lands from the revenue derived from Gus
toms distributing to the States what of
right belongs 10 them, and giving 10 the
professional interests what of right belongs
TO them, namely. the raising OF the entire
means of carrying on the government from
duties on the productions of foreign skill
and industry. 1t had been apparent from
the beginning, that we could not carry a
good protective tariff without the votes Of
those who valued land distribution more
than protection. The veto threw US into a
position in which this was demonstrated !;
and it was demonstrated in way which, for
time, seemed to involve our prospects in
utter darkness. But light has broken in, at
last.
You probably observed several days ago,
that the chairman of the Committee of ways
and means offered a Resolution, declaring
that it was expedient 10 pass the vetoed DILL,
without the land distribution clause, and ex-
empting Tea and Coffee from duty. On
that Resolution the vote stood
Yeas, 90 whigs-3 Tyler men-Locos Is
-total-S6.
Nays, 40 whigs-2 Tyler men-Locos 70
total TIA.
This vote disclosed one real difficulty
In the first place, portion of the wings
mostly from the south and west--voted a.
gainst the proposition.for the reasons have
suggested, though among them there were
several who did not vote fo- the bill. and
VINO nave now voted for protection. In the
next place we were Unexpectedly met by an
! almost unanimous vote of the Locofocos a.
gainst the Resolution. We had been told
that if the bill should be vetoed, thew would
go for it without the distribution and thus
give US good tariff. This vote tested the
, sincerity of their assurances. They soon
became alarmed, however atthe position in
which this vote had placed them, and after
holding a caucus, brought forward. through
Mr.. Charles J. Ingersol of Pennsylvania a
proposition to adopt for two years, the Tariff