Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-04-12
THE WAY IN is DONE.

We have in letter from Gen. Boynton
to the Cincinnati Gazette, graphic pic
ture of the way in which legislation is eff
fected in Congress. 1t is a sad common
tary on political morals, but it is just
what we may naturally expect while Rad
icalism rules. In speaking of the pre-
tracted discussion of the Tariff bill, he
says:
While there have been able speeches
on all sides of the tariff question, few of
them have attracted close attention in the
House. What the Chairman of the WAYS
and Means says is watched as an indica-
ton of the joint opinion of those of his
colleagues who favor protection. But
Mr.. Allison on the Republican side, and
Mr.. Brooks, of the opposition, have seri-
ously neutralized the power of the COM
mittee, as body, upon the floor.
Votes, however, upon the bill are not
made by arguments. A combination of
interests control the action upon the lead
ing articles of manufacture and COM
merce. Humiliating as it may seem, the
votes are entirely matter of bargain
among the various interests, and this is
the way the Encouragement runs:
PIC 1RoN.-"Good morning, Lumber.
How many votes have you got to pro-
tect?"
LUMBER" Six"
PIC IRON-"Do you care anything
about iron ?n
LUMBER" Not straw. If can get
a high figure on lumber my constituents
don't care a rush for iron. They don't
deal in it. But all the heavy men in my
district are in lumber. In fact my politi-
cal life depends on protecting lumber"
PIG IRoN.-"All right, we understand
each other. You stick by me with your
six votes, and we'll help you with our ten.
That will make US both sixteen. Now
let US go and see SALT"
So, lumber and pig iron lock arms, and
go over and strike hands with salt. He
has got eight votes, and don't concern
himself about either iron or lumber. and
these never worry themselves about salt,
as theil constituents have no interest in
things saline. The result of the morning
call on salt then, is that iron, lumber and
salt walk into tie House at noon with
twenty-four votes each. BY the time the
ring OF interests has been run around, and
wool, coal, sugar, tea and coffee, and
their representatives have been added to
one or the other of the interests named,
according to the articles manufactured or
largely used or sold in their districts, the
necessary strength on the yea and nay list
Is secured, and the interests of the
country are assured-or said to be.
With such preparation for action,
i is not remarkable that the mo-
ment Gen. Schenck induced the House
to go into Committee of the Whole, men,
bers should utterly fail to attend to anyof
The speakers who occupied the floor an
hour each, and in succession, for a week
Now that debate is limited to five minutes.
and vote may come at any moment, |
are obliged to remain in the hall. |
but the convenient understanding of salt
IS to the designs of iron, and of iron con-
corning the purposes of lumber and wool. |
relieves these various squads from heavy |
iuty, or any concern whatever as to the |
apparent drift of the five minute debate. |
When the committee calls time on salt. he |
Knows that iron and lumber and his other
squads will march up boldlya and solidly TO |
lis assistance, and that when the roll has
been called through, it viii show a -four
shing future for his evaporating pans.
And so on through the long list.
Sometimes, however, when all seems
llain sailing, the ship of some interest
trikes upon unseen rocks. Thus, a year
II two since, an Eastern member largely
Engaged in the shoe trade, directed his
nergies upon the tariff wholly to get
ing the tariff on certain shoe find
ngs removed. After long and indus
rious labor, the section relating to the |
material in question was repealed. and
he shoe man was happy, or thought he
vas. After the adjournment of Con-
ress, however, great was his surprise to
'arn that the manner in which the action
ad been taken only revived an older and
higher rate of dutv