The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1880-04-01
THE WAYS AND MEANS COM.
MITTEE,

While the public has been sglta.ed
upon the question of high tariffs, pre-
duciig high prices, that impoveEIsh
the many and enrich the few, and
while the press has clsmored in the in
terest of chespsT iron and cheaper salt
and cheaper literature, there hss been
come invisible hand at work upon the
WAYS and Means Committee Of the
House of Representatives, and every
bal tending to cheaper imports hiss
been hidden away as soon as heard
OF, aud relief has appeared hope
less. The storng away Of vital prop
ositions of this sort has become some
what monotonous. and members had
become very FESTIVE under impositioDs
practiced upon them, when Represen-
tat;ve r. W TOwnshend, of Illinois,
threw q bombshell directly into the
midst of these committeeman, which
made at least one lively day in the
House. The projectile that made all
the uproAr came in the shape OF bill
to revise and amend certain sectIons
OF the revised statutes, go as to place
on the free list salt, printing type,
printing paper and the materials used
in the manufacture of printing paper,
and its reference was secured to the
Committee on Revision of the Laws, Of
which Mr.. Townshend is member.
The bill was not understood until af-
ter its reference, when the fun began,
in which even Texas member, along
with otbers, were caught just where
opinion has placed msjority of the
Ways and Means Committee, IN the
hands of the manufacturers combina-
ton. The high tariff men at once set to
work to get the bill recalled and placed
in possession of this very committee,
that has shown such q fondness for
pocketing all bills proposing to inter-
fere with present tariff rates. Conger,
supported by Garfield, went to work
to rob the journals of any reference
TO the fact that the bill had been
referred to the one instead of the
other committee. Messrs. Morrison,
Carlisle, Tucker apd Mills, of the
Ways and Means Committee, voted
steadily against allowing the billtO be re-
ferred to their committee, and the strug-
gle finally bscame fight for some &C.
ton by committee for or against free
t5pe, free paper and free salt. McKen-
sie, of Kentucky, designated Mr.. Gar
fields efforts to amend the journal as
an one to talslfy the action of the
House, and Dir. Townshend declared,
in bitter reference TO the course of the
Ways and Means Committee, that his
purpose was to give his bill to a COM
mittee that had not shown its determi-
nation to smother sll legislation of a
character tending TO amend or abolish
tariff rates, and he declared that he
had just as we'll burn up his bill as to
haTe 1t placed in its hands. Gar
field then went OFF on his ear, and
Townshend brought him to his pedes-
tails again by telling him fatty that he
suffered u deliberate falsehood." Pend
ing discussion, the HOUSE adjourned,
after the high tariff men had gotten the
biggest scare they have yet had. EN-
boldened by the course of the minority
en- this occasion in the House, the
friends OF revenue reform will
certainly stick peg down as
far as they have progressed, and
make every member come before the
country and make his record on this
vital question. In the Ways and Means
Committee Messrs. Wood, Phelps and
Kelley are known to be in favor OF put
ting paper and stuffs used in its manu-.
however, we believe, can be said OF
Mr.. Mills, whose successful conduct af
banker at Corsicena secured him s
p lace on the committee.