Mexico weekly ledger., 1880-05-20
THURSDAY, MAY 90, 1880.


made unjustifiable attacks on Judge
Buckner, will soon discover that they
have raised contentious, that will not
help their favorites, however popular
or we'll qualified for congressman they
may be. Their accusations can be
attended with no other results than
to solidify Judge Buckner's friends,
who are already beginning to give
expression to their indignation, and
insist upon his denomination and re-
election as the most appropriate con-
domination of the ISLANDERS that have
been heaped upon hun.
The eason assigned for the attacks
complained of is dissatisfaction with
the Judges vote referring the Towns
hend bill to the committee on Ways
and Means. These ISLANDERS charged
that his vote was prompted by
desire to attain q position, that
might be used as a two
edged Instrument to promote his
personal advancement; and further
alleged, that by sending a tariff re-
form measure to a committee that
was sure to smother it, he had been
false to the interests Of his constitu-
ency.
The Judge, however, has been fully
indicated in the vote he cast by the
action of the Ways and Means com
mittee, authorizing Mr.. Tucker to
report three separate measures to the
House which,, according TO cores
pondents, antagonize no interests
that were not assailed by the Towns
bend bill. These measures arc
First. A bill to regulate the duties
on hoop, band and scroll iron.
Second. A bill to regulate the du-
ties on sugar.
Third. A bill to regulate the duties
on certain articles named therein.
ALI of these have been read q first,
second and third time, ordered to be
printed and referred with the reports
accompanying them to the committee
of the whole house on the state of the
union.
Mr.. Garfield has also submitted the
views of the minority of the commit
tee, which are ordered to be printed.
This desirable result was brought
about by the labors of persistent rev
enue ~reformers, prominent among
whom is Judge Buckner, and, as has
been said, is a complete refutation Of
the ISLANDERS heaped upon him.
And now, that the tariff is
in the possession of congress.
whatever may be Its ultimate
fate, whatever changes may be
made in it, whatever additions
may be affixed to its free list, or
whatever articles may be withdrawn
tlIerefrom, the responsibility for what
shall be done must attach where it
ought to belong-to the majOrities Of
both houses. 1t is certain these
bills cannot be passed as reported.
If they were so adopted, they
would be vetoed. We expect
now to see in those newspapers that
have maliciously assailed our repre-
sentative, assertions that they have
been as spurs in the sides of q gener-
GUS steed. They may as we'll refrain
from such attempt at self-exaltation.
They have indeed inflicted pain, but
they have been powcrless either to
impede or hasten tariff reformation,
and the of their conduct
has been intensified by the fact that
the record of Judge Buckner could
not be assailed at all without the i'm
putation of duplicity Of motive.
There was nothing in his votes on the
Townshend bill that could have been
of either benefit Or injury to any in
terest. They were cast solely with a
view to sustain the rules of the House
in one instance, and to hasten its de-
cision in another. And it was only
by conjecturing and asserting tina. he
designed them as a two-edged instru-
ment to procure advancement that
anything Objectionable could be as
cribed to them. Neither was there
ever in existence the least cason for
supposing that the committee on re-
vision and cOdificatiOn of the statutes
would have considered, much Jess
have reported favorably ON the Towns
bend bill, if the House had not taken
it out of their hands. Bills are con-
stantly being referred to wrong COM
mittces, either d~esigncdly Or mad
~vertently, and the inyariable custom
is to return them for proper reference.
During the debate in the House, a
prominent revenue ref0rmer remarked
that during his seven years experience
in congress, it had been the custom,
without exception, to return such
references.
Again, as early as the 9th of Febu-
airy, Judge Buckner introduced n bill
(H.B.N.4371) to reduce the duty on
printing and other papers and manu-
facturers of paper, which was in
proper form to be reported and acted
on without those combinations, lob
byings and logrollings that SO Sc
riously affect tariff reforms by omni-
bus bills, and had 1t been seasonably
returned to the House, would doubt
less long since have become law. The
T%ownshend bill connected paper and
pulp with OTHER articles. The bill
reported by the Ways and Means
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