Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-06-09
THE TARIFF COMMISSION.
THE DEMOCRATIC SENATORS
AND THE NOMINEES.
General Dfssatisfa faetfOn-Rrovvn and
Jones Hand cspPed-ObjectiOns to
Ihe PersOnnel OF the COmmIsAiOn-
4 Close Fight in Prospect.

WAsHIEGToN, June 8-ImmediateIy after
the adjournment of the Senate to-day
twenty-four of its Democratic members
assembled In caucus for the purpose of
interchanging views In regard to the fitness
of the Presidents nominations of Tariff
Commissioners. No attempt was made to
secure caucus action on the question, and
at the conclusion of the conference, which
lasted an hour and half, every Senator was
left free to vote upon 1t In executive session
according to his own Judgment or his in
dividusl bias. 1t was developed, however,
by the interchange OF views on the part of
those present and by trustworthy state
ments fn regard to nearly all OF the absentees
that the Democratic members Of the Senate
are practically unanimous in holding
that the commission is unfairly
constituted and should therefore be re-
jected. The ground was taken by nearly all
the speakers, including Senator Bayard and
some others, who voted for the Tariff Com
mission bill, that the proposed membership
of the commission is wholly inconsistent
with the avowed purpose of the bill, which
contemplated an impartial investigation and
looked to recommendations that should be
free from the suspicion OF self interest.
1t was asserted that two of the nominees,
namely Messrs Haynes, of Massachusetts,,
and Garland, of Illinois, are salsried officers
of the Protective High Tariff Association,
and that the third, Mr.. Parker, of
the District of Columbia, is a stipeDdiary
Of the same organization. Messrs Oliver,
of Pennsylvania, and Kenner, of Louisiana,
were criticised as being likewise champions
of protection for special interests, who
might well be expected to combine with the
above named members In the interest of a
high tariff. General Underwood, of Geor-
gia, was referred to as an obscure
OF Georgia protectionists, and Mr. Amber,
OF Ohio, whom Senator Pendleton declared
he had never heard of until nominated for
a place on the commission, although re-
garded to some extent as an "uncertain
quantity" was generally believed by the
members of the caucus as also friend of
high tariff The seventh gentleman nomi-
mated for membership, Mr.. PHELPS, of Mis-
souri, was spoken of as a tariff reformer,
but 1t was also announced that he had de-
ciined the appointment.
So far as can be ascertained tonight
there are only two Of the Democratic Sena-
tors willing to vote for the confirmation of
the commissioners, namely, Messrs. Brown,
of Georgia, and Jonas, of Louisiana, both
of whom feel messurablY bound to do so
by reason of their having respectively
recommended two of the members ap-
pointed.
Ga the other hand It is understood that
Senators Va WYck and Ingalls, will vote
with the body of the Democrats against
their confirmation. In this event, the de-
termination of the question will probably
rest with the two members of the "Iude-
pendent party" in the Senate - Messrs.
David Davis and Malone.
Mr.. Wheeler, of New York, had, 1t was
said leaning in the direction of high tariff
10 discussing the personnel of the commits
sion as whole several Senators expressed
serious doub's as to the intellectual
competence of the proposed commissioners
to investigate subject of such difficulty
and compleXity as the tariff and to give
Congress advice with regard to it which
would have real value and Importance.