Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-11-25
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
VARIED VIEWS ON THE taxa
TION PROBLEM

3
How the Parties stand on the Question
An Old Fight to be Renewed-Tbe
Garfield Memorial Fair-PIace Hunters
Snubbed-The President HAVING a
Good Time at the soldiers Home,
WASHINGTON. Nov. 24.-The Ways and
Means Committee came into town the other
day, attempted to hold meeting. had no
quorum, and adjourned. The members of
the committee who were on hand. however.
all of whom were protectionists ofthe adj
vanced order-did good deal of talking.
1t is more evident than ever, from what
they and others say, that the question of
the tariff and of the internal revenue are
to be Overshadowing by important at the
coming session. The Judge Kelley school
of prOtectiOnists, who want the present
| tariff untouched, other than bv increasing
it, advocate again that the entire internal
revenue system be wiped out. This is based
upon that old line of strategy which has
for its object the retention Of the pres
ent tariff That is one school of reform
ers." Another batch in the House be-
lieves in wiping out the present internal
nal revenue, with the exception of the tax
on tobacco and liquor. This to be accom-
plished by slight revision of the tariff.
There is another definitely developed class
of Congressman who 90 in for eliminating
the internal revenue tax, except on to-
bacco and cigars, and for a reduction of
the tax on those two articles, to be ac-
companied by a greater tariff change than
that proposed by the class which would do
away with the liquor and tobacco
tax, and lightly touch the tariff.
Into these three classes you NAV divide
the whole of the present HOuse-since
the recent elections. There are men who
differ from these schemes of reform i'm
minor details, and who will spring their
ideas industriOusly when the subject is
taken up; but for all practical purposes
they belong to one of the classes chroni-
cled. Democrats are to be found holding
strongly to one or the other of the plans
for reforms, and Republicans likewise.
There is considerable Of a tumble of the
parties on the question. But it is not so
much of tumble that the party lines
cannot be drawn, if not with eXactness
yet with considerable defniteness. The
majority of the Republicans will be found
to be of the Kelley school. The majority
OF the Democrats will be found to favor a
reduction of the liquor and tobacco tax
and sufficient, for the present at least
reduction of the tariff on these articles
where reduction is most needed. The
free trade Democrats will also be found
voting in this line. Nothing will be at
tempted until after the Tariff Commission
report is received and at least cautiously
considered. The fight will then com
mence. 1t is impossible to say that any
thing material will be accomplished at
the coming short session, but of the three
plans so far developed the plan for a re- /
ductiOn, not abolition, of both internal rev. !
enue and tariff seems to be the most promis- !
ing of success, The chastened Republi- /
cans cannot scOrn the pain of the public |
whip and go on as they have. They
know that they were whipped /
as much if not more on account of their |
tariff failures as for the refusal to cut
down the internal revenue For this rea- |
son there will be sufficient number of |
bolters from the Kelley school, which is
most strictly the Republican school, to
insure more strength for the prohibition |
which will be indorsed by the majority
Of the Democrats than any other prOhibi- |
tiOn will have.
THE OLD FIGHT.
Every now and then the navy tries to
induce Congress to transfer to it from the |
Treasury Department either the life-say
ing service, the lighthouse board. or the
revenue marine, or all of them. These
attempts have always made very live
ly fight between the Navy Depart
ment and the Treasury Department.
They are always conducive to a
certain class of lobbying before Congress-
generally called ''clean." This fight is
going to be renewed this year. Chandler.
Secretary of the Navy, will recommend in
his annual report to Congress the looping
off of the services mentioned from the
Treasury Department, and the tacking of
them on to the naval establishment. The |
heads of the branches thus proposed to be
transplanted are getting ready arguments |
and statements tn convince COOUrncc tho4
no such change should be made. They
present very good reasons, too, One of |
their arguments, which is the most strik- |
ing, is that to institute a man-Of-War order |
of things in the revenue marine, the life |
saving and the lighthouse services would !
be to transform them into machines. and |
thereby cripple their effectiveness. They /
are not services where red tape and the |
dictatorial qualities Of the naval officer |
would produce good; but to the very con-
trary Looking at the question in all its |
bearings it does not seem that the attempt |
this winter to reduce the Treasury and |
enlarge the Navy Department will be any |
other than it has been in the pasta |
failure.
THE GARFIELD FAIR.
The fair and exposition to raise funds |
for the erection Of a Garfield monu-
ment commences next Saturday in the !
capitol. The President will briefly open
the business, and the show will 90 on. 1t
does not promise to be a bowling success.
Not to put too broad a point ON it, there
does not appear to be much interest taken |
in the concern. The average citizen of
Washington does not care for it. and there
is no evidence of any great amount of ell
thusiasm outside the precincts of the
town. There is nothing like the enthu-
siasm there would be if fair were gotten
up for living President. The people |
have been crowded too much perhaps.
There have been so many GartieIds this
and that which have appealed to their
pockets that they are becoming a little
tired. The committee in charge of the
fair have not worked right either. They
have given all the prominent places to the
people who knew Garfield when alive and |
snubbed the thousands who did not know
him. This has had its effect, Consider
able money has been collected. The COM
mittee has now $11,000 This they an
nounce will be sufficient to pay all expenses.
The general impression is that it would
be money saved if THAI $1,000 were put
into the monument fund and the fair aban-
dOned. Gen. Longstreet has, by the way,
received permission from the Attorney
General to come to Washington and view
the show,
SHAKING THEM.
The President is giving the office seekers
ana othefs VINO want to see hlm big
slice of cold shoulder. Quietly domiciled at
the splendid cottage at the Soldiers Home,
some five miles from the city, he takes
'mine ease in mine easy chair" He gives
a portion Of each day to his message to
Congress, and enjoys himself the rest Of
the time. He comes into town once or
twice week to hold a desultory Cabinet
meeting, and then in a couple of hours
goes back to the quietude of the Soldiers
Home. If any one wants to see him he
has to drive out there or walk, if walking
is good. And when the visitor reaches
the Presidential cottage it is ten chances
to one that Mr.. Arthur is not to be seen.
The President is not having any bad time
Of it these pleasant November days.
POTOMAC.