Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1882-06-17
THE TARIFF COMMISSION.

There was flavor of disgust: mixed
with tone of Indignation, i'll the re.
sponse of Senator Beck to tue ques.
ton: "What do YOU think OF the
tariff commission ?' Said the re-
spondent: what do you sappose
think Of it I! just look ut them! Tell
me who they are. and then give me
some reason for thinking they are
men better fitted by education, train
ing, acquaintance with puhlic affairs,
and special knowledge OF the sutj .ct-
matter than such men AS Vance, Ba.
yard. Hewitt, Tucker, Carlisle, au.i u
dozen other men on the other sida, 10
revise aud modify the tariff"
The inferlocutOr did not tell him
whom they are, for the fairly good
reason that the interlocutor did not
know. Nobody seems to know. .sWho
are they % asks the senator from Mis-
sissippi, Mr.. George. 81 only know
Mr.. Kcnner." Mr.. Pendletou: "Wu,
IN the world is Amber, of Ohio !?
never heard of him" Mr.. Morrison:
"Who in hades is this man Garlani.
of illinois! DID auy body ever hear
OF MIN? When did he become M .s-
ter ct the science of political ecuuu.
my?" Mr.. Btyard: II don't believe
there Is u single man on the commits
sion who has any special knOwledss
OH the subject. They only know what
they want themselves"
Ff"m different sources of informa.
iiom ar. obtained the following indi-
cations Of whom they are aud "what
they want Themselves
William A. Wheeler, ex-represen.
tatIv". eX.vlco-presidemt, and Malone
fisherman, wants himself more tariff
Oh all things.
john l.. Hayes, wooden manufac-
turcr and lobbyist Tor more tariff,
wants himself more tariff on WOODEN
fabrics.
Henry W. Oliver, irt IL nanufactur.
ur, wants himself more tariff on iron.
a:ob Amber, pottery manufacture.
or, wants himself more tariff on pot
terv wares.
Austin ii. Garland, president Of .
wooi-growers' ring, wants himself
more tariff, on w.ol and wooden
fabrics.
Duncan +. Kanner, sugar grower
and manufactured. wants himself
more tariff on sugar.
d. w. II. Underwood. interested in
pig.iron rings, wants himself hiors
tariff on iron. f-F-
X. +. Porter, it seems NOT to have
been yet asccrtained what special in-
terest, in want Of more tariff, Mr..
Porter represents. but. as he was
chosen at the instance Of .Pig- IrOn'
Kelley, it probably is pig IRON.
John 5. Phelps, not representing any
special interest in want of more tar.
Ill, ana not wanting auy moro tariff
himself, has declined to scrve "a
member OF this fearful aud wonder.
ful tariff commission.
UnQuestiouably, Mr.. Bayard is war.
ranted in believing that there Is not u
single man OH the commissiOn who
possesses any special know ledge of
the sul.lect.nlatter, OF 6tuess for the
nigh legislative function which q
congress- Of political edwards ana
tlme-ser vers has abdicated in its favor.
The only man in the list WHO could
have been supposed to possess somie
special fitless was Mr.. Phelps. lie
Was chairman of the house ways aud
means committee in the thirty.fifth
congress, which committee revised
aud materially reihodeled the tsriG
LAWS, aud which congress had courage
enough 10 perform it's function by
enacnng the revision, instead ofc0w.
ardice enough to abdicaie its function
III favor of an outside '.ccmmittse of
experts" whose expegtncss was tna,i-
ifested partly in their eiuister desires.
but chiefly in their ignorsncs Of tbs
subject. matter. II might have been
supposed. therefore, that Mr.. Phelps
would bring to the performance Of
his commission some special fiLness.
But he has peremptorily refused, sxs
any man specially fitted for the work
OF such commission would natural.
ly do, to sit as the only member Of U
so-cai.ed tariff commission packed
with persons whose understanding OF
tue subject-matter is limited To aud
dominated by personal desires for
more tariff to aggrandise particular
mi erests.