Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-06-10
Tho Tariff Commission.

tue luulCdllOus dAC tAas al but tnO
(Messrs. Brown, of Georgia, and Jonas,
of Louisiana, who having recommended
two of the commission, Messrs. Under
wood and Kenner. feel constrained to
vote for confirmation will oppose the
nominations This we do not wonder
at, as the status of the commission is
entirely unsatisfactory to the friends of
tariff reform.
This commission as it now stands con-
sists of the following named gentlemen
Messrs. William A. Wheeler, Of New
York, Chairman; John L. Hayes, Of
Massachusetts,; Henry w. Oliver, Jr.,
of Pennsylvania Austin w. Garland, of
Illinois; Jacob Amber, of Ohio; John
S. Phelps. of Missouri; Robert P POr-
ter. of the District of Columbia; John
W. Il. Underwood, of Georgia, and Dun
can F. Kenner, of Louisiana. OF these
gentlemen, Mr.. Wheeler, who it may
not be entirely forgotten, was de fdctO
Vice President of the United States I'M
der Mr.. r. B. Hayes, is known to have a
decided leaning towards a high tariff
Mr.. Hayes is prominently interested in
the manufacture of wooden goods, and,
be ides, is salaried officer of the Pro
tective High Tariff Association. Mr..
Garland for many years was President
of the National Wool Growers Associa-
ton. and is also a salaried officer of the
Protective High Tariff Association.
Mr.. Henry w. Oliver, Jr., is an
iron manufacturer of Pittsburg, and his
mill is even now closed on account of
over-production due to protection. but
he is probably one of those msnufactur-
ers who look upon the present labor
troubles g blessing as they will ena-
bic him to dispose of his surplus accu-
mutations at profitable figures, and will
also enable him to put his mills in repair
so as to be provided with increased ia
cilities for his usual protection profits
when trade again becomes active, snd
the strikers are starved into his terms.
Mr.. Jacob Amber, of Ohio, is a politl-
clan and lawyer of whom Senator Pen
dleton said he had never heard until he
was nominated on the commission, but
who sput down as a general protection
list" Ex-Governor Phelps, of Missouri, is
a Democrat and tariff reformer, who
may decline to serve. Mr.. Underwood
is an ex Congressman from this State
who has not been prominently before
the public for several years, and who
has, we believe, never expressed his
views on the tariff. He is, however,
thought to be moderate tariff refOrmer.
Mr.. Robert P. Porter IS a statisticiac and
was recently charged with the collection
of statistics on health, debt and taxation
in the United States He is classed as a
moderate protectionist. Mr.. Duncan F.
Kenner, of Louisiana, is a Democrat,
but he is also a wealthy sugar grower,
who, of course, favors protection. Thus
it will be seen that the status of the
entire commission may be summed up
as follows: Protectionists out and out,
s; tariff reformers, more or less moder
ate, 3.
1t is very easy to understand, upon
knowing the views of these gentlemen,
why it is that their confirmation meets
with the opposition of the Democrats of
the Senate and, we have no doubt, of
the people of the United States. The
commission bill was, in the first place,
simply passed as a sop to Cerberus, and
was an unwilling concession on the part
of Republican Congress to the irresisti-
bic sentiment-growing daily more and
more strong in the country-in favor Of
the abolition of tariff for protection
alone with revenue merely as an Incl
dent. Though it was deemed nece--
sary by a protectionist Congress to
pay some attention to this sentiment,
still il was their desire that the question
of tariff revision should be delayed so
that the protected barons. who form
such a potent factor of Radical sue
cess in the country, should be enabled to
levy their tribute upon the pockets of
the people as long as possible. This de-
sire brought forth the commission bill
as mere makeShift to deceive and keep
the PEOPLE quiet under their heavy taxa
ton for the benefit of the few protected
sons of fortune for year or two longer,
and President Arthur, by his nomina
tons, shows that he is in perfect sympa
thy with the sentiment of his party in
this respect. 1t is, therefore, sincerely TO
be hoped that the commission may he re-
iected in the Senate, for if it is confirmed,
the country may make up its mind to one
of two results, either that we shall have
no revision at all, or if any, still as high
tariff for protection with revenues merely
as an incident.
This entire commission law was
evidently a measure devised only 10
make sport of the people. So far from
the tariff question being by it re-
moved from politics, it is brought
more decidedly than ever before
the public, because it may now be seen
plainly that if the people ever secure the
reforms they demand, they mnst SECURE
them for themselves. This can only be
done by electing a Congress this fall
which will over the wishes of the
masses preference over those of the pro
tected monopolists. and which will legis-
late upon the taFif itself as the Constitu-
ton intended for Congress to do. instead
of Sinking responsibility and attempting
to taHper with and deceive the country
through the agency of any outside body
EhateyeT
--
From the WOOL circular of Walter
Brown &c Co. we learn that during the
past week the sales in the market were
the smallest of any for the year This
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