The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-02-15
TARIFF REVISION.
The Democrats Decking 10 Make Po.
IItIeaI Capital out orthe Question.


WASHINGTON, February 1.-THE Hasson
tariff bill is in parliamentary position,
where it can be called up as u privileged
question at any time, and it is the purpose
of Mr.. Kasson to move to proceed to its
consideration rs soon as the House shall
have acted upon the Postolice appropria-
ton bill and the apportionment bill. A
closer examination into the purposes ofthe
Democrats show that their object in at
tempting to form combination to
defeat the tariff commission bill is entirely
political, and that they are influenced by u
desire to prevent the possibility OF any nc.
ton by this Congress, so that they can 60
to the people in the Congressional elections
Of this fall and in the next Presidential
election and declare that the Republicans
prevented any modification OF the tarilI.
The same end is sought to be accomplished
by Mr.. Randall's amendment 10 the Kas.
son bill, which proposes that the commits
sion shall consist OF Representatives and
Senators and some outside experts, al
though Mr.. Randall's real purpose, Of
COuTSS, ID " plCNGil 1uN uGLlOLif IL pOaol-
Bile, upon the tariff at any time.
The Democrats who are attempting to
organize an opposition to the commission
bill do this avowedly upon the grounds
that they desire TO have revision Of
the tariff, but they insist that they
are OF the opinion that this revis-
ion can be properly secured only through
the Ways and Means Committee, and that
even il a tariff commission could be ellici-
ent, it would be ut least extra-constitu-
tional.
Irrespective Of the constitutional point
(which Of course is not validl the Ways
and Means Committee, ns matter OF fact,
since the day OF the Morrill, tariff, has
never secured any thorough revision Of the
tariff, numerous as the attempts
to do so haYe been. The Nor.
rison revision was practically tabled
before it had been debated, the Wood re-
vision shared similar fate, and during the
six years that the Democrats had control Of
the House by large majorities they never
sent q systematic revision OF tue tariff
to the Senate. The prcCedents, therefore,
are against the accomplishment OF
any such legislation by the Ways and
Means Committee. On the contrary, all
the legislation recommended hy the COM
mittee since the days OF the Morrill, tariff
have been Of a piGcemeal character, aud
for the benefit Of special interests. The
result has been that the objects sought to
be accomplished by tariff commission
have been defeated by the Ways and
Means Committee, and that the evils OF
the existing tariff have been increased and
not diminished by this fragmentary legisla'
ton for the benefit Of special interests.
The Democrats seem more eager to mako
political capital by defeating any action
upon tariff matters, and making it appear
that the Republicans will be responsible for
such defeat, than they are to have the tariff
revised. The supporters Of the tariff COM
mission bill have made all possible pro.
visions to facilitate tariff revision in this
Congress. They provdethata commission
Of experts shall report by topics; that they
shall send from the Government printing
office to all members OF Congress every
subject as soon as completed, so that
when Congress shall meet in December
the result OF the labors OF the commission
will be laid upon the desks Of the members
The experts provided by the bill could
moreover, give their immediate attention
to the subject. II Mr. Randal's amend.
ment should be adopted, no one could
know who would be appointed upon the
commission by the Speaker and President
Of the Senate, nor would 1t be probable
that Senators and Representatives would
be willing to absent themselves from Con
gress during this session and work upon
The tariff commission pending the Con.
gressional campaign, cvenif thctwo houses
shonid accord them leave to do so.
These arc some OF tho points made in
hvor OF the commission plan by pro
tcctionist who believes that there should
be some modification Of the present tariff
and who thinks that this can be better ac
complished through commission than il
can be BY the Ways and Means Commit
tee. Meanwhile a close examination o.
the Mckinley bill shows that it will bC
certain 10 be opposed by the united South