National Republican., 1882-12-16
A PARTY,s PLANS.
Tho Democratic Leaders Determine TO Or
gunize Peace Commission.

The Democratic Leaders Determine 10 Or
gnnizc Peace Commission.
Senator Pendleton has not yet appointed
the senate committee of conference, his time
having been too fully taken up with his civil
service bill. The duty of this committee,
whose creation was authorized by a demo-
cratic senatorial caucus, is to confer with
similar committee from the lower house and
jointly devise a programme of action. The
distinguished gentleman from Ohio will make
his nominations in day or two, and Gen.
Rosecrans will call the house congressional
committee together very near thereafter for
the purpose of naming five statesmen from the
south end of the capitol, it not being thought
advisable to call general caucus of repre-
sentatives lest public attention should be in
vited too conspicuously to the discord in the
democratic camp.
The policy makers will have q serious time
harmonizing the unterrifed ON many ques-
tions of moment.
THE TARIFF ISSUE
is going to give the thermometers more trouble
than anything else, not excepting civil-service
reform. How to assist in shaping LEGISLATION
on this question is to catch the high protec-
tive tariff people and the believers in free
trade at the same time is a aperplexing problem
at best, and delicate maneuvering will be re-
quired in its solution. The high protective
tariff element, under the leadership of Sam
Randall is rampant and refuses to treat with
the free traders or NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
| only wing, which is by far the largest of the
two. The platform of 1880 committed the
democracy to the free trade heresy, and cx-Sen-
ator Mcdonald, the leading western candidate
of the party for president, goes to extremes
in his advocacy of free trade principles
Until lately this free-trade cry had in 1t q
promise of popularity, but the premonitory
~ h,r
every quarter have alarmed the trimmers
and they are getting shaky in their volatile
and readily adjustible principles. The dem
ocratic leaders realize the folly of incurring
the hostility of the industrial classes of the
country, and they are considering what course
it will be most expedient for them to pursue
in this emergency. The only question they
will seriously consider is that of expediency,
with view TO catching votes"
THE AIM OF THE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE
will be to bring tho hostile factions together
on as nearly common footing as possible
The strong growth of u protective-tarif sys-
tenn throughout the western and southern
states will be brought to the attention of the
free-tradcrs, and the expressed sentiments of
the democratic great men will be paraded be-
fore the prOtectionists from the iron, coal, and
manufacturing centers. The political soother
will be abroad in the land, and he will have
his hands full. Congressman from the
sugar districts will want sacharim pro.
lection and reduced duty on metals. Con-
gressmen from the tobacco and whisky pro-
ducing states will insist on heavy reduction
in the tax on these articles, and to carry their
point they may join issues with the iron men,
to the end that the revenue may be kept up
to reasonable limit. Congressman from
Texas and other shcep-raising states will
want the duty kept up on wool, at
whatever cost, and congressman from indus
trial centers are ready to combine with any
body and everybody for the maintenance of
light tariff on iron and its products. These
are few of the complex questions which
comfort the bourbon policy farmers, and
which will vex their souls for weeks to come.
The republican party is practically unit
on the tariff issue, recognizing the justice Of
a tariff for protection. as well as revenue, to
the end that American freemen may not be
reduced to the extremity of competition with
the densely populated and underpaid foreign
labor market; and the opposition appreciates
the disadvantages under which it labors in
the treatment Of this subject.
THE BOURBON LEADERS
are close students of the time, and If the
clouds that are now rising abovethe financial
horizon become more alarmingly threatening
they will undertake to change the course of
| the democratic ship completely, even though
| several very important citizens fall overheard.
| Meanwhile the senate and house committees
are actively engaged upon the revision of the
tariff and revenue laws. Thus far both have
shown disposition to accept the recommenda-
tion of the tariff commission, but neither has
as yet entered fairly into the merits of the
| question. The senate committee is going
about the work with sober earnestness, while
the house committee is rushing things, and
not making as rapid progress as the amount
of nervous force expended would lead OBJ
servers to expect.