The Portland daily press., 1882-12-14
Tariff Revision.

Commission has silenced the ratings of its
assailants, and many of the men and news
papers that opposed its constitution and
scoffed at its labors, acknowledge their error
and frankly admit that the Commission has
done its work honestly, diligently and in the
main wisely. The report submitted to Con-
gress will undoubtedly be taken as the basis
of tariff revision, and the recommendations
made generally accepted. II contemplates
a return to The Morrill, tariff of 1861, of
which the duties were substantially light,
and which, though based on the principle OF
protection, did not seek to exact the enor-
nous taxes afterward made necessary by the
exigencies of war.
The Commission has done well and'earned
the thanks of the country. Maine people
may well take pride in its success, for the
first suggestion of its establishment came
from ex-Congressman John Lynch, who so
long and so worthiy represented the Port
land District. In February 1878, Mr.. Lynch,
then editor of the Washington National I'm
ion, published in that paper an editorial ar
ticIe on tariff revision, taking strong ground
in favor of Commission like the one after
wards constituted. The Wood Bill was
then before the House, and fears were en-
tertained that its hasty, irconsiderate, and
unjust provisions would become law. Mr.
Lynch urged that the various interests spec
tally affected by the proposed changes should
be heard before a law was enacted or re-
port made on the subject. Only by this way,
he argued, could correct understanding be
reached. 1t would too, he thought, save
much time in the final consider alton of the
me asure by the house, enable Congress to
be come thoroughly acquainted with the sub
ject in all its details, and result in obtaining
the views of the public through the discus !
sion which would be opened up in the press
throughout the country. He recognized the
fact that the work of hearing parties inter-
ested and of passing upon the differences OF
opinion between them could not be well con-
sidered within the limits of session of a
body so large as the House of Representa-
tives. "In fact,'' he said, sit is difficult
even for a committee TO consider with that
care which the importance Of the subject
demands tariff or revenue bill while Con-
gress is in session. The time of the men,
bers is so much taken up with business at
the departments and with other duties that
only an hour or two at the most Of each
day can be given to any subject. and the
breaks and interruptions under such cir
cumstances operate to distract attention and
prevent the careful consideration of impcr-
tant measures. Under these circumstances,
considering the importance Of having thor
ough and careful revision of the tariff and
revenue laws, it would be wise to provide
for the consideration OF such measures dur
ing the recess of Congress- The subject
would probably be better considered by a
commission. The advantages of such a
would be made speciality, and could be de-
liberately cons idered, without having other
questions come in to distract the minds of
those having the M alter in charge Another
advantage would be that such commission
could not emily call for information from ex-
perts and others familiar with the subject,
but could move from place to place, and thus
have opportunities for examining and be-
coming acquainted with the principal mat
tiers under investigation" In conclusion he
expressed the hope that when the proposed
tariff bill came up for action it would be re-
ferred to such commi ssion as he had indi-
Gated.
The sensible suggestions of this article at
once commanded attention. The :-rticle
was widely copied, the subject was taken up
by Mr.. Eaton, then Senator from Connect
cut and now member-elect of the XLVlIIth
Congress. pushed by him, and in time the
commission was constituted. The result OF
its labors have been published in these col
umns, and our readers are doubtless famil-
lar with them. They will be pleased to
learn that we owe to Maine man this sem
sible and practical expedient so promising
of good.
THE Honorable Charles NJ. Shelley is a
model Democrat from the model Democratic
State OF Alabama. IT, 1880 James q. Smith.
Republican, was elected to Congress from
the fourth district by a majority of about
5000 votes. Through fraudulent hocus-
pocus we'll understood in that latitude, the
returns showed a bogus majority of nearly
5000 for Shelley, who was Smith opponent,
and accordingly Shelley received the certif-
cate of election and took his seat. Smith
began contest, which was not completed
when he died in April last. On the goth Of
July Shelley was ousted, and after drawing
his pay down to that date he went back to
Alabama and entered upon a campaign for a
return to Congress. A week ago he ap-
peared in Washington with another certif-
cate, and was admitted to seat, under no.
tice of protest given by Mr.. Calkins,
chairman of the committee on elections.
Mr.. John w. Jones, who was Shelley's OPP
ponent at the recent election, charges just
about the same fraudulent practices that
gave him the seat two years ago. TIE COM
mittee last summer found that the returns
from certain precincts in Dallas county were
unlawfully rejected, and Smith was thereby
deprived of 1870 votes and Shelley of A
votes; the memorial alleges that the re-
turns of the same precincts were unlawfully
rejected this year, whereby he, Jones, was
deprived of 1852 votes and Shelley of Is
votes. The memorial claims that more
than $4,000 votes were cast for him and less
than 5000 for Shelley; but, according to the
canvass, Shelley received 6,752 votes and
Jones Ash votes. In Dallas county, where
all the members of the county board of can
vassers were bourbons, the returns of Is
precints were rejected outright, depriving
Jones OF 2,671 votes and Shelley of So votes.
Republican precincts were thrown out on all
sorts of pretexts and excuses, while the
Democratic returns were admitted without
regard to the manner in which they had
been fixed up, and so Mr.. Shelley has again
got into seat which nobody supposes he
ought to have, but which he can hardly be
ousted from before the close of the present
Congress.
A BANQUET is to be given in Washington
on New Years day in honor of Frederick
Douglass, in recognition of his long services
in the interests of his race and of humanity.
Ex-senator Bruce is to preside, and the en-
tertainment is designed to be not local, but