The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-12-29
Some of the Reasons Why 1t Met with
Overwhelming Defeat at the Hands
of All Parties.
French Colony in the Supervising G
Architects Office Dismissed,
Holiday Dullness Pervadlng Every Section
of the Capital-How Christmas Was
Observation-Disclosures Notes.
MIR. MoRR1soN,s TARIFF BILL.
The Reasons Why 1t Was Overwhelmingly
Defeated in the House.

Defeated in the House.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 28.-Several interviews
with Mr.. Morrison have been published re-
Gently, in which he alluded to the tariff bill
reported by him early in the first session of
the Forty-fourth Congress as embodying his
opinions on the tariff question, and which,
he says was fully considered during that
session and defeated during the second ses-
sion in the effort made by the Democrats to
prevent the Republicans from stealing the
presidency. An examination of the record
shows that Mr.. Morrison's bill was never
considered, and that Mr. Morrison made no
effort to have it considered. 1t was
discussed in general way upon several oc-
casions, but has never been taken
up for consideration, and not
single line of it was ever
formally read in the House. 1t was reported
to the House by Mr.. Morrison on April 12,
1876 and on his motion made the special or
der for that day two weeks. 1t was called up
May 25, when Morrison and Burchell, of Hill
nois made speeches, the former for, and the
latter against it. May %, it was again taken
up for general debate, when speeches were
made by Messrs Kelley, and Chittenden, of
New York, against it, Upon that occasion,
Mr.. Kasson asked Mr.. Morrison whether he
proposed to bring the house to vote on the
bill during that session, and Mr.. Morrison
replied that he did not expect to obtain a
vote. Indeed, his reply to Mr.. Kassons in
quiry, end his manner when pushed to make
it, indicated that he was demoralized by the
merciless exposure made of the glaring in
sistencies and defects of his BILL and was
willing to allow it to be strangled.
On June the bill was discussed for the
third and last time, at an evening session,
appointed on motion of Mr.. Kelley for gen.
eral debate, Mr. Hunter of Indiana, and Mr..
Ketcham, of Pennsylvania, speaking against,
and Mr.. Milliken, OF Kentucky, for it. Thus
it will be seen that the bill was discussed in
general debate upon three separate occa-
sions, and that Mr.. Morrison was supported
by but one member during the five days
discussion. After making his speech in de-
fense of his measure Mr., Morrison aban-
doned his work, and the bill actually died
of inanition.
During the second session, Mr.. Woods
worth, of Ohio, made speech on the tariff
bill, pending the consideration of the diplo-
matte app ropriation bill; but, except this,
no notice whatever was taken of it. The
fact is that the measure was regarded as
SO crude and incongruous that no one
who had any intelligent conception of reve-
nue. questions could be induced to advocate
it. Judge Kelley made terrible analysis of
the measure in a speech which spreads over a
dozen or more pages of the Record, and yet
Mr.. Morrison never uttered a word in reply
to Mr. Kelley or others who assailed his
measure. So far from the failure of the bill
being attributable to the contest over the
electoral vote which occurred at the second
session of the Forty-fourth Congress, it was
doomed from the day its provisions were
made known. The first session adjourned
finally on August %, three months before
the presidential election. of 1876,
yet Mr., Morrison's bill was only dis
cussed in general debate for few hours of
each of the three days above indicated, and
was practically abandoned two months prior
to the close of the first session, and at no
time was it considered in a manner that
measures are given consideration upon which
legislative bodies propose to act.
The events connected with Mr.. Morrison's
bill not only exposed the defective character
of that measure, but exhibited the utter in
ability of its reputed author to manage rev.
enue measure in the House.
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