Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1883-12-14
THE COMMITTEES.
They are the Principal Topic
now in Washington.
Some Plain Talk. GueSSeS and
Gossip Concerning Them.
Deuster will Probably go on the
Ways and Means Committee.
GARL!sLE.s COMMITTEES.

Ways and Means Committee.
GARLgSLE'S COMMITTEES.
Guesses and Gosstps About Them,
WASHINGTON, Dec. 11.-The alb
sorbing topic is still the form alton of
the committees by Speaker Carlisle
The extreme anxiety of the protection
ist republicans to alarm the country
about possible democratic action on
the tariff received a setback from Mr..
Carlisle's speech on assuming the
speakership.
THE MODERATION
of Mr.. Carlisle's remarks, however,
did not please his opponents, who
have since then begun a sort of double
barrelled clamor With one voice they
proclaim that the democrats are moth
ing but a horrible set of free-traderS.
and with another they cry out that
Mr.. Carlisle is only protectionist i'll
disguise and will make up the ways
and means committee on the old Ran
dali and Blaine plan of SO equally
balancing opinion in it as to disable
1t from doing anything.
How Mr.. Carlisle will frame the
ways and means committee nobody
but him at present knows, and even
he may not have entirely decided.
The speaker is usually allowed a
couple of weeks in which to frame his
committees. Two years ago Mr..
keifer announced his committees
ON THE 2lsT or DECEMBER.
The present house not only contains
thirty-two more members than the
last or any previous house, but it has
also an unusually large number of
ne@ members, a good many of the
old members of botn parties having
been left at home because of the pub
lie Indignation at the passage of the
notorious river and harbor bill. The
task put upon the speaker i'll the Sc
lection of committees is, therefore,
UNCOMMONLY LABORIoUS
and difficult. He has to inform him
self of the profession or calling, the
peculiar experience and line of study
of great number of members un-
known to him and to the general pub
lie, and this he is carefully and labor
iously doing as necessary prellmin
ary work.
Meantime those who pretend that
he is going TO make a nuddle of the
or that he is backing
down" from the policies as to tax and
tariff reform, public economy and re
trenchment on which he was made
speaker do not know the man. Mr..
Carlisle is in many ways the ablest
man who has occupied the speakers
chair in many years. lie Is a man
of strong convictions, to which he
has come by careful study of the
needs of the country, and he IS man
of high principle. Here is what he
said upon assuming the chair:
| am sure, gentlemen, that all matters of legis-
laton presented during this congress will receive
from won such careful consideration as the mag
nituir aud character Of the interests involved re
qlire and that your action upon them will be
wis,, conservative and patriotic Sudden and
radical changes in the laws and regulations affect
ing the commercial and industrial interests OF the
people ought never To be made unless imperative
" demanded by some public emergency. Ana IN
my opinion. under existing circumstances, such
changes would not be favorahy received by any
considerable number of those who have given Sprl-
ous attention To the subject Many reforms are
necessary. and it will be your duty.
after careful examination of the whole subject
in all its bearings, Il decide how far they should
he made
What the country has right To expect is strict
economy in the administration ot every depart
neut of the government Just and equal taxation
for public purposes a faithful observance OF the
Limitations of the constitution and a scrupuous
regard for the rights and interests of the great
body of the people
These are wise and statesmanlike
words. They are not the words of
either doctrinaire or a trimmer, but
of a man familiar with affairs, fully
informed of the country's condition
and needs, and convinced that reforms
are necessary, but that reforms to be
beneficial aud enduring must be care
fully made. That is the promise OF
Mr.. Carlisle's speech. He had heard
the absurd
FREE TRADE CLAMoR
with which the republicans are trying
to alarm the country, and he answer
ed it by the assurance that the coun-
try has no need to be apprehenslve of
mischievous or even rash legislation.
That is the plain fact The spirit
which prevails among those democrats
whom the election of Mr. Carlisle has
placed in the leadership is prudent and
conservative They do not mean to
overthrow any industries, but they do
mean To relieve our home industries
of burdens and shacklcs under which
they are, as everybody sees, suffering
a kind of dry rot They mean to re
peal those
NEEDLESS TAXES
which have for years been continued
by the republicans in order to create
an enormous surplus revenue for the
encouragement Of jobbery of all
kinds. In striking off taxes the dem
ocratic leaders mean to strike off,
first, those which bear most oppress-
lively upon our home industries,
which cripple our manufacturers, and
cause that glut of our markets
through costly overproduction, from
which the country is now suffering,
and which has thrown SO many thous-
ands of laboring men out of employ
ment
That is the democratic programme.
1t alarms
MONOPOLIsTS AND CAPITALISTS,
who have grown rich as the faverites
of the republican party, and by the
heavy and oppressive bounties which
that party has given them, but it will
benefit the great mass of workmen
em oloyed by these monopolists and
favored capitalists, who have seen
their masters grow wealthier while
they themselves were half the time
out of work
When the committees are announced
it will be seen that Mr. Carlisle is
true to his record and that the com
mittees he names mean judicious,
prudent and intelligent reform of
grave abuses.
THE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE
is that which will have to deal with
tariff and tax reforms and is really the
only committee that the people gener-
ally are anxious about. Mr.. Keifer
placed on this committee three Penn
sylvanians and ten high protection
ists. making Mr. Kelly the chairman.
NJ i r Il