New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-01-29

EapO!eOn's red, yellow ana Dun coioieu
posters appeared, but the points which our
correspondent makes suggest how great an In
fluence for good Gambetta would have exerted
in the present crisis-if indeed q crisis could
have occurred If he had lived.
The news from Washington is that the pros
poets of the Tariff bill are improving IN inc
House and in the Senate. The speeches OF some
OF the Democratic Representatives last week
have aroused enthusiasm among certain oouot-
full Republican members of the House. VINO now
announce their intention to vote for the meas
ure and to refrain from too much amendment
This is an encouraging outlook. 1t ls the
most conspicuous duty Of the Repuolloan
Representatives to give the country substan-
tial reduction of the tariff and OF the internal
revenue at this session Of Congress. The inilu-
ence of the spirit of compromise Is apparently
extending. This is az it should be, for naturally
no tariff or internal revenue measure which Will
suit every one can 60 through. The most
should be made of all points upon which there
is agreement, and the least of points upon which
the members are at variance. 1t is only in that
way that anything can be accomplished. We
are extremely glad to see this growing DISPOSE.
comply with the imperative demands OF the
people.
1t will be rseen by our Albany letter that
tho expenses Of the investigating committees
of the Democratic Assembly OF 1882
(S55,SS1) are about double what they were
under any one Of the four preceding Republi-
can Legislatures. A perusal OF the items IN
these bills will hardly give pleasure to the tax
payers who have to meet them. Few OF TINS
class enjoy a dinner each day costing $o oo,
although this was not too dear for some OF the
investigators. But extravaganza ia not the
only exasperatng feature of this matter. The
money in some cases was entirely thrown away
so far az results were concerned. The Herman
Ipsolvent Corporations Investigation amounted
to nothing. The committee reported rather In
formally to the Senate that the Assembly COM
mittee had examined the subject sufficiently.
II cost the State $3,415 to learn that. More
fragrant was the wortbessness of the Grady In
ves,igation of the Department of Public
Works. It was undoubtedly needed but no
report was ever made. and the only result was
that Tammany Hall was admitted to the last
Democratic State Convention That was proo-
ably the object Mr.. Grady had III view when
be attacked Commissioner ThOmpsonj but his
success was hardly worth 81, 1877 to the tax
payers at large.
There are some startling facts in Mr.. Robert
p. Porter's letter on the mills and mill-hands
of Dundee. Scotland which we publish this
morning. They will be instructive reading,
not only to rabid Free-Traders who do not
want any industry protected even at the start,
but to those persons of more moderate views
who think a tariff for this country was well
enough 10 begin with, but should now be
abandoned. Mr.. Porter traces the rise OF the
manufacture of linen in the Dundee district
in the last century down to the present time,
and the tables of wages which lie scat
ters through his accounts contain the
statistics of the suffering among the
mlll-hands who have made their employers
rich 1t is a significant fact that this industry
| took its start at Dundee under protective
| theory in the eighteenth century, when Par
lament granted bounty on brown linens,
which could not be made then without this
help except at loss. The condition OF the
operatives then was bad enough (women re-
ceived 81 for spinning sixty-fve miles OF
yarn), but it does not seem TO have improved
under free trade care. The picture which Mr..
Porter draws of the state of the Dundee opera
tives is a pitiful one. The poor people there
are worse off than at Paisley. the letter IL
recommended to any American workman who
thinks his condition would he improved under
a Free Trade Democratic Administration.