Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1883-01-18
Tariff Discords.

Special Correspondent Of the Patriot
WASHINGTON, January l4.-Doubts
have arisen in the minds OF some demo.
Gratis here whether the republicans ARE
a ting in good faith concerning the sci.
element Of the tariff question. From
expressions that certain republicans
have let drop il has been inferred that
the radical party Is not sincere in H.
professions and that it does not intend
to pass any Till at this session but lea
the matter ( over to trouble the demo
Gratis in the presidential election OF
1851. Tnera can oe no doubt there are
republican politicians who would pla,
bAtIlrdore and shutllecOck with the
business interests of the country no
matter what the consequence t"vrn tu
The bringing on OF panic in order To-
enh'nce their waning party prospects.
BLtHs a business question the mrjori y
o! the republicans seem TO be IN favur
OF the clearing Vi of the whole matter
at TINS session. At least such Is the
opinion OF a le ding democratic mem
Der of the ways ani means committee,
and have II from iudlvidu / republ
eau mernhers ui the house that they viii
use their best riFurts to pass a till. A,
political question The entire republ.
can party vail be well suti- fled To let It
60 over, believing that 1t would create
dlssenslOns in the democratic rank.
With those republicans, however, who
are honesty IN favor OF protecting the
business OF the country l:om depression
and paraly sis incident To tho present
uncertainty, aud the democrats who
want the question taken out OF politics,
there is douUtle enough sentiment ia
favor OF pas'Inga bill to put one through
lift can only be put into such shape ~
to satisfy the majority OF interests. The
trouble now, As 1t has been all along, Is
in the widely diverging views held not
only by individual members of congress
but formulated on the one hand by the
ways and means committee of the
house and the finance committee of the
senate, aud the shortness OF the session.
The iron aud steel interests, AS is well
known. are bitterly attacking and We
hemently protesting against the senate
bill, and parliamentary complications
are feared when it shall go to the
house, owing TO the fact that it Is At.
tached rs an amendment to the inter.
nal revenue reduction bill. The whole
subject is in a muddle and between the
greed OF the special interests which are
all here clamoring to he let in, land
some Of which were overlook ed by the
tariff commissionl, AMI the politics that
are creeping in the thing is upon a sea
Of uncertainty. II is impossible for the
general public to keep posted az to the
status Of the question, even. with the
fullest daily reports furnished, since
sIme OF tho most intelligent and bet
equipped members Of the ways and
means committee confess their inability
to understand the tariff commission
schedule and charge that il Was IN ple to
mystIiy and deceive. One member OF
the committee says he has been unable
TO get any satisfactory explanation OF
the iron schedule, although he has 80
licitcd several manufacturers and their
experts to give him a statement show.
ing exactly ~hat is proposed. In the
house committee the republicans have
been engaged IN Khkenney cat 6eh,
pretty much along. Dunnell, who is an
oul.and.out free trader, hrs been absent
in Minnesota trying to defeat Window
fIr senatOr, but X ,sson and Haskell
have given Kelley and Errett aud
Mckinley no eud of trouble, a. d J. y.
Weeks. secretary Of the Western iron
association, admits that the rates have
been sustained in the committee by
democratic votes. In the senate finance
co mitt-e the iron and steel delegation
charge that Sherman and other republi.