The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1883-02-10
CONGRESSIONAL.
Probable Death of the Tariff
Bill.
The House Virtually Kills all Hope Of Tariff
RsVlsIOn---Fallurs Of the Republl.
can Gag Law Scheme.

| by this Congress. The Republicans have
dallied over the matter and put off tar
III revision until 1t is too late. Not hay
ing the courage to deal with the ques-
tiOn. 1t was given into the hands of a
commission, and now in the last days of
the session, in the midst OF other i'm.
pOrtant business, they have undertaken
to crowd through crude, ill-cOnsideTed
and ill-adVised bill, without discussion,
under an Odlous gag law. The attempt
will fail and no bill will be- passed.
The action Of the House yesterday set
| tied that.
As was predicted in these dispatches,
: che Republicans undertook to make time
| for their tariff bill by passing an i'm
pOrtant appropriation bill without de-.
bate or chance for amendment. What
| jobs there may be in il-aud jobs alwa Us
/ turk in appropriation bills - there
| would be no way of finding out. The
plan was to call up the bill, get a sus
pension Of the rules, call the previous
question and rush 1t through. This plan
the Democrats unitedly opposed and de-
/ feated.
The bill is an important one. It
makes appropriations Of $20,398, 900 for
legislative expenses. Mr.. Cannon, who
had the bill in charge, moved to suspend
the rules and take iG up.
Mr.. Blackburn led the Democratic side
and did it ably. He inquired whether
the motion Of the gentleman from Illi
nOi9 did not amount to suspension of
the rules and passage OF the bill without
any right given to the House to discuss
| OF amend IL.
itself did not amount to that. What its
result might be he did not feel called
upon to decide.
Messrs. Belford and Atkins demanded
second, and the motion was seconded
125 to "a.
Mr.. Cannon explained that the bill
/ which 1t was prOpoaed to take up for
| consideration was one which provided
for the salaries Of the officers of the gov
ernment, and was substantially con-
tinuatiOn for the next year Of the serY-
| ice OF the present year.
Mr.. BelfOrd, Republican member from
Colorado, gave his party friends much
trouble on account Of his Independent
prOcliVities, inquiTing whether if Mr.
CannOn's motion prevailed it would be
In order to offer any amendment to the
bill, or whether It was to go through un-
der the whip and spur. If it was he did
not propose to support it. Applause on
| the Democratic side,l
Mr.. Cannon replied that at this time
/ no amendment was in order; If the
rules were suspended and the bill came
up for consideration the majority of the
House would have complete control of it.
Mr.. Atkins CDem.) said the proposed
action was an indirect way of cram
ming the bill down the thrOats of the
minority without debate OF amendment.
He objected to the proposition because
1t was a dangerous precedent. II it
were TO become precedenufOr the pas
sage Of the appropriation bills, what
rights had the minority and what power
had the people TO prevent moneyed bills
being passed under the gag law?
Mr.. Blackburn made brilliant speech
against the proposition. He said the
Republicans were intending to put the
gag In the mouth Of the House under
the operation of the previous question
and deny every mans right to ask an
explanation, to debate the bill, or offer
an amendment. The Democrats would
agree to every night sessions to discuss
the bill Ifr0m now to the Ath of March.
They were not obstructing or seeking to
oDstruct business. They were demand
ing that the peoples representatives
have the right TO challenge the wisdom of
the committee on appropriations. This
motion was the expiring thrOes of re-
pentant party. 1t was the deathbed con-
fession by which the Republicans sought
to save q lot Of political souls. The Re: :
publican papers to-day said the time had
not yet come to apply the whip and spur
and insert the gag. The majority of
the party had shown itself ready and
willing 10 resort to revolutionary meth
DDS whenever the necessity compelled
or drove them. Let the Republicans go
on with their revenue legislation and
their appropriation bill. The minority
had borne the manacles often enough at
the hands Of an arbitrary power. Thank
God there are but four weeks in which the
Republicans could employ and practice
that absurd and prOstituted power.
lApplauss on the Democratic side. If
you do 1t, tell you now that l trust
that the tyranny you teach us we will
execute, and it will go hard but we will
better the example. We ask you now
for an opportunity to amend and debate
the bill; we. challenge you to come to
Its consideration, not under the gags
and fetterS, but In open debate, and let
the government interests be fairly and
justly considered. Applause on the
Democratic side,l
Mr.. Bannon made q very weak attempt
at explaining the bill. Then a vote was
taken on the motion to suspend the rules
and resulted yeas 1875, nays 1OS; not
enough to suspend the rules and the
motion was lost. The Democrats
acted together and the result was
greeted with cheers and derisive laugh
ter on the Democratic side. Later on
another nail was put into the coffin of
the tariff bill. Pig Iron Kelly. who has
the bill in charge, moved that on the
18th Of February and thereafter, no fur
ther amendments be made to the bill.
but that votes should be taken without
discussion OF amendment. He said this
must be done or no bill could be passed,
Mr.. Morrison Dem., ILL opposed the
motion. He said tariff revision was too
important matter to rush through like
that.
Mr.. Hatch thought 1t came with bad
grace from the gentleman from Penn
sylYania, to ask the House in five days
to pass the tariff bill, when during the
session Of eight months the same gem
tleman has declared, by bill which he
brought In and ehampioned, that after
thirty years Of delying In this tariff
question, he was unable to manage it,
and wanted TO felegate his high trust to
the tartR commission.
Nh. Mckinley Of Ohio said the Demo-
Sraia were determined to defeat the tar