The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1883-01-18
WASHINGTON LETTER.
[From Cur Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, D. c.,
jan. 15ISS3.l


ton of tariff reform and tax reduc-
ton by the present Congress is still
an open one, but the. chances are de-
cidediy. against it. In spite of all
the confident talk and promises of
the Ways and Means Committee
early in the session things at this
stage look a little squaliy. The tar
if bill reported from the Senate Com
mittee on Finance differs very ma
terially from that of the Ways and
Means Committee, and both are at
variance with the recommendations
of the Tariff Commission, while all
three fail to conform to the ideas
either of free traders or protection
lists, and none of them appear entire
ly satisfactory to those who believe
in moderate and progressive meas
ures of revenue reform. When to
the existing muddIe are added the
amendments of the House 10 the
Ways and Means Committee bill,
and the general conclusion of ideas
which will be created by the attempt
to reconcile the provisions of both
measures, it needsmore than ordi-
nary faith in Congressional industry
and discretion to expect any result
whatever from such chaotic mate
rails. 1t is interesting to occasion
ally happen around the east side of
the House wing in view of the Ways
and Means Committee DON One
can tell to a nj ely what the CON
mittee is doing by the class of visit
tors. One day the barbed wire max
ers are on hand in force, buttonhol-
ing members as they pass in and
out; another day the steel rail lobby
monopolizes most of the space; then
the jute butt fellows show up, and
they are followed in turn by the dis;
tillers and their hired men,. The tin
men, the sugar refners, the Stand
ard oil company lobby, the plate glass
manufacturers, the tobacco men, and
representatives of every other indus
try take their turn, and they are al
.yays on the alert. The buttonholes
of the poor tortured members have
suffered terribly from the train
Recently the shiphuilders have join
ed the throng and pervaded the en-
tire south end of the building.
1t appears that the surprise and
satisfaction with which many advo-
Gates of tariff reform greeted the re
port of the Tariff Commission was
premature. Further and more min
ute scrutiny discloses that in many
items where there are apparent re-
commentators of important reduc.
tions, the report really recommends
higher duties. These insidioas pro.
posals are wrapped up in language
which a only be understood by ex'
perts, but fortunately experts have
not been wanting to expose theil
real nature. And as if this discov'
cry were not enough to vitiate the
report, the Ways and Means Com
mittee of the House, in revising the
schedules proposed Gy the Commits
sion, is Selling the opportunity tt
recommend higher duties in still
further particulars. The genera
impression now is that the Commits
sion's report could not lie adopted a.
it stands without doing more harm
than good, and that what little goot
there is in it will be found elimina
ted by the time the notifications o
the Ways and Means Committee ar
completed. 1t is becoming more ant
more apparent every day that it vii
remain for the next Congress, will
its Democratic majority, TO effect
reform of the tariff that will be some
thing more than a sham. The worl
of the Tariff Commission has justi
fed all the predictions made on thu
score of its legislative uselessness
while it has also belied the hopes O
its friends as to its influences in Civ
ing greater stability to the existin;
system of import duties. But tn
! creation and work of the Commits
sion has had one good result-tha
of forcing the absurdities of tarit
legislation on the attention of tn
, people, and compelling discussion
5 which will inevissbly have the effec
3 of leading to a more radical revision
than before the appointment of tn
commission was deemed possible
Apropos of this tariff subject l an
constraine to quote a letter recent
: ly received by the Hon. S. S. Coz
1t is in the nature of an appeal 70
, an infant industry yet unborn, bu
of which the ac%couchment is 500.
expected. Mr.. Cox will doubles
see to it that in the great work c
tariff revision, the plaintive voice j
l not drowned out by the bawling {
> Judge Kelley's more lusty infants
IL arn going into the business {
raising pineapples and other trop
cal fruits in hot houses, and I war
protection against the pauper labo
of the West Indies for my infant il
dustry.' 1 purpose employing tw
' small boys and American labor mu.
be protected, even if pineapples co.
five dollars apiece. Don't you TO
e get it! Yours, G. Chowder SmitI
.r a Protectionists."
The matter Of the enormous fet
paid to MI. George Bliss. attorney
the Star route cases, has a~ttracte
SO much attention and excited 6
much comment that an inquiry in
n it has been started in the House. L
to this time Mr.. Bliss has drawn ov,
+ $4,000 or a little more than $36,0(
a year. This is larger pay than ar
of the eminent lawyers on the 9th,
e. side get-much more than the A
torney General and wholly dispr
10 portionate to the value of the sc
: vices rendered. Mr.. Bliss is n
much of a lawyer and not much of
'e MN in any respect, but he harper
to have been a chUm of "Chet" A
re thur when the latter was a ward pc
N itician in New York and hence h
emDloyment at such big figures.