Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1883-01-18
WASHINGTON LETTER.
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lwAsH1s6ros, D. G.. Jan. is. isssil
" The question whether We are TO have.
any forward step inthe direction of tariff
reform aud tax REDUCTION by the present
Congress is still An open one, bpt the
chances are decidedly againstit In spitei
Tot all the confident talk and prom ne iiof.
The Ways and Means COMMITTEES early in
The session things at this date look y lit
tie squally. The tariff bill reported from
the Senate COMMITTEES ON Finance differs
very materially 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 os free
traders or protecti5nists. and none OF
them appear entirely satisfactory tothose
who believe in moderate and progressive
measures OF revenue reform. When to
the existing mudde are added the amend
ments OF the House of the Ways and
Means Committee bili. and the genekal
conclusion of ideas which will be created
by the attempt to reconcile the provisions
of both measures, it needs more than or.
dinary faith in Congressional industry
and discretion to.expect any result what
ever from such chaotic materials Ii is
interestingito occasionally happen around
the east side of the House wing in view
of the Ways and Means Committee room.
One can. tell q nlcety what. the .Gbtn-
mittee is doing by the, cassr of, Visitors.
One day the barbed wire makers are on
hand in force, Button holing members as
they pass in and out: another day the
ctaal inlaI,u snnnox,nl.1ao tho arano.
then the jnte butt fellows show up,
and they are followed in turn by the dis
tillers and their Hired men. The tin
men, the sugar refiners. the Standard oil
company lobby, the plate glass .manufac-
turers. the tobacco men, and representa-
Itives OF every other industry take their
turn, and they are always ON the alert.
The buttonholes OF the poor tortured
members have suffered terribly from the
strain. Recently the shipbuilders have
Joined the throng and pervaded the en-
tire south end of the building.
1t appears that the surprise and satis-
faction which many advocates Of
tariff reform greeted the report OF the
Tariff Commission was premature.
Further and more minute scrutiny dis
closes that in many items where there
are apparent recommendations of impor.
tant reductions, the report really recon-
mends higher duties. These insidious
proposals are wrapped up in language
which can only be understood by experts,
but fortunately experts have not been
wanting to expose their real nature. And
as ie this discovery were not enough tt
yitiate the report, the Waysand Means
Committee of the House. in revising the
schedules proposed by the Commission, d
seizing the opportunity to recommend
| higher duties in still further particulars.
The general impression now Is that the
/ Commissions rep0rt could not be adopted
as itstands without doing more harm than
good, and that what little good there is il
It will be found eliminated by the time
the modification Of the Ways and Means
Committee are completed. II ID becom-
ing more and more apparent every day
that it will reman for the next Congress-
with its Democratic maiority, ~ efiscts
reform of the tariff that will be some
thing more than asham. The work ol
the Tariff Commission has justified Ill
the predictions made on the score OF its
legislative uselessness. while it has also
belied the hope Of its friends as to it's IN
fuences in giving greater stability to the
existing system OF import duties. But
the creation and work OF the Commission
has had one good result that of forcing
the absurdities OF tariff legislation on the
attention OF the people, and compelling
discussion which will inevitably have TIN
effect OF leading to more radical revis
ion than before the appointment oil, the
|commission was deemed possible. Apro
II pos of this tariff subject am constrained
to quote letter recently received BY the
Il Hon. s. S. Cox. 1t iB in the nature Of al
appeal for an infant industry yet unborn
but of which the accouchment is soon ex
pected. Mr.. Cox will doubtless see to j
that in the great work of Tariff revision
! the plaintive voice is not drowned ou
by the bawlingo of Judge Kelleyis NOR
Iusty infants: II am going into the bu
siness of raising pineapples and othe
.. tropical fruits in lighthouses, and wan
protection against the 'panper labor Q
the West Indies for my infant industry.
propose employing two small boys an,
American labor must be protected, even
pineapples cost Ave dollars apiece Don
you forget it! Yours G. Chowder Sn1itl
A Protectionist. &
The matter OF the enormous fees PAL
to Mr. George Bliss, attorney in the Stal
: route cases, has attracted SO much atter
tion and excited so much comment the
,, an inquiry into ii has been started Id tli
! House. Up to this time MIR Bliss! ha
!, drawn over $38, 900, or u little more tina
$4,000 year. This is larger pay tina
!, any of the eminent lawyer on the othe
side get much more than the Attorney
IN "a aHAfgE III N q