The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1883-01-27
CONGRESS AND THE TARIFF.

he present session of congress both houses
appeared to labor with unwOnted diligence
and industry to get the appropriation bill
out Of the way, so that time could be Sc
cured to accomplish some practical work
the necessity for which all professed t.
feel was overwhelming, IN the way OF tar
fl and revenue reform. The necessity TO
such work was admitted to have beer
equally pressing year ago, and the resuI
of the last fall elections was accepted as
signal popular condemnation OF c0ngres
for Sinking its duty then by the mlsera
BILE dodge Of the appointment OF the rowing
Tariff Commission There must be M
repetition of the last years mistake now
they said
SO the two houses, as we have said, wen
to work with unwontei diligence. Eigh
of the ten or twelve important approprla-
ton bills were passed before the holiday
adjournment, and a week or Two in Janu
airy would dispose of the rest and "cleal
the decks" for action on tariff ana revenue
reform. Meantime, that there might bl
no delay In that quarter, both the Finance
Committee of the Senate and the Ways and
Means Committee of the House were given
| full time to overhaul the report aod recon-
menda,ions of the Tariff Commission and
be ready for the presentation OF revised
and perfected" bills to the two houses
The Senate seemed to be first IN getting
ready to engage in the great work, and as
long as two weeks ago had LAID before il
the tariff and revenue scheme Of It's FL
nance Committee and without delay took
it up aDd proceeded to Its consideration.
Those who have paid any attention to con
gressional proceedings during the past
week or two are probably able by this
time to realize The dismal prospect for any
practical or beneficial results the senate
debate has brought into view. 1t has been
a hopeless, dreary wrangle, without the
revelation of chance of agreeing on sin.
gle point that can be recognized as tAe
semblance OF an improvement of the pres
ent robber system. 1t IS true, there was
one vote IN the senate on Monday that
looked like disposition to do something
towards saving our rapidly disappearing
forests by renting the duty on Canada
lumber, but from even this slight step for
ward the lumber kings appear already to
have scared the senate into retreat.
The house, though it could also have
been easily ready week ago to take up
the tariff question, preferred to watch for
awhile the experiment in the sedate and
dawdled away week uselessly over the
naval appropriation bill, finally passing
that on Thursday, and then allowing pig
ironl Kelly" u bring instbe House Com
mittee's project Of tariff snd revenue re-
form. The bill IL said 70 DO even more
villainous than that LAID before the Senate
Instead of reducing the tariff on any i'm e.
portant article, 1t actually strengthens IL
Ill ito uiSh pioNShNo iCutuico. Auo Ouiy
speech thus far made on II was,,by Kelly In
explanation OF It's leading features.
Nobody lmagins, however. that either
tho senate or house bill will pass. The re
publican politicians, IN spite of last falls
elections. have not yet got over the dclu-
sion that New York, which they won In
1880 by Boss kelIy's detection. and lndi-
ana, which they won through Dorsey's
corruption fund, were won for Garfield by
crowding, in the last weeks of the cam.
paign, the tariff issue into the contest, and
they are now maneuvering to reserve that
issue for the contest Of 1884. The recent
session of the Republican National Com.
mittee, by its adoption of high protective
tariff resolution, disclosed this scheme
And while this Is the republican pro
gramme, the democrats seem not averse to
accepting 1t. While OF course they do no,
propose TO make fight for out and-out
tree trade, they will take the side of tariff
reduction and reform. against the present
robber system, to which the republicans
will stand pledged II the republicans
have the courage TO go before the country
on such an issue, surely the democrats
would be foolish Ia evade IT,
-