Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-03-06
HOwInETAEIrF BILL wAsrAssED


The tariff az reformed by Congress il now
the law. The Senate bill, with some of it's
most important reductions from the former
rates omitted, has passed in Congress
Among others who gain by substitution Of
the Senate bill for the indefensible bill Of
the House, as arranged by Pig Iron Kelley's
Ways and Means Committee, are the cotton
planters, as in the bill that passed cotton. ties
remain at thirty five per cent. duty instead Of
eighty-tUo cents as arranged by the Ways
and Means Committee. Will this bill settle
the agitation for a reform of the tariff :?
VIII its prove satisfactory 10 the country?
These questions it will not take very long TO
answer. But if they are accepted it will
appear that the American people, when
demanding much, can be safely put off with
very Little; and that is not the usual way with
the American people. The new law leaves
the tariff essentially where it was before,
modihsd but by no means reformed. The
people ere still to be 1eeced. They will still
have "a RsS Ast merely tax 10 the govern
nents hsl mainly tribute to the rnonopolists.
IKE New York Post is a paper not likely to
be unduly hard upon the doings of the Re-
publicans, and that paper SAVE: "The ma
neuverirg carried on by the protectionisls
with regard to the Senate tariff bill is I'M
principled and discreditable in the extreme.
When they feared majority of the House
might be disposed to adopt it if direct vote
upon it was permitted, they devised and
carried a new rule for this special case,
which provided that majority of the House
might take the Senate bill from the Speakers
table for the purpose Of disagreeing with
1t and sending ii 10 a Conference Com
"'f'fes but not for the purpose OF
agreeing with it. Such a rule is prob.
ably without precedent in parliamentary
history" The Conference Committee of the
House, as far as possible, was carefully Or
gained in the extreme protection interest.
The quertion was brought up 40 to whether
the Senate had a constitutional right TO
initiate measure of revenue. A resolution
was adopted that the House committee
should be authorized to put the question be-
fore the Conference Committee. This, of
course, was question precedent TO all others,
for if the Senate in passing their bill had
gone beyond their constitutional rights, their
bill fell TO the ground. But such straight.
forward dealing was not contemplated. The
understanding was that if the Senate re-
fused to change the rates upon iron, steel,
and wool to higher figures, then only was
the bill TO be refused as unconstitution al. 1t
was this duplicity and outrage upon prin-
ciples that caused self-respectin: members,
when appointed by the chair upon the Con.
fsrenne Committee ia raf1sa to serve. This was
a browning violation OF principle put as
climax upon the apex of the pyramid of log
rolling and subserviency to the selfish inter.
ests of capitalists and monopolisis, TO the
neglect of the general interests OF the country
and in defiance of the determination of the
American people, as pronounced at the last
election. The people have demanded re- |
duction Of taxation and an efic lent reform |
of the tariff. The party IN power have in
formed them that, If they get what they de-
sire, it shall not be from them. Very we'll |
the people understand the challenge and |
there can be little doubt as to the result.