South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1883-01-19
Letter from Washington.
From our Regular Correspo nlent.
WAsa,Naros d. @. Jan

the present Congress is still an open
one, but the chances are decidedly a.
gaiiist It. In spite OF all The conf
dent talk and promiscs of the Ways
and Means Committee, early in the
session things at this stage look q lit
tie squaliy. The tariff bill reported
from the Senate Committee on I'll
nance differs very materially from that
OF the Ways and Means Committee,
and both arc ut variance with the ie-
Communications OF the Tariff Com,
mission, while all three fail to con.
form to the ideas either of free traders
or protectionists, and none OF them
appear entirely satisfactory to those
who believe in moderate and progress
slve measures of revenue reform. =
When to the existing middle are al.
ded the amendments OF the House to
the Ways and Means Committee bill,
ana the general confusion of ideas
which Will be created by the attemp.
to reconcile the provisions OF both
measures, it needs more than ordinary
faith i'll Congressional industry and
discretion to expect any result what
ever from such chaotic materials. 1t
10 interesting to occasionally happen
around the east side of the House
wing in view OF tire Ways AMI Means
Committee room. One can tell to q
nicely what the committee is doing
by the class of visitors One day the
barbed wire makers are on hand in
force, buttonhoiing members rs they
pass IL and out; another day the steel
rail lobby monopolizes most of the
space; then the into butt fellows show
up, and they are followed III turn by
the dlstillers aud their hired mcn.-
The tin men, the sugar roiuars, the
Standard oil company lobby, the plate
glass manufacturers. the tobacco mon,
and representatives of every otherin-
dustry take their turn, aud they are
always on lie alert. The buttonhoies
OF the poor tortured members have
suffered terribly from the train. Re
Gently the shipbulllers have joined
the throng anil perva,,cd the entire
south end OF the building.
1t appears that the surprise and sa-
tIsfaction with Which many advocates
OF tariff retorin greeted the report OF
the Tariff Commission was premature.
Farther and more minute scrutiny
dlscioses that III many items where
There arc apparent recommendation
q. important reductions, the report
really recommends higher dntics.--.
These insi1lUus proposals are wrapped
up III language which can only be an.
derstood by experts, that fortunately
experts have not been wanting to ex
pose their real nature And rs if this
discovery were not enough to v!Liate
the report, the Ways and Means
Committee of Tie House, i'll revising
the schedules proposed b. tho Com
mission, is seiz!ng the opportunity to
recommend higher dntiey IN still fur.
iher particulars. Tho general i'm
preston now is that the Commissions
repoi could not be adopted rs it stand
without doing more harm than good,
and that what little good there is in it
will be found eliminated by the time
tie notifications OF the Was and
Means Committee are completed. TT
ls becoming more and more apparent
every day that it will remain tor the
next Congress. with it's Democratic
To effect a reform OF the Ia
riff that will bc something more than
Il cham. The work Of the Tariff
Commission has justified all the pre-
dictions made on the score OF its leg
lslative uselessncsS, while il haa also !
belied the hopes of its friends rs to its
influences III giving greater stability
TO the existing system of import du
ties. But the creation and work of
the Commission has had one good re
suit that of forcing the absurditics |!
OF tariff legislation on tho attention !
Of the people, aud compelling discus. !!
slon which will inevitably have the |
effect Of leading to II more radical re.
vision than before the appointment OF
lhe commission was deemed possible |
Apropos Of tlis tariff subject / am
constrained to quote letter recently .
received BY the Hon. 5. s. Cox. It.
IS IN the nature Of an appeal for an I!
infant industry yet unborn, but OF /
which the accoucbment Is soon cXpeo. |.
ted Mr.. Cox will doubtless see to /
t that III the great work Of tariff re.
vision, the plajntive voice il not
drowned ont by lhc bavling of Judge
keIleys more lusty infants Il am |
going into the business Of raising pine
Ipplc5 and other tropical fruits IN hot. /.
houses. AMI | want protecilor against
the 'paupcr labor OF the West indies 1
Tor my infant industry / purpose
employing two snail BOYS and Amer
lean labor must he protected. even n.
pincapple5 coat five dollars apiece. 49,
Don't you forget IT. Yours. C.. 4
Chowder Smith, a protccliomst.
The matter OF tic enormo18 fees
pad to Mr.. George Bliss, attorney in
the S'ar-rouie cases, has attracted so