Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-03-25
The Caucus Tonight.

The result Of the caucus tonight Of the
Democratic members of the House on the
Morrison bill is waited for with deep IN
terest. The Republicans, Doubtless nope
that the caucus viii break up IN a row.
1t is more than probable that they Will be
disappointed. There are some obstinate
men among the protection Democrats, but
it is not reasonable to suppose that they
will antagonize the declared policy Of the
party to such an extent as to make
harmonious action impossible. They
must see the folly Of try
ing to force three-fourths Of the party to
submit to the dictation Of one-fOurth. 1t
is said that the prOtectiOnists will try 10
change the discussion from the Morrison
bill TO the position which the party ought
to take in its national platform al Chl-
cago, and to accomplish that viii oner
several res0luti0ns-Oue that the internal
revenue system ought to lie abolished,
one that a comm :ssi0n be appointed 70
take charge OF the tariff question and report
a basis Of action at the next session, ana
one fayOring a revenue tariff with incl
dental protection. II any one or all Of
these propositions are presented, they will
doubtless be rejected at once by the tariff
reformers. They ought not to be and, no
doubt, Will not be induced by any con-
sideration to abandon their present posi-
ton. This is no time for exhibitions Of
weakness. The time has come for the
Democratic party to show that its profess
sions in favor of tariff reform are
genuine. Ii it lets this opportunity pass
unimpTOved il might as well abandon
its tariff reform policy, because it will
never be able to convince the country that
it is in earnest. The Ways and Means
Committee have reported fair bill
which provides for a very moderate re-
duction of the tariff. If this bill is de-
feated it will be interpreted by some to
mean that the party don't want to reform
| the tariff ana by others that it cannot.
| The House has nothing to do with the
question whether the Senate will pass
| the bill, or whether the President will
| sign it in the event it
| reaches the Senate and the
| President The responsibility of the De
/ mocratic party ends when the bill passes
the House, and that Of the Republican
party begins when it reaches the Senate.
| The Republicans may kill the bill, as
/ the protection Democrats assert they will,
| but if they do it will not be because they
| do not admit that the tariff ought to be
| reduced. Th9y would a great deal rather
| the Democrats would kill it. They appoint
ed a commission to report basis for re-
| duction and were bulldozed by the mono
pOlists into refusal to adopt the report.
| The President in his message, and the
Secretary Of the Treasury in his report TO
| the present Congress, said the tariff ought
| to be reduced. Let them have a chance
10 reject a moderate bill like the Morrison
| bill in the face of this record. There is no
| reason TO fear that Mr. Carlisle and Mr..
| Morrison viii exhibit weakness in the
caucus. They showed the kind Of stuff
! they are made Of in the Speakership con-
| test. Mr. RandalFs buster made no i'm
| preston ON them then and it does not
| now.