St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1884-05-10
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular Correspondent.
APRIL %, 1884.


nightly sessions are held in order to ex-
pedite the tariff debate. The Demo
cratic representatives are on the point
Of calling caucus to take into consld-
Grafton the present status OF business,
and devise some plan to push matters
along for the remainder of the session.
old members, speaking of the hardness
of business, say they think only such
measures as are admitted to be necessa-
w to the proper administration of gov
ernment, stand much show OF passage
The leaders in the tariff discussion
contemplate closing the general debate
ON Tuesday, May 9th. They propose
degoting Tuesday, Wednesday and
Thursday of this week, and Tuesday OF
next week to the consideration OF the
measure. Mr.. Kasson OF Illinois will
make the closing speech on the Repub-
lican side and he expects to make the
motion to strike out the enacting clause
of the bill A representative from Ma
ryland, who supported Mr.. Randall for
the Speakersllip, and has agreed with
him on the tariff question, said to me
the other day that the house was going
To PASS the Morrison bill as sure as fate.
with Amendments 2" inquired |. They
will pass it pure and simple" was the
reply, ''tlere have been more changes
Of opinion on this question than most
people think"
Among the notable free speeches
of the week was that of Congressman
Wood Of Indiana, who explained the
Democratic doctrine to be, that duties
upou imports should be levied to raise
revenue sufficient tosupport the govern
ment aud pay its just debts. This kind
of tariff, he urged, make sufficient reVe-
nue the object of the law, and protec-
4ion to home industry the incident. The
Republican doctrine he said, was that
nrotectiye tariff makes protection 70
home industries from foreign competl-
fion the object of the law, and sufficient
revenue the incident. Quoting from
tho presidents message the clause the
question still presses what legislation IS
necessary to relieve the people OF unne-
cessary taxes, 2 he said these taxes exist
ed to such an extent as TO call to them o
speciaI reference even from Republic
ran president, The orator contended
that the great Industries of this country
must get out of the notion that the
government stimulus is of any lasting
henefit. Like any other stimulant, it
made for little time brilliant light.
then left d desolation. The protective
system he claimed had made labor an
auction block, around which monopo-
lists CATERED, bidding in the chained
slave, buying him and his vote at the
same time, aud counting the profiit
saved, while the brawny arms impiore
the mercy of providence for him anc
his in this land CT overfowing plenty
He illustrated what lie called the aban
.doned wickedness of the protective sys
TEN in several was. calling it class leg
isIation to favor one class over al
Others. He appealed TO the farmers +
unite for their own interest, saying II
.tlle near future stronger laws would y
enacted TO satisfy the greed OF the pro
fective classes, that would yoke then
down like tile Hebrew children, whil
their appeals for fairness and justie
would be scoffed at mercilessly. MI
Woods said il revenue reform drives oil
Democrats out Of The party, be II SO
sTtley ought not remain in the ranks ant
stab it's vital principle to death unde
cover of Democracy,
The Senate hopes to dispose OF th
pleuro- pneumonia bill to-day. The las
able assault upon the measure wa
made by Senator Jones of Florida wh
saw in it several constitutional ohjec
tions.
The Woman suffrage question ha
assumed four phases in Congress. Fror
committee there comes q report mad
by tile minority III favor Of extendin
the ballot TO the fair sex. Another II
port from the majority is strongly Of
posed to the proposition. Represents
tive Dorsheimer's report thatit is prot
able the interests of society will requil
chat Che woman shall be allowed to vol
after awhile, but not now, and Reprt
sentative Poland says, in his own b
Rlalf, that the duties which nature b;
devolyed upon woman during the actiN
& 1... 1.c1 ,.of,,e, - -, :, ~, ~ sin7 II