St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-03-24
AT THE CAPITOL.
Alleged Democratic Talk
About the Morrison
Tariff Bill.
Prediction That 1t VIII Pass the
House and be Defeated in
the Senate.
Probabilities as to Land Bills Pending
Before the Senate And it's
Committees.
The Whisky Bill Endangered by it's Friends
Neglecting to Ask Aid.
Especial Telegram to The Globe !

WASHINGTON, Marc1 Zo.-lO Tue queStlou
whether they intended to participate in the
caucus called for Tuesday night, all Of the
Randall men so far as known have respond
ed in the affirmative. The fact that the par
ty is in imminent danger for conservatives
among the Democrats are not pleased with
the effort made in certain quarters to read
out of the party all those who are not willing
to advocate the policy of tariff
for revenue only. A Democratic member of
the committee of ways and means talked
freely to-day about the situation. He said
the time had come when the Democratic
party must take a firm and immovable stand
upon a platform of re venue reform withoGt
any such equivocation as 'incidental pro-
tection.'' He concluded: ''There is no
middle ground upon which the party can
stand. The first is the principle to which
the Republican party is fully commit
and all this Democrats who adhere to that
principle are out of place in our ranks. We
must have readjustment of issues and Of
parties, and while it is pretty certain that we
shall loose large numbers of votes in con-
gress and in the coming elections by this
purging process, we shall be a better and
healthier party for having taken the physic.
The Morrison bill will be pressed, and
that, too, without material changes in
its provisions, except, perhaps, as to coal and
lumber. 1t is possible that the Pennsylva-
mans and a few others will defeat us by vot-
ing with the Republicans, but that will even
tually result in permanent benefit to the
Democratic party. We mean to put the
stamp of the party caucus upon the bill, and
of the Pennsylyanians bolt, we shall be re-
leved of a load in the national convention.
Heretofore it has been thought
necessary to defer somewhat to
Pennsylvania in our National conventions.
But it will not be done at Chicago. If the
party will be defeated next fall in conse-
quence of the adoption of the policy that has
been outlined by the CONGRESS, it is reascna-
bic to expect that there VIII be reaujustment
of party lines upon the tariff question within
the next four years, and the
principle upon which the Democratic
party will have placed itself will
be found to be that which great majority Of
the people will sustain.''
Mr.. Caldwell, of Tennessee, who voted for
Randall for speaker, said, Il shall go into
the caucus and vote for the Morrison BILL not
that I approve it by any means. 1t is not
what Andrew Jackson called ''judioious re-
vision of the tariff" 1t is merely
a reduction. think the caucus
will indorse the Morrison bill
and it will pass the house. 1t will not pass
the senate, and if there was danger that it
would I would not vote for the bill 1t will
receive g"pt many votes in the house which
would be withheld if there were danger of its
becoming law. I regard the attempt to
commit the Democratic party to tariff for
revenue only il advance Of the meeting
OF the national convention as very unwise.
II the party were to go before the country on
such platform as that it would be over
whelmingly defeated. In my own state the
sentiment in favor of protection is con-
stantly growing. Where there is coal ana
iron, where sheep are raised and where sugar
can be grown, there protection is demanded.
In ten years from now middle and east
Tennessee, north Georgia and north Ala
bama, and perhaps some portions of southern
Georgia, will be as strongly in favor of pro-
lection as Pennsy lvania and Connection
are noW.'
THE LAND BILLS.
The senate public land committee is great
ly behind in its work. At its meetings
there have been an interminable amount of
talk, mainly by members who are opposed to
forfeihng unearned railroad grants. This
has occasioned the inference that opponents
of the forfeiture policy were trying to kill
time in order to prevent action. Although
majority of the committee voted in
favor of forfeiting the central
Pacific grant. Senator Morgan sot authority
from it to make favorable report on his bill
referring to the courts all questions of for
feiture, in spite of the declaration of the su
preme court that the question of for
feiture is one for congress, and
not for the courts. Of course if
the bill becomes law its only result could
be to indefinitely postpone the settlement of
all these questions. Senator Blair has also
introduced bill in aid of the poor bene-
feiaries of congressional bounty, but it is
more direct in its method. 1t proposes to
grant all delinquent railroad companies that
have received land grants three years from
the passage of the act in which to complete
their roads. When the question of forfeit
ing the unearned portion of the Northern
Pacific land grant came up Senator Blair
wanted to know who was asking congress to
forfeit the grant. He was reminded by
another member of the committee that the
legislature of his own state had adopted
resolutions recommending this forfeiture.
There are bills to repeal the pre-emption and
bmber-culture acts, to prevent private fenc-
ing OF public lands, to forfeit several un-
earned grants and other bills affecting the
public lands, which some members of the
committee are determined to secure action
on without much more delay But when
these measures get out of the committee into
the senate they will not have surmounted all
the obstacles to their enactment
THE WHISKY BILL
The management of the whisky bill is Sc
yerely criticised among members of the
house From the first the bill has been
psde a measure local to Kentucky.
U4 the four speeches in its
favor three were made by representatives
from that state, VIZ: Blackburn, Willis and
Thompson. Mr.. Morrison, of Illinois, made
the fourth. Instead of inviting prominent
Republicans and Democrats alike, friends Of
the bill from different sections of the eoun-
try, to support it in ten minute speeches,
they have been quietly ignored and the
time parceled out among the three Kentucky
members, whose remarks, for all the weight
they have carried, might as well have been
printed in the Record. A brief speech by
one of the Democratic members from Gin