Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1884-03-04
Aanraster .1ntelligsncrr.
ruEsoAy WINNING, MARCH a. 1884
No Parry Ursrnp,Ion.

No Parry UIsrnptIon.
In the House, yesterday. upon a
motion to suspend the rules and pass
the bill providing for restoring the old
rates Of duty on raw wool, Mr.. Morrison
and Mr.. Randall were equally active, the
reports tell us, In drumming up the Dem
ocrats to vote for adjournment rather
than to proceed to the consideration of
the main proposition. This does not
imply disposition to dodge the question
OF tariff reduction, nor that Mr.. Morri.
son and Mr.. Randall are In accord upon
this phase Of the economic issue which
divides Congress and both parties. But
a. Mr.. Morrison has q comprehensive
tariff bill elaborated, as Mr.. Randall is
opposed to tariff legislation at this ses.
sion Of Congress, and as Mr.. Converse's
proposed bill for restoring the former
duties on raw woods, does not provide
for making corresponding changes in the
remainder OF the wool schedule, and
would disarrange the entire schedule,
there were manifest reasons why it was
not practicable to consider 1t yesterday,
separately and disconnected from the
main subject of which 1t is only one
phase.
The same reasons substantially, which
deprived the vote taken yesterday, of
Significance on the main issue, it now
seems probable, will prevent the split In
the Democratic ranks in Congress, which
has been so frequently foretold during
the last few days, If 1t does not, indeed,
altogether prevent tariff legislation this
winter. There are some outgivings that
q Democratic caucus will be called, to
affirm the Morrison bill and to read out
of the party all those who are not willing
to support It. This kind of talk is ridi
culous. There is no issue involved in
the Morrison bill, upon which the Demo
cratic party has made such an authori.
tative deliverance that it is to be made
the touchstone OF party fealty. Even
assuming that the doctrine of "tariff for
revenue only I" is the true party faith,
the Morrison bill does not embody that
doctrine at all (; it is a protective "
tariff as essentially as the present sched
ule, differing from it in detail and not in
principle 1t is idle to say that an opin.
ion as to the amount of duty to be laid
upon any particular article imported is
to determine whether man is Demo-
crat or not. Greater questions than the
tarif-notably the financial measures Of
the past twenty years-have caused
wider differences of opinion than now
exist among Democrats over the tariff
schedule and still the party has survived
and has not felt called upon TO expe
leaders and state organizations who were
right upon the fundamental principles
Mr.. Iurd and some others delight Il
inform the public that there is a nationa
convention approaching, which will LAY
down the law and determine the status
OF members of the party; but, with the eX
perience of 1850 in mind, as the time fol
the national convention approaches
nothing becomes clearer than thai
that body will not adopt any
platform at the behest Of the Demo
Gratis of Iowa and Kansas which will i'm
peril the chances Of the party in Indiana
Ohio, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jer
ssy, New York and Connecticut, wher,
the presidential battle is to be fought
The Democracy of these states are in
substantial agreement upon the Ohio
plank OF 1888; it deals with principles,
not details. No national platform has
ever yet embraced tariff schedule and
no essential party principle ever gets
down to that, amy more then it would fix
the price Of liquor license or the rate
OF tobacco tax. Such details are for
individual congressman, in their indi.
vidual capacity and as local representa-
tives,to deal with; and If the Democratic
members cannot all agree upon them
they can disagree without disrupting the
party.