The Republican journal., 1884-04-03
1t Was a Caucus

The Democrats have had Il heap of trouble
over the Morrison bill, and they are not yet out
of the woods. At first the majority undertook
to carry matters with a high hand, and there
We're threats Of reading out of the party Mr..
Randall and hi followers because of their OPP
position to the bill prepared by free-traders
and adopted by the Ways and Means commit
tee. This, however appears to have been
simply an attempt at bulldozing. 1t did not
work with Mr.. Randall, who, whate yer may be
his faults, certainly has the courage and tenacity
OF bull dog. Then caucus was talked Of,
but this alarmed the timid and it was proposed
to hold conference, which would not be bind
ing, and SO avert possible split. This would.
however, have been distinction without diff
ference and some of the party leaders We're
sensible enough to see it, and so caucus was
called. 1t would have been fatal admission
of weakness had the Democrats been unable to
hold Il caucus without giving it the name of
conference.
The caucus was practically without result.
A resolution was adopted by vote Of la to 81
declaring in a round about way that the Morri-
son bill shall be considered; shall be subject to
amendment, and that no Democrat shall be held
to vote for it. The 3, votes represent Mr.. Ran
dall's strength. This is nearly double the num-
Der his free trade opponents have allowed him
and Unless the bill is further modified it is evil
dent that these fifty-seyen Democrats will OBJ
pose the bill in the House and ensure its defeat.
OF another resolution adopted the Speakers
private secretary telegraphs to the Boston Post:
Mr. Cariise's resolution repeating the tax on
tobacco and cigars and reducing the tax ON
peach brandy to ten cents gallon, was offered
to strengthen the tariff bill. It held the votes
Of North Carolina, South Carolina. Georgia and
Alabama" This is semi-otficiaI. and it certain
ly does not reflect much credit upon Mr.. Car
Isle or the Democratic party. When Demo-
cratic leaders have to offer brides in caucus to
hold their followers the party must be in IA bad
way. The Washington correspondent of the
New York Herald says of this resolution: at
was regarded rather as a plum to some parts of
the South, given with the object of securing
votes for the Morrison bill At tile crl}e,se nj tie
tcf@a"e." The resolution does not, as the Speak
ers secretary states, refer to peach brandy only
put W .i'"" DIdHuN anu tllS WOulu open tHc
door to great frauds on the revenue, as spirits
of all kinds would be favored and called fruit
brandy, in order to bring them under the low
tax of 10 cents gallon. Such Il measure if
brought before the House would of course be
defeated, nor will it, as the Portland Advertiser
says, ''overcome the objections of the high tariff
Democrats to the horizontal reduction bill"
And the same paper says further: IF Mr..
Morrison keeps on making concessions he will
only succeed in spelling his bill without appeas-
ing anybody"
The Democratic party is certainly Il failure as
reform party. After attacking the existing
tariff, calling it Il robbcr tariff, etc.. it
endorsed the principle of the present sys-
TEN by its horizontal reduction measure.
Now it is trading off proposed rclluc-
tion> to secure votes within the party. This
is simply what the Virginia Democrats have
done with regard to the debt question in that
State. While they were in a minority they de-
nounced the methods of the readusters in
round terms, but no sooner were they in con-
troll of the Legislature than they adopted and
endorsed all that the rendusters had done
These are simply illustrations of the fact that
the Democratic party is wholly without prin-
ciples and that il will resort to any means to
obtain votes.