New-York tribune., 1884-03-27
The FREE-TRADERS UNHAPPY
THEY HAVE SHOWN THEIR WEAKNESS.
A MINORITY WHICH MAKES MAJORITY AGAINST
THE MORRISON BILL.

THE MORRISON BILL
lBY TELEGRAPH TRIBUSE.l
WASHINGTON, March 28.-Thc froe-trade Demo-
Gratis were unhappy to-day when they began care
fully to analyze the victory they achieved in last
nights caucus. Morrison's face wore troubled
expression, the Speaker was sad, Blackburn and
Hurd looked stern. not to say ferocous and Henry
Watterson had nothing 10 say except that thirty
three of the Democrats who voted with Randall
last night will support the Morrison bill when the
pinch comes. Like assertions were made by other
freetrade leaders and denied with hot emphasis by
the Democratic opponents Of tariff agitation Ram
dali was bland and happy, and the Democrats who
voted with HIM appeared to share his buoyant
spirits. The Republicans, also, were in joyous
mood, for many Of them have often seen recalci-
trantDemOcrats whipped into the party traces under
the caucus lash when the task seemed difficult az
did the one Morrison and Carlisle undertook last
night and they had thevefore felt considerable
easiness respecting the result. This being removed
they were able to extend much mock sympathy to
the free-traders, who bore with what meekness
they could the gibes of their opponents Ii was
suggested that the Democratic majority might prof.
itably get rid of Messrs. Morrison and Watterson
and fill the respective vacancies by men OF sterner
mould-say Osman Digna and FL Mahdi. This
suggestion was not taken in good part
1t was found impracticable to obtain an official
copy of the yea and nay vote in the caucus on the
adoption of the Morrison resolution as amended,
but the following list of the men who voted in the
negative is believed to be substantially correct:
Messrs. Eaton and Seymour, Connecticut; McAdoo,
New-Jersey; Arnold Beach, Muller, Robinson,
Sprggs, Wempe, Van Alstine, Campbell, Hardy and
Hutchins of New-York Elliott. Randall Curtin,
Boyle, Patten, Hopkins, Connolly, Mutchler, Err
mentrout, Storm, Post aud Duncan, of Pennsylva-
MAJ Murray, Warner, Seney, Lefeyre, wilkins,
Foran, Converse Paige and Foett, of Ohio Lamb,
of Indiana; Rosecrans Tully Glascock, Henley,
Sumner and Budd, California; Snyder and Wilson,
of West Virginia; Findlay, Talbot and COvington,
of Maryland; Cabell, Barbour and g. ID. Wise, Of
Virginia; Dibrell, Tennessee; Hunt, Louisianaj
Clardy and O'Neill, Missouri; Shelley, AlabamaI
Scales, North Carolina and Dibbe and Tillman Of
South Carolina.
The Solid South it seems, contributes sixteen OF
the ffty-seyen votes Among the absentees were
Geddes, Fielder, Ferrell, Garrison, HO6litzell, q.
w. Hewitt Finerty and Lore, all of whom, ID
is said, would have voted in the negative,
if they had been present. Messrs. Fielder
and Ferrell, of New-Jersey, both refused
to attend the caucus at all on the ground.
it is understood that they could not even by their
presence countenance an attempt to agltate tho
tariff question.
THE FREE-TRADERs PRETEND TO BE HOPEFUL.
The free-trade leaders continue TO talk as though
they expect that the Morrison bill will be taken up
and passed 1t is significant however, that for the
first time they claim Republican votes to assist
them in getting the bill before the Committee OF
the Whole. They assert that seven to ten Repub-
hcans will vote with them on the question of con-
sideratiOn careful investigation of this clam
shows that it has slight foundation. Some
Republicans think that Anderson, of Kansas and
possibly Nelson, of Minnesota, may vote with tho
Democrats The former IS an ambitions statesman,
who hopes to become United states Senator some
day, and who IS said to believe that his road TO
fame and political preferment points IN the dlrec-
tiOn of tariff reform Mr.. Randall and every DEM
OcTat who agrees with him Will vote with the Re
pubicans against the consideration of the Morri-
son bill, or any other measure for tarlh revision
'"uSD SDd EFT yseTen of them recorded
their names against the Morrison resolution,
which among other things, provides that the bill
shall be taken up for consideration at the earliest
practicable day"
THE QUESTION PRACTICALLY SETTLED.
Unless these Democrats back sQuarely down
from the position they took and held IN the caucus
despite the cracking of the party lash, they will
vote soidly against consideration. Ii only thirty
six of them do so, the bill Will not be taken from
the calendar this session. 1t does not seem prob-
able therefore that the Morrison bill or even
"a bill" to revise the tariff will be discussed
OF passed by the House at this nevertheless
two-thlrds of the Democrats favor such action
and would be glad to vote for measure much
more radical and sweeping than the one proposed.
If the circumstances were diiterent-if the Senate
had a Democratic majority, and Democratic PRESS
dent sat in the White House-the Democrats, in
the House would close their ranks tomorrow and
within month tariff bill more destructive than
any proposed since the war w0pld pass that body,
and 1t would become law before July. Only the
fact that the Senate and Executive against
them and the fear of disaster in the impending
Presidential contest, if they show their hand, re-
strain the Democrats to-day. But for those con-
sdeIatiOns, Democratic opposition to tariff egisa-
tion would melt away and disappear like dew be-
fore the morning sun.