The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-02-07
Randall And The Tariff.

WASHINGTON, January 30.-Notwith-
standing the frequent protest made by
the friends of Mr.. Randall that "the
brakeman" is not holding back the an
nual appropriation bills, in order to be
prepared to use them to prevent discus.
sion of the Tariff question, the fact that
none of the promised appropriation bills
have yet been reported justi1es the pre-:
vailing impression that he is committed
to precisely the line of tactics indicated.
Being chairman of the committee on ap.
preparations, he is not only in position
to to control tho actions of that body, but
he appears to be able to prevent the wish
es of the majority, as expressed in Mr.
Carlisle's doctrine, from having their
natural expression. Mr.. Morrison is
working upon his bill and Mr. Hewitt is
preparing his, and both will soon be
ready to be submitted to the ways and
means committee. The consideration of
the two bills will consume fortnight
before they can be so harmonized as to
enable the committee to report one bill,
embodying the points of the two meas
ures, upon which an agreement can be
reached. If there is any doubt about MIR.
Randall's intention to block the way to
tariff legislation by bringing in tho aP.
preparation bills just as the tariff bill il
about to be reported, that doubt can only
be removed by an early report of those
appropriation bills which involve no
difficulty in their preparation, and which
were announced as ready to be reported
during the holiday recess. A month has
passed and the bills are withheld.
The belief that Mr.. Randall is deter
mined to prevent even tariff discussion
is not only expressed by the Democrats,
who hoped to see an honest effort made
to secure reform, but is shared also by
those Republicans who desire that there
shall be no discussion, no reduction, no
change. Mr.. Holman, supposed to be
an Independent and public.spirited mem
ber, must suffer the imputation, at least,
of being dominated by Mr.. Randall, in
the appropriation committee. if the re-
port is true that he is TO introduce res.
olution calling for an amendment of the
rules which will provide that q motion
in committee of the whole to strike out
tho enacting clause of bill is to take
precedence 0f all other motions and to
be decided without debate. Such rule
would practically be the application Of
the previous question in committee OF
the whole. No one doubts that il such
a propositionshould come from any one
else, Mr.. Holman would ordinarily be
the first member to object to it.. MIR.
RandalPs sagacity is evinced in selecting
q man in whom there is general conf:
dence 10 propose change which would
excite suspicion if it emanated from any
one except Mr.. Holman. By adopting it
the House would put it in the power Of
Mr.. Randall and his protectionist friends
on the Democratic side, reinforced by
the great bulk of the Republican side, to
kill any tariff bill as soon as it came up
for consideration. Tha. this is possible
is admitted. Mr.. Randall's forty odd
Democratic allies stand prepared to
make the alliance necessary to carry out
this programme. He has said that there
shall be square vote upon the tariff
question, and be would probably have
added, if be spoke what he thought, that
That vote would include members of
both parties who are for reform in the
affirmative list, and the Democrats and
Republicans who are opposed to the tariff
agitation and change in the negative.
: Up to this time the delay in reported
appropriation bills has only been the
subject of occasional remark. From this
time on the delay will be criticised as an
announcement of the Randall programme
to render fruitless the victory of the
Tariff Reform Democrats who elected
Mr.. Carlisle, in order to express their
belief in o principle. It is game Of
strategy. Mr.. Randalls aims are politi.
cal. They appear to be practically the
aims of the minority. The movements
of the defeated candidate for Speaker,
who is now suspected offs design to wrest
from the victorious candidate the legiti.
mate results of victory, will be watched
with interest wherever the business OF
Congress is followed. The prospect is
not encouraging to those who have OK
pected to see Mr.. Carlisle's election fol-
lowed by consistent legislation. Should
Mr.. Randall's schemes tail in the House,
the Senate would still be left to the high
tariff men as bulwark Of safety. With
two months of the session gone, and the
tariff discussion not yet opened in the
House, it is not difficult to see that if
Mr.. Randall's shrewdness should only
servo to secure delay, it would be nearly
time to adjourn before the tariff bill
could reach the Senate. Once in the
finance committee of that body it would
then be in the hands of gentlemen of
whom majority, although Republicans,
are absolutely in sympathy with Dir.
Randall and the Pennsylvania idea.-
Ne,o York Times.