National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-03-27
AFTER THE CAUCUS.
A Big Disgust Settling Down Upol tho Free
Trade Democracy,
The "Revcnue RcFormcrs" Boiling Over
with Indignation.

Hon. 8. s. Cox is decidedly emphatic in
his disapproval of the position assumed by
the majority of his party in the recent
caucus. He thinks that caucuses are usually
held to determine upon plan of action
which shall have the unanimous support Of
all who take part in the deliberations He
believes that tho caucus of Tuesday evening
should have been conducted with this we'll
known principle steadily in view, and that
the majority should have made the Morrison
tariff bill square party issue and in
sisted on every democrat present abiding
by the will of the majority. If the minority
were so opposed to this that they would have
boltod tho caucus it would have been better
for them to have done 80 squarely and fairly,
and the party throughout the country would
then be able to place the responsibility just
where IL belonged. As IL was, some sixty
democrats had, to all intents and purposes.
bolted from the democratic ranks, and by
that act had turned over to republican
minority the control of all tariff legislation.
What was the worst feature in this business
was the condoninG of this revelt by tho
caucus majority, or, in short, their en-
tering into an agreement to share
the responsibility of the boilers, who insist on
reporting tariff bill only after they have
perfected every arrangement to insure its
defeat on tho floor of the house. Had the
same tactics been observed in the caucus for
the speakership the house would now be pre-
sided over by q republican. Party discipline
he considered an absolute essential to party
success. And he felt like commenting this
moral to tho democratic leaders, who appear
to have forgotten that this is the year for
presidential campaign.
Hon. J. Randolph Tucker was tho primo
mover in the project to reduce the tax on
fruit brandy to 10 cents per gallon. He says
that he thinks the success of a bill providing
for such reduction will certainly win the ap.
proval of the farmers for tho democratic
majority in the house.
Representative kasson, however, has n bill
in course of preparation that will knock tho
wind out of Mr.. fuckers scheme. The Iowa
statesman proposes to repeal the internal
revenue tax on fruit brandy altogether and
to SO amend existing laws as to permit the
distillation of apples, peaches, grapes, &C..
with as little surveillance from the internal
revenue bureau ns may DO compatible with
the prevention of illicit distillation.
Mr.. Henry Watterson does not approve of
the caucus action of the democrats of the
house. He was in favor of enforcing tho
will of the majority, and is of the opinion
that the position that the democratic party
has assumed on the tariff will not secure tho
electoral vote of the state of Pennsylvania
for the democratic presidential nominee, nor
will it materially aid the party in several
other states where the result is close enough
to class the state as doubtful.
The democrats of tho Pennsylvania delega-
tion are decidedly jublant over tho result of
the caucus. One of them said last night that
1t was now possible to predict with certainty
the fate of all tariff legation during the pres
ent congress. Ho did not think that there
would be any reduction Of the revenue from
internal taxation as tho proposition with re-
gard to tobacco and fruit brandy could only
be regarded as q condition precedent for the
adoption of the Morrison bill. 1t had been
feared at one timo that the revenue
reformers would insist in referring
this bill to joint commission of
democratic senators and representatives.
This would not have bettered the chances of
the measure, and would have kept the busi-
ness interests Of the country in state of
feverish anxiety until congress had ad-
journcd. Mr.. Randall and his friends were
much better satisfied with the result as 1t
now stood. He had heard many doubts ex-
pressed during the day of the ability of the
psotectionists to hold the votes necessary to
choke of any tariff legislation. That ques-
tion would be settled very effectually whom
ever it became necessary to sit down on any
project for tariff tinkering.