The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1884-05-10
DEFEATED

Inc Morrison tiIlH Dlll "tS utItdt'b IL
the House at Washington on Tuesday by :
t vote of lj9 against l55. Forty nine Demo
cratS voted with the Republicans TO com
pass that defeat, and three Minnesota Re
pnblicans voted with the Democrats againS'
il. Thus the Republicans on the question
were substantially unit, while the Demo
Gratis were divided Among the votes
against the bill were those of six Demo
Gratis from Ohio, who placed their opposi
ton on the sole ground that the bill failed
10 restore the wool tariff to its old figure be.
fore the reduction by the tariff of 80 Had
these Democrats voted,as they did on tax
ing mp the bill it would have passed.
But the bill 7es its defeat mainly and
indeed entirely 10 the opposition of Sam
Randall, of Pennsylvania, and on his part
the action is purely selfish and demagogi-
cal Having ever since his defeat for the
Speakership by Carlisle given up all hopes
of success as a presidential as )irant, his
only object is 10 feather his nest among his
tariff. bigoted constituents at home, and 10
revenge himself on the party that snubbed
/ him elsewhere The plea of Randall in
| bill was that il came too soon. I'VE have
not vet given the revision of 1882 fair
chance to show what il amounts to-" he
said when that is shown To be IA failure
there will De ample time year hence TO
reform the tariff
Is that good Democratic sense or logic
Three years ago and more the demand for
tariff reform on the part OF the people grew
so imperious that even a Republican con
gress:was compelled to take steps in that
direction leading to the appointment of
the famous tariff commission That com
of the protectionists, was compelled to re-
port a measure 10 Congress that embraced
nearly every reduction covered by the Nor
rison bill But as passed by the last Re
publican congress, under the whip and
spur Of the monopolists, the revision of
1882" was universally admitted to have
been miserable sham and abortion; and
the cry came up still more imperative from
the people for an honest revision The re
suit was "A Democratic majority of 81 in the
present congress Could that congress
honestly dodge the issuey One hundred
and tifty-on Of the 1872 Democrats in con
gress thought not, but TO appease the other
IL who thought they should, they brought |
in bill so mild in its form that even the
Republicans were compelled to admit that
it went no further than their own bill of |
two years ago; but even that measure Ran |
dall's spite has succeeded in killing, under
the pretense that Democratic policy" re- |
quires the tariff to be kept out of the pres
idental issue Of 1884
Can il be kept out? With tive-sixths of |
the Democrats in congress, and at least as
large proportion of the Democrats ont of
congress, soemnly pledged 10 tariff and
revenue reform, and even Sam Randall and |
his squad admitting that in the next con
gress measure for tariff reform will be |
entirely proper and in order, while the Re
publican party As unit stands solidly OPP
posed 10 the disturbance of the tariff now
or at any time hereafter save to add to and
strengthen its monopolstic features, is any
one 50 demented as to imagine that the
discussion of the question of tariff and rev
enue reform can be choked down in the
pending presidential contest: Fools fools
who think 80.
Look at it, The treasury is positively
grooming under a surplus of hundred mil
lions year, and business is languishing
under excessive taxation At the same
time our tariff is the heaviest in the civil
lied world. England, on her aggregate i'm
ports, collects 5 per cent duties; France, I !
to 3 per cent. Germany, about 8 per cent
Italy, about o; Russia, but half civilized. |
23l5 per cent, and the United States, 30 |
per cent! or 43 per cent average on all taN. |
able commodities. The American tariff |
as il stands today is disgrace to civiliza
ton And such Il monstrusity the stump
sppak ars are nypnctal ;, iun,r.t