The Billings herald. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1882-1885, 1884-04-12
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Oar Regular Corrcspondcnt)

WAsHINGToE, April 7.-Although
the whisky ring have long trembled
for the fate of their bill to extend
the bonded period for whisky, they
were struck dumb with surprise on
discovering recently how weak they
really were when the enacted clause
of the bill was struck out by two
thirds vote. The big lobby which
for two Congresses has been pressing
this measure is utterly discomhted,
as the lesson administered by the
House points out the absolute fu-
tility of any further effort. The
marvel is how even 50 many SIS SO
members of the House could
have been induced to vote for set
ting such a vicious precedent as
would have been involved in the
passage of the bill. The vote wa S
yeas 1856, nays SO. The absence Of
scctionalism in the vote is seen
on an examination of how it is dis
tributed By states: New York gave
20 against . for, Pennsylvania 10 to
5. Kansas 7 to 0, Missouri 8 to 4,
| Illinois 9 to 8, Maryland 5 to /,
California / to 5, Georgia 8 to l,
Texas 9 to 2, Arkansas 4 to 1, and
Minnesota ) to 0. The Waterloo
defeat of the bill has been freely
discussed and the general verdict
is that the vote was the result OF
popular clamor. The friends of
The bill were naturally chagrlned
butnot by any means without hope
of some action by Congress giving
an even partial relief.
No possible significance was at
tachcd by even the opponents OF
the Morrison bill to the vote upon
this one, though a rumor to the
effect that it had decreased the
tariff bills chances did obtain cur
rcncy early in the evening. The
Morrison bill is expected to be
called up soon, ''and " to quote a
pronounced revenue reformer, "a
bill will surely pass" The men in
opposition to it in the caucus have
quite generally admitted that they
will vote for it in the House to the
extent that they can do so without
destroying their chances Of re-elec-
ton in their districts.
The Democratic caucus is the one
topic of conversation among polltl-
clans. The result of the meeting
is generally taken as compromise
in the interest Of party harmony
By vote of two to one the Morrl'
son bill was endorsed, but there
was coupled with it an amendment
abolishing the tobacco taxes and
cutting down the taxes on fruit
brandy to q nominal rate. Hence
under this arrangement, the inter
nal revenue system is to bear Its
share in the reduction Of taxes a$
, well as the tariff-a claim siren
uously pressed by those who wish
the import duties maintained al
protection rates. The vote for the
bill in caucus was not so sectlona
as might have been supposed: Botf
sides found support from all parts
of the country, and several STATE
delegations were divided. Oi th'
New England members Collins
Lowering, Mitchell and Morse votet
for the bill and Seymour and Eatol
against it. The New York delega
, ton was badly divided, Belmont
: S. S. Cox, Dorsheimer and Hewitt
being among those IN favor, ant
Hutchins, Potter and Slocum, will
others of less prominence, standln!
by Randall. Virginia, Ohio, Mis-
souri, and Louisiana had stron:
men voting on either side: lillnol
was solid for reform" as wa'
the West in general till the Paciti
slope was reached, when the Cali
fornia delegation was found to leal
strongly towards the Randall idea