New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-02-13
MIR. MORRISON PUZZLED.

, ,>.r, nv srcRFTARY FOLGER's LETTER-HE
NV. c.>,vor err WHY HIS " SIMPLE" BILL SHOULD
CAUSE AN UPRoAR.
icy TELEGRAPH To THE TRlBUNEI
WAsuNGToN, Feb. 12.-To say that Challihan
Morrison was puzzled and unhappy to-day Is "
describe his condition IN mild terms. lie had re-
ccved the letter of Secretary Folger calling attention
t certain difficulties in the administration OF the
nresent tariff on account OF ooscuites
ianouage aud apparently contradictory
proyisions and recommending lhat lno
former ba made clear and the latter consistent
That was too much Colonel Morrison is not an
adept in the art of explaining thlhgs
OF conrse he understood the tariff Thoroughly, VI
he would not be able to include IN SO snort oiii S
the enc now before the Ways and Means Conliai'-
tee all the changes necessary to carry out MS iuo
of revenue reform. The bill Is simpe' ne says
aud needs no explanation-a simple man can
understand it. And yet here came long leI'er
from the head of the Treasury Department asking
all sorts of uncanuy questions about the
present law setting out the dlihcultles
which beset its administration, and asking the
chairman of the Ways and Means Committee 10
have them removed. Colonel Morrison had trouole
enough on his mind before that letter came Ills
bill first puzzed and next discouraged the treasury
experts They were obliged to confess that IL IN
volyed problems too deep for them and the humane
chairman had under consideration proposition 80
10 change il that an expert mathamenciah couiu
cipher ont and express its probable effects without
the use of algebraic symbols to denote unknown
quantities and unattainable results.
During part of the afternoon the Illinois states-
man was in deep consultation with three OF Ills
Democratic colleagues in the committee room'
Three knitted brows, three perplexed countenances
and three slowly-shaking heads plainly Indicated
that the labor of reducing the taTiif.-even horl-
zontally--is not wholly pleasant, especially when
II s complicated by al irquistiye Secretary OF the
Treasury.
Rut Chairman Morrison has still other troubles.
"Morrison can manage his bill a good deal easier
than he can Abram s. Hewitt" said Democrat
TODAY. Hewitt will seem to agree with him one
,noment and the uext instant he will ask question
or hint doubt that staggers Morrison completely.
He saws be don't know what Hewitt means"
Mr.. Converse. too, is making trouble. The party
lash I'm the hands of Speaker Carlisle and Chairman
Morrison drove him from his purpose 10 oher
his wool bill but the Ohio wool growers are IN
earnest and the fire in HE is more terrible 10
MIR Converse Than are the threats OF the speaker
and his premier, and he now declares that at the
very first opportunity he will redeem ms pledges 10
the OHIO Democrats. He means what he says.
Then too letters and dispatches have begun 10
pour in from the representatives OF various III
terests threatened by the Morrison bill, demanding
n hearing deputatiOn OF sugar planters ana
another of wool growers are already on
the ground, the woollen manufacturers VIII
arrive tomorrow and the representatives,
day. On Monday the cotton manufaci urerss
will present themselves in force, closely followed
by representatives of the pottery and glassware IN
Others 1t is scarcely to be wondered that Chalr,
man Morrisons temper is ruihed that he Is p9zzleo
cannot understand how little, easy, simple 'arih
hill can cause such an upr0ar.