The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-07-24
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CONGRESSMAN REED.

CONGRESSMAN REED.
Issues of the Coming Cnnvass-The Tariff
and the Pension vetoes
Interview in New York Tribune.
.sWhat about Congress? What are the issues
that are to come before the people out of the SEES
sionl"
From present appearances we shall get back
to the old issue of the tariff and the issue Of the
capacity, or rather the lack of capacity, of the
Democratic party to conduct the government of
the country They started in proposing to DO
certain things for the benefit of the country
which their own administration and their
own people had recommended them to do.
They are closing their session with.
out doing any of these things In
the first place, Mr.. Tilden said some very sensi-
BILE things in regard to Notifications and coast
defenses. His letter upon that subject was in
dorsed, not only by his party, but by the coun-
try. His recommendations are likely to be
ignored. The Secretary of the Navy earnestly
urged upon Congress to begin the construction of
a navy. He urged that ship-building be entered
upon, but Congress has done nothing. The Sec
retarv of the Navy himself, up to the present
time has not even completed the plans for ships
that were ordered by the last Congress-,
and for whose construction appropriations
were made He has not even asked for bids for
the construction of these ships, so that nothing
has been done by him, even under the power
that he already possessed. 1t is doubtful If
Congress will give him any further authorize
ton, in view of this dilatoriness. The last
Democratic House provided for commission to
investigate the subjects of ordnance and afmored
ships but their report is absolutely void of any
recommendation, and is, therefore. sure to be
void of results. Inasmuch as it takes a long pc
riod of time-one, two or three years-to build
big gun, the folly of this delay must be apparent
when taken III connection with the entirely de-
fenseless condition Of our seacoast We are
simply at the mercy of the smallest of the civil
lied nations of the globe. 1t would of course,
not be desirable that large amounts of money
should be spent at once on coast defenses and
munitions of war. But the United States could
Immediately begin. without injury or disturb
ance Of its financial condition, to spend a reason
able sum annually IN this direction, which, In
course of time. would furnish due protection to
our great cities and seacoasts, and give US a
navy when we need one. Eventually this grad
ual expenditure would give US proper defenses
all around"
'.The tariff question has been prominent?"
1.-The Democratic party seems to be incapable
of doing anything with regard to the tariff or
anything else. The majority of the Democratic
party is free trade in its tendencies. That ma
jority in the House puts in the chair Speaker
who is in accord with its own views The
Speaker always appoints q committee on ways
and means which represents free trade. The
practical result of this appointment is that
majority of the committee on ways and means
originate a tariff bill which cannot pass the
House, while at the same time they prevent the
orgnation of any reforms which can go through.
A single example will illustrate clearly how the
free trade organization renders the actual ma
iority of the House powerless. The import
ers and warehouse men OF New
York and Brooklyn. as we'll as other
large cities on the seacoast have been anxious
that Congress should pass an administrative BILL
There is no dispute that such bill Is necessary
and essential to the good of the customs service
It's main features are practically agreed upon
The majority of the ways and means, commiktee
have insisted tacking this administrative FIJI.
which they knsw could pass the House, as an
appendage or rider to their tariff BILL which they
knew could not pass. 1t has been impossible to
detach the living from the dead There is
therefore, no hope left for this measure of ad-
minisrrative reform, which the people of the
country want, so long as the House continues to
be organized in the present way Protective
tariff Democrats in the House may help to ward
off such bills as Mr.. Morrison biennially con-
cocts but they are powerless to help needed
administrative reforms
"What is President Clevelands notion in veto
ing the pension hilsg
II can give you my opinion about 1T. think
that like all other New York Governors who
have won more or less renown by vetoing bills
at Albany, he thinks he can do the same thing
in Washington and win more renown in the ma
tlonal field"
do you think there is any Southern influence
back of his action9
mo doubt the fact that such things can do
hold of the Democracy, is one of the elements
of the situation"
How about the proposition to enact tax
clause with each pension bil?"
1.-THE proposed rule by Mr.. Morrison on that
subject is that any pension bill may be modified
by adding taxation clause. The objection to
the rule is that no other bill making appropria-
tions is similarly treated. Appropriations aud
taxation have always been considered sepa-
rately. They require to be treated and consid-
cred separately on account of their diverse
character We have always made our appro
priations and then have made our tax levieS to
meet these appropriations in separate legislation
To put on to any bill tax clause would make
discord and trouble It would bring the whole
tariff question up at any moment 1t would
load the pension bill as no other question is
loaded before Congress. That Is the unfairnesS
Of the proposed rule
"How about the income tax to pay pensionsp
I'VE did not have that proposition in the
House, but the effect of such tax would be to
throw the burden of pension taxation, when
such clause was enacted upon the people Of
the North, as 90 to 95 per cent. Of any income
tax would be raised III the North"
lin your opinion is the drift of things in the
country favorable to the return of the Repub-
lican party to power@
AS told you | get very little information
about the drift of things over the country 1t
seems to me that the natural tendency Of labor
troubles in the country and of these Knights of
Labor organizations would be to help the minor
ity party. Yet in localities where had little
practical observation the Knights of Labor go
over to the Democrats No. that statement is
hardly correct The Democrats are in such
state of mind that they are going over to the
Knights of Labor. The Democrats, in fact, are
fishing in every direction"
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