St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-12-28
RANDALL's TARIFF BILL.

The enormous increase of surplus reve-
nues has become such serious menace 10
the financial, mercantile and industrial in
terests of the country that Mr.. RANDALL
and his following of protection Democrats
realize the predicament they have placed
themselves IN by their opposition to the
MORRISON tariff bill. and it is now under
stood they are busy at work on new tariff
bill to be introduced in the house of rep
resentativeS Immediately on the reaSsem-
bling of congress after the holidays. The
main features of this tariff reduction bill
in preparation by the protection Democrats
provide for a repeal of the tax on tobacco
and spirits distilled from fruits, reclassifi-
cation of woods to admit the cOarser grades
free: the addition of lumber and possibly
iron ore to the free list. 1t is also under
stood that an effort is being made to induce
the Louisiana delegation to assent to
slight reduction on sugar, and they now
have the matter under adviSement. The
PENNSYLVANIA members were willing 10 put
iron ores on the free list, but objected
SO strenuously against the admission
of bituminous coal free that this
article has been stricken from the
draft of the bill. A compromise
was effected with the Ohio protectionists on
the wool tariff. whereby the coarser grades
are to b. admitted free, while the tax is to
be retained on the finer goods Mr.. RAN
DALI estimates that if the bill is passed it
will make a reduction of fifty millions in
the annual revenues. The plan is to have
j., 70 s,tr x-arx con
after the reassembling of congress, and to
ask It's consideration without reference to
the committee on ways and means, but
have it referred directly to the committee
of the whole. But it is just here that the
new tariff reform converts are at loss to
know how they are to get along. The
speaker of the house is something of
despot if he chooses TO exercise his power.
He can refuse to recognize Mr.. RANDALL
or any of his protection associates, and thus
deny to them the opportunity to get the bill
before the house. In that event the only
resource they would have would be an APP
peal to the majority, and as the Republic
cans would have more interest in promoting
wrangle among the Democrats than in
securing the passage of a measure to reduce
the revenues they would naturally alb
stain from giving RANDALL any help. But
so far as can be aScertained, Speaker
CARLISLE will not pursue an arbi-
trary course. There are reasons for be-
lieving that he will most cheerfully accord
Mr.. RANDALL an opportunity to get
his bill before congress. And what is yet
more singular, it is said that Mr.. MORRISON
will support the measure. The latter gen
tleman takes his recent defeat like philos-
Opher. He says that he has no hope of
having his own theories put into practice,
and as a genuine tariff reformer he is
willing to aid in securing the passage OF
any measure that will result in reduction
of the revenues, no matter in what shape
it is presented. Then we have in prospect
the possibility of RANDALL and MoRRI-
son standing together and fighting together
on a tariff measure. If it should turn out
so we will write it down as a tariff
millennium. and woe be to the Republican
partisan who stands in the way of accom-
pIishing tariff reform.