The Washington critic., 1886-06-18
WASHINGTON, JUNE 1s. 1885.
TRIPPED UP AGAIN.

1t may, be that the weather is more
or less responsible for It. Maybe it's
the lateness OF the season and the i'm.
prac,icability Of doing five hundred
different things at once, with no time
for doing any OF them we'll and the
fall elections close by Certain It is
that the House OF Representatives
seems in no eager mood to enter
upon discussion Of the Tariff bill
this summer Yet there are few men
Of either party who do not feel that
something clear and definite ought to
have been done towards revision Of
The tariff long before this.
The National Republican platform
pledges the party "to correct the in
equalities Of the tariff and reduce tue
surplus" the Democratic platform like
wise, but in stronger terms. The Sec.
retary Of the Treasury has advanced
some very intelligent and forcible ideas
on this subject, and nobody has ever
charged Mr.. Manning with being free
trader. There is not an importer in
the country but does business with the
present tariff under protest What is
ihe reason then that nothing can be
donel
One reason Is that no radical mollf-
cation Of tariff taxation can be made
without breaking up the Republican
party. Another Is that many people
p-6o ,rnpIJ Tito 20 aoa ,oriW toyo,Iou rn
duced have got the Democratic party
and the British free trade party so
mixed up in their minds that they
are shy about taking any chances on
Democratic legislation. There are still
other reasons. The contest over the
question has taken on so much of n
personal character that the issue does
not seem to be whether we shall have
revenue reform or protection, but
whether William II. Morrison or Sam.
uel J. Randall shall be boss Of the
House. Another reason Is that there
are many members who have never
made the tariff q subject of close and
careful research. To speak plainly,
they don't know anything about it and
consequently cannot appreciate its i'm
portanoe.
Now, there are some features OF Mr..
Morrison's bill by the adoption of which
the country would no doubt be perma.
nently benefited. Mr.. Howitt's ideas
Of administrative reform are unques'
tionably sound, and those Of non.
partisan business man: Mr.. Randall Is
conservative. lie is Protectionist
from Protecionyille. He has about as
poor an opinion Of revenue reform as
he has Of ciyil.service reform. lie Is
also an ambitious man. lie did what
he could to lay out the Morrison bill in
the last Congress, and In return he go'
himself laid out in the organization OF
the present House, Yesterday ii was
Mr.. Randall's turn again.
Now, with all due respect to these
gentlemen, we must say that the pros
pect Of any action upon the tariff will
continue very slim just so long as tht
fight has to be made by divided De
mocracy against the united Republi
cans. and the divisions Of the Demo
cratic party leaders are bound to con
tinue as long as factions are kept a
the front, The proper course would b,
5br the Democrats Of the House, at til,
beginning of the next session, to hold
tariff reform caucus and agree upoi
some line OF legislation. based upon tn
pledges Of their platform. 1t need no
60 so far as Mr.. Morrison would go; /
might 90 little further than Mr.. Ran
dali would 60 but the result would be
not Randall bill nor Morrison bill
but majority bill, such as not onl.
the undivided Democracy, but all Re
publicans, on whom their platform i
Of any binding force, could consistently
support in the name and for the SAX
of the people.