Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-03-06
LONG ANDPRoFITLEss SESSION.
The Republicans Messing Their Chance
on the Tarin Question.

on the Tariff Question.
Col. A. h. Mcclure, editor Of the Phila-
delphia Times, telegraphs as follows from
Washington under date March 3:
There is every indication of long, bel
ligerentand protitless session of Congress.
The ruling party in the House is disinte-
grated by the tariff and silver questions,
and the Senate is practlcIng schoolboy
FRANKS in controversy with the Presi-
dent on removals from office. Three
months OF the session have passed and not
only has no important legislation been
accomplished beyond the Presidential
succession bill, but no important meas
ure has been perfected in committee that
is likely to pass, and beyond the report or
the Naval Committee, just made in favor
OF liberal start toward the improvement
of the navy, no policy Of national moment
has been foreshadowed.
NO TARIFF CHANGES THIS SESSION.
After a somewhat careful survey of the
general situation here, l feel safe in pre-
dieting that there will be no revision of
the tariff accomplished this session.
There Is OBVIOUSLY more cOntrariety OF
Democratic sentiment on the subject in
the present House than there was in the
last, and with the Republicans solid in
opposition to any change in our revenue
the conclusion that no bill will be perfec-
ted by Morrison and his committee that
w0uldNbe acceptable to the House.
The sentiment in favor of the judicious
protection that is clearly declared
for in the Democratic national platform
has been widening and deepening in the
South, and the majority of the Democrats
are anchored much farther from the free
trade theory than they were two years
Mnfrignn3g
now admittedly absurd horizontal bill.
Morrison's new bill is a decided improve
ment on his bill to which he attempted to
commit his party in 1884, and it is reason
ably probable that, with several defeats
and the wholesome experience they must
give him, he might be able to prepare a
tOlerably fair tariff measure IN five or ten
years.
THE REPUBLICANS LOST CHANCE.
If the Republicans were equal to their
opportunity and to the plain duty to which
they are pledged by their own platform
they could now lead in tariff revision on
the basis Of Just protection to labor and
give the country stable tariff policy for
years to come. but they are skulking away
from their own voluntary and solemn
pledges. They refuse the tariff revision
and reduction of revenue they promised
the country, and they are in the attitude
of defending and maintaining monopoly
and oppressive features of the tariff which
are simply indefensible. There will be no
tariff revision this session, because the
Republicans refuse to revise it in the
interest OF our productive Industries,
and they err in the assumption that
they are playing the part of good poll
tics. They would vastly more and better
serve the party and the business and in-
dustrial interests of the nation by careful
roy fesrNv ~ hot 40
mere necessities of the present; but one
Presidential defeat seems to have taught
them nothing and they propose to main
tain monopoly interests and oppressive
taxes which have no relation to the pro-
lection Of labor. In this folly they make
the folly OF free traders comparatively re-
spectacle, and they do more to make
just protective policy odious than all the
| free traders of the land.
THE ISSUE WITH THE PRESIDENT.
The question that most concerns the
politicians is the outcome of the issue be-
| tween the President and the Senate over
to speak for any Republican Senators, l
feel safe in saying that none of the i'm
! portant appointments made in Philadel-
phIa or IN PENNSYLVANIA will be rejected
| by the Senate. The Senate Will indulge
Edmunds in certain degree of partisan
4 fireworks 10 help his reelection to the
Senate and to make a show of rehabilitat-
ing him as Presidential candi-
date, but when it comes down to the
question OF yes or no on confirming Cleve-
lands appointments the Senate will con-
firm, unless there are reasons against it
which would satisfy intelligent and
honest citizens of any party. There will
be some reflections, as there should be;
but they will be the logical result of I'M
fitness or special circumstances to justify
the action of the Senate. 1t is admitted
that no such objections obtain in the
prominent Philadelphia appointments and
they will be confirmed when reached.