Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-06-18
Gl)e fa,,faster 1ntelli9enter.
LANcAsTER. JUNE Is. 1855
Defeat Of the Morrison Bill.

Defeat OF the Morrison Bill.
The discussion of the vote on the tariff
bfll In Congress yesterday affords very
{ fair illustration of the narrowness and
illiberality of some persons who undertake
I 20 define the limitations ofparty fealty and
organization. In some of the newspapers
We already see and in many Others we have
expectations of further seeing Messrs.
Scott, Swope and Storm, of this state,
nvagely attacked and roundly denounced
- I" free traders and enemies of Penn
aylyania's interests because they voted to
20 into consideration of the Morrison bill.
We sympathize with no such assault.
There is nothing in their position to show
that they are free traders or that they are
hostile to the interests of their party or
their state. They have their individual
View Of the best way of revising the tariff,
or Of way which they think is the best
way to be had, and if they are honest in
It, as we do not doubt they are, they ought
to vote with their consciences. Their diff
erence from their colleagues is no serious
matter.
On the other hand it is absurd to call
down Democratic maledictions upon the
heads Of the Democratic members from
New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and
Ohio, who voted against the Morrison
bill and to undertake to read them out of
the party. That will not do. That cannot
be done. At least two of these states are
essential to Democratic success in the
country, and their representatives are not
lightly to be branded as traitors.
Some of the editors and other people
who talk about drawing the lines dividing
parties on the tariff question, are not good
engineers to run party lines. They are not
true to them, themselves, and they are not fit
to sit injudgment upon others. We observe
that some of them make the president s
alleged approval of the Morrison bill
the touchstone OF party fealty, and while
they accord with him in this, they oppose
his views on the civil service and the
silver question, subjects as near to the
presidents heart as the revision of the
tariff bill. Others make submission to the
report of Democratic House committee
on the tariff the test of the true faith.
while they condemn the river and harbor
appropriations and other jobs reported by
such committee. Mr.. Findlay, of Balti-
more, who in short term has proved an
exceptionally able and independent public
representative, is denounced as a ''half-
masked Republican," because he voted
against the Morrison bill, and yet in its
anti-silver and civil service reform
position the Democratic administration has
had no more courageous and able de-
fender than Mr.. Findlay. Mr.. Morrison
and Mr.. Carlisle led the movement for this
bill, and yet on the silver coinage question,
we believe, they directly antagonize the
administration of their party. Mr.. Ran
dali is berated for having his friends ap-
pointed to office, and the administration is
denounced as supporting spoilsmen for
favoring him; and yet the president is
asked to abuse his executive position and
make his appointments to reward those who
may agree with him on the tariff and pun
ish those who do not, regardless of other
considerations. And this advice comes
from gentlemen who vote the Democratic
ticket when it suits them, and oppose its
nominees when they choose.
We strongly suspect that Mr.. Hewitt is
about right in his reported eclaration that
Mr.. Morrison is not good man to lead the
work of tariff reform, and it will not be ac-
complished under his direction. He seems to
be unpopular, impractical and arbitrary ::
and his work thus far reflects no cI edit on
his wisdom. Nevertheless we agree with
the Philadelphia Times when it says that
while those Democratic representatives
from Pennsylvania, New York, New
Jersey and other great industrial states
who opposed Mr.. Morrison's ill.considered
and dangerous scheme will not fail of pub
iic approval y; to them is now transferred
the responsibility ''and though it is scarcely
possible that any comprehensive measure
OF revenue reform can be adopted at
tnis session, the opportunity is not lacking
70 show what they would propose. The
hepublicans, as minority, can be content
with an obstructive or negative position,
put the Democrats ought to have a posi-
ave policy, whether it can be carried into
enect OF not. Having retired Mr.. Morri-
"a = revenue leader, Mr.. Randall now
Aas the aoor."