New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-19
.DARK-LANTERN COMMITTEE
HOW REVENUE MEASURES ARE MATCHED
Month CAROLINA POLITICIANS TO THE FORE
AGREEMENTS WHICH MUST BE BROKEN

mr. rELSoRApH TO THE TRIBUNE 49,.
wAsHrNaroN. Jan. Is-The Ways and Means
Committee will hold another meeting t"-"srrow
Oufnions differ as to whether the subject OIL e.o
nue. legislation will be broached. Inc ueiioi
,hnt tmay be is held by some OF the Southerh
mon who rerard the approval of the proposed
measure bv the Democratic Executive Committee
~ North Carolina as all sufficient The approval
,vas ,,ven in n secret conference late last night
There were present at the conference the Demo-
cratic members of Ways and Means, the Senators
and Democratic Representatives from North caro-
,ins and the chairman and members Of the Demo-
cratic State Executive Committee of that State
who had come all the way to Washington TO as
sist Congress and instruct the Ways and Means
Committee Senators Vance and Ransom and the
chairman of the State Committee delivered
speeches, and dwelt upon the necessity OF dong
something I" to save the State for Cleveland
Premier Mills seems to have been willing to
meet them more than half way if necessary -
The tax on leaf tobacco must be rnpe Sa rs
peaied,S replied the " Premier" and his coad-
tutors. -, ,
Ali tobacco taxes, except on cigars, cigar,
cites and cheroots. must be abolished, contnueo
the Tarheel representatives. Done" crleo ohe
Sage of Corsicana" with enthusiasm
:" The tax fruit brandy must be red ah Ga 70
ten cents Der gallon the next Nortn Caro,
lima demand = Wen not only do that; but Wen
e 1spSa ta se Of Ways and
and his brethren cried Amen"
"No: leave It at ten cents, and then we can
keep as many more of our friends than we nov os
have in Office as storekeepers. gaugers, etc" was
the rejoinder of North Cardinals spokesman.
PROTECTION FOR Moo sHINEns DEMANDED.
snow there is another matter TO be consid-
cred" continued the spokesman. Our people
do not object so much to the Internal Revenue
tax as they do TO its enforcement. Many OF them
have been arrested, tried and convicted AT tunes
the moonshlIc industry has been threatened VIII
destruction, and even now, IN this ca oi reroii
1fnr
our proud old Commonwealth. or course re-
duction Of the tax fruit brandy from ninety
cents to forty cents per ea0m oo % %o whsey
MANY Of the honest and industrious clIlZens en-
gagged in this industry will Inevitably ian lnCo WE
propose two remedies The first is to provide
That United States marshals and their deputies,
United States District-Attorneys and united STATES
Commissioners shall be paid fixed salaries ana al
lowed no fees This will remove from them the
temptation to pursue and Persecute our Peop p
who are engaged in the peculiar and prontaDie N
dustry before mentioned. The second remedy Is
20 give the courts discretion to minimize the nlhI-
mum punishment for offences against r ' iCht in.
deed and then such of our people as are so unIor
tunatc rs to be caught can get of without great
Al give YOU nv word-that is. as far as / can
give it shall be done rep Sc .h %d Gna
Committee has jurisdiction OF TIC matters y9In1
mention, but am sure that my colleagues VII
join me in efforts to insure speedy ana iavoraoie
action by that committee and by the House.
The North Carolina plenipotentiaries then re-
tired. well satisfied with the result. But was the
NAMED to he done before bringing the Revenue
bill before the Ways and Means COmmttee some
people who are usually well Informed IN regard 10
Such matters answer the question in the afhrma-
tive Several Democratic members OF the com
mittee have made statements in private whch'
being welded together show that an elsoOrat t,
not 10 say unique scheme is afot. Its paternity
is attributed to William L. Scott An Outline
which is substantially correct MI sqinclen anI
define and explain the nature OF this scheme ana
place the friends of American industry on their
guard. 1t is rs follows:
THE ATTACK ON THE WOOL TARIFF
The main objective point of attack on the pro-
lection lines In the impending conflict is the tarlh
on wool 1t was self-evident that such an attack
would fail unless the woollen manufacturers could
be brought to its support, 1t was also known that
a few Mugwumps, manufacturers OF certain Klhus
and grades of woollen goods. would beeiad 70 nave
free wool always, provided, however that the
duties on goods Of the sort made by them = Nnld
not be disturbed. They were invited to CONFER
with the Democratic members of the ways ana
Means Committee, who have held numcer OF
moonlight meetings within the past fortnight,
respecting which the profoundest secrcsy has been
ned and hoie TsSS 81 and some of
them were here during the wool conference 10
them each and every Democratic member OF the
Ways and Means Committee made IN set terms
this proposition or offer:
If you will go in for free wool we vii agree
that the present tariff on woollen manufactures
shall be maintained You shall continue to enjoy
the benefit OF protective duties ranging from ~
per cent to 65 per cent and at the same time you
Shall be relieved of the payment of any duty ON
the foreign wool which you consume"
This was attractive offer surely, and 1t is
not surprising that in some cases It has been
accepted Moreover. manufacturers who accepted
it are now doing missionary work among wooren
manufacturers throughout the country and seek
ing to obtain converts by appeals to their cupdtY
and selfshness Probably they will collect
few deludcd followcrs-deluded because the Demo
cratic members Of the Ways and Means Conmittee
70 parr
agreement. II wool goes on the free list manu-
featured goods will 90 there also or be made to
suffer q sharp cut in the rates of duty. Premier
Mills and his colleagues cannot command votes
enough to send wool TO the free list and II they
could do so they could not prevent an immediate
and radical reduction of the duties OH manufactures
of wool The wool growers and the woollen manu-
facturers will stand or fall together.
IRON AND srErL MIN APPROACHED.
The same tactics adopted by Mills and his col
leagues in dealing with woollen manufacturers are
pursued in trying to strike bargain with certain
manufacturers of iron and steel In this case also
personal and secret conferences have been held.
and a few manu- facturers have accepted the tcrfus
offered One Of them is reduction OF the duty
steel rails to 81 3 per ton
How many secret night meetings have been held
by the enemies of American Industries VINO com
pose the majority Of the Ways and Means Com,
,nittee is not vet definitely known, but it is asserted
that they Number not less than seven.
1t is also intimated that few cotton manu-
facturers who make certain grades OF goodS nave
been induced to accept terms offered by NILS ana
his coadjutors who will use that as an excuse Tor
O sharp reduction Of rates throughout the whole
schedule OF cotton goods. 1t has been repeatedly
and semi-offcially announced that the majority or
the WAYS and Means Committee will not waste
timen by granting the representatives OF dinerent
American industries an opportunity 20 be beard.
And vet il appears that all this time the Demo
cratic members of that committee have been hold
ing secret meetings night 10 confer with certain
manu- facturers whom they supposed to he friendly
10 their schemes or amcnable TO their Influences
For what purpose? Why: simply to enable the
"Sage Of COrsicana' and his followers TO get up
in the House aud declare that the manufacturers
want this and crave that They dare not allow
" the manu- facturers' the worlsingmen to appear
before them in the broad light OF day and present
the facts which ought to be considered in any
revision OF the tariff They fear the daylight
and therefore resort 10 secret dark lantern con-