New-York tribune., 1888-03-25
THE DARK LANTERN REPORT
FREE WOOL TO BE THE KEYNOTE.
REBEL LIoUs LOUISIANA SUGAR MEN-PREssURE By
THE ADMINS rRATION.

REBEL ILIoUs LOUISIANA SUGAR MEN-PREssURE BY
THE ADMINS rRATIoN.
TBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.
WASHINGTON. March 24.-The report of the
majority Of the Ways and Means Committee in
favor Of the Darl, Lantern" bill is in type, and
it is understood that copies Of it have been sub
mitted to President Cleveland, Secretary Fair
child, Speaker Carlisle. Parsee" Moore, and per-
haps other free-trade economists presumably for
advice and suggestions. Minority members of
the committee have not yet been afforded an
opportunity to read the document, although 1t has
been intmatcd that such opportunity will be
granted in accordance with unbrolxen custom and
ordinary courtesy. The " Dark Lantern" report
is largely devoted to an argument In favor OF
free wool and the proposed reductions on woollen
manufactures. or course an attempt Is made to
show that American wool-growers will receive
better prices after the duties shall have been
time to buy woollen goods at cheaper prices than
they now pay. Tables of prices of wool for a
series of years before and since the imposition OF
duties OF l667 are given, together with schedules
showing present rates on wool and wOolens, and
the rates proposed in the pending bill
It will be observed that the wool question is
judged TO be the one OF chief Importance, and also
to require the greatest space for the defence of the
Dark Lantern" scheme. This Is natural, in view
of Mr.. Clevcland's declaration within the past
three days that he regards the wool provisions
of the bill as more important than all others,
and that ii might be better for the measure to
fail outright than to pass without those provis
ions.
The sugar men have not vet received any as
surance that the sugar schedule will be modified
to suit their views and some Of them express the
belief that no such notifications will be offered
by the majority of the committee. The Louisi,
ana men, or some of them, say that they VIII
oppose any sealing down of the sugar duties with
proviso that the revenue hereafter derived from
that source shall eb dedicated to compensate do
mestic producers for loss of direct protection by
means Of customs duties. The objection seems
to be based on fear that the proposed plan will be
subject to whims of Congress Why it will be
more unstable than the present system how
ever, they are at loss to explain.
The dispatch in to-day's TRIBUNE about Dark
Lantern Prospects, has provoked great deal OF
comment. Friends and partisans Of the bill on
all hands admit that the attitude and efforts CT
the Administration correctly described OPP
ponents of the raid American industries ap-
preciate the danger and are rot disposed TO un-
derrate the influence of the temptations, promises
and threats to which Democrats who oppose
certain provisions Of the measure are daily and
hourly exposed Not since the days OF Jackson
has the influence Of a National Administration
been so powerfully exerted as In this case by MT
Cleveland, whose ideas respecting the province oil
the Executive have undergone u radical change
In the past five years