The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-10-31

means committee to report by bill or otrer-
wise. Thus the whole matter was turned
over to the ways and means committee TO
take what action they deemed proper, or no
action il they preferred. 1t was Mr.. Findlay
that failed to keep his agreement and not
Mr. Reed. Mr.. Reed could have justified
himself in doing nothing more in the matter.
He could have fallen back on the plea that
the coopers had arranged how the matter
should be brought before Congress, and that
their arrangement had failed not by reason
of any negligence on his part, but on account
of the failure of the man whom they had
selected, to do as he agreed. But he did no
such thing Tbecoopers' arrangement having
failed he proceeded to do what in his iudg-
ment was for the best interests of their
industry. he knew, what everybody knows
who is acquainted with Congress, that a
specific measure would be much IN IRE likely
to arrest the attention of the committee on
ways and means than general resolution
like Mr.. Findlay's. So on the eleventh of
January he introduced a bill increasing the
duty on sugar in bags This bill was re-
ferred without any discussion whatever to
the committee on ways and means. Now Mr..
George L. kimball contends that the intro
duction vi this bill instead of bill reducing
the duty on sugar in hogsheads was fatal
mistake. As matter Of fact, however, the
nature of the bill, in the light of Mr.. Reeds
statement before the ways and means CON-
mittee, became matter of no sort of conse-
.quence. The reason, undoubtedly, why he
introduced this bill instead of the other was
that the Introduction by him of the latter
measure would have closed the door to the
presentation of bill reducing the duty on
sugar in hogsheads by Southern Democrat,
and there were obvious advantages in having
a bill of that sort come from that source. To
be sure there were strong reasons to believe
that the Southern Democrat who had been
depended ON had changed his mind. but this
was not absolutely established. There was
still a possibility that he or some other
Southern member might introduce such a
bill. To make sure that the matter should
get before the ways and means committee in
definite form SO they could not readily
ignore it. and at the same time
not to deprive the coopers of the advantage
which would accrue to them from having a
Southern member introduce a bill reducing
the duty on sugar in hogsheads, Mr.. Reed
introduced his bill increasing the duty on SUI
gar in bags. Mr.. Reed was prepared to keep
his agreement to support measure reducing
the duty on sugar in hogsheads whenever
one should be introduced, and when he APP
peared before the committee to argue the
matter he told them distinctly that he did
not insist on his particular measure. Here
is his attitude as publicly stated by him at
the time:
The cooperage industry is widespread and
employs the leisure time Of q eat number of
men scatt' red over large portion of the Atlantic
coas of the United States. If this bill is passed
It viii, without in anyway inci easing the price of
sugar, prevent the destruction Of the cooperage
measure, for have presented that rather as a
means OF bringing the matter before the COM
mittee. am ready TO reduce the duty one quar-
Ter 81 cent on sugar imported In c0operage
packages, II the committee prefer. But l have
urged The committee with much persistence that
b tae ~ b PC kea Up S not
part of such bill II might be joined with proyis-
ions TO which many of It's FRIENDS coula not agree.
III presented alone justice may be done. asked
that this course might be taken, but on mott Of
Mr.. Mills of Texas the Democratic members of the
committee, IN a solid body, voted TO postpone the
matter until after the general tariff bill was dis
posed of.
The above statement was published in
the Portland Advertiser in February, 1886
and has remained unchallenged IL shows
that Mr.. Reed was as ready to consent
to reduction of duty as to an increase,
and that he was prepared to support mea-
sure Of that kind whenever one should be
presented by the Southern Democrat, who
had agreed to introduce it, or should be
reported by the ways and means committee.
The committee had before them along with
Mr.. Reeds bill resolution looking to an
investigation Of the causes of the decline of
the shook industry and the remedies. They
had half dozen petitions on the subject
They could have modified Mr.. Reeds bill so
as to make it provide for reduction of the
duty on sugar in hogsheads and Mr.. Reed
would have supported it or, under the in
struction Of Congress in referring Mr.. Find
lays resolution which was ito report by bill
or otherwise" they could have prepared an
original bill reducing duty on sugar in hogs
heads. Yet they refused to do either.
But Mr.. Reed did not stop with one at
tempt to get the committee to do something.
In the latter part of April he again called
the matter up and asked the committee ex-
plicitly to vote on the question whether they
intended to do anything for the relief of the
shook industry either by his Dill or in any
other way. And every Democratic member
of the committee voted No.
There never was a more sincere, persistent
or intelligent effort made in Congress for the
relief of an industry than Mr.. Reed made for
the shook industry. And the attempt of the
Portland Herald, assisted by Mr.. Kim5all, to
saddle upon him the responsibility for the
failure far transcends the limit to which
partisanship can decently go.