The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1888-03-15
PROGRESS OF TARIFF REFORM.
Friends Of the New Bill Encouraged b!
the Outlook Of Its Passage.


the Outlook Of Its Passage.
The New York World, Washington
Special says The Democratic mem
bers of the ways and means committee
gave their tariff revision bill to the
country week ago. Since then it has
been exploited by friends and picked to
pieces by force, and although there are
yet a good many members of the house
who have not quite made up their
minds how they like it, the managers
OF the revenue reform campaign have
been taking a careful view of the sit
uation, and declare that they feel much
encouraged by the outlook. They claim
and with some reason, that no tariff
revision bill introduced since the Dem
ocrats captured the house in 1876 has
had 80 good a prospect of passage at
this stage of the game. To understand
the situation upon which this claim is
based, it must be borne in mind that
the previous failures of Democratic at
tempts to revise the tariff and rid the
country of war taxes have been due to
the obstruction of strong minority of
the same party. This minority, how
ever, has steadily lost prestige and pow
In 1876 IL years ago, the real fight
ing of the party on this line began with
the election of Michael g. Kerr, tariff
fOr-revenue only man, as speaker, and
the appointment of Colonel Morrison
as chairman of the ways and means
committee. The movement, however,
got no further in the FOrty-fOurth con-
gress, because the protection minority
was almost as strong by itself as the
reform majority. Six years later, in the
Forty eighth congress, John &. Carlisle
was elected speaker, but on the Demo
cratic side still sat 40 men who refused
to carry out the demand Of the people
for the abatement of war taxation.
Two years afterwards Mr.. Carlisle was
reelected speaker, but the situation
was not much changed for the better,
the Republicans, with the aid of Mr.
Randall's following, being strong
enough to defeat even the consideration
of tariff bill, although they might
have amended it and moulded 1t to
their will
In the Fiftieth Congress, according
to the estimate of the revenue reform
ers, the pre- to ton Democrats under
Randall's leadership have dwindled
down to 18, and if Randall holds on to
that number, with the administration
throwing itself into the fight, some of
his friends will be surprised. There
are 1863 Democrats, 1853 Republicans and
4 Labor men, or Independents in the
house. The estimate of the refOrmers
| is that if vote were taken now on the
Mills bill, pending in the ways and
l yoittao II NunnlN Incn thp
votes of the following members on the
Democratic side: Randall, Sowden and
Ermentrout, Of Pennsylvania Cron and
steel rails); Foran, Seney, Wilkins and
Campbell, of Ohio (wooD; the six Lou
isiana members (sugar); Tavanas and
Biggs, of California (WooD; Bliss and
Stannecker, of New York; McAdOo, OF
New Jersey; total, 18. This would
leave $50 Democrats supporting the
| bill. In addition to these, they expect
it to receive the votes of Nelson and
Lind, of Minnesota; Fitch, of New
| York, and Fuller, of Iowa Republican,
and also of Hopkins, of Virginia, and
Anderson, of Iowa Independently.
On this basis Mr.. Mills claims total
of 1866 sure votes for the bill, or within
seven of a majority of the whole house
| To get these seven votes away from
Randall is the problem, and the revenue
reformers believe they know how to
solve it when the wishes of the admin
istration are distinctly made known
and enforced. The bill will be in COM
mittee of ways and means all of this
month and then comes into committee
of the whole House for general discus
sion and amendments. 1t is under
stood distinctly that there will not be
the slightest change made In the bill
previous to tsappearancei in the House
| The World correspondent has the as
surance of the leading members of the
committee that they propose to stand
by the bill as it is without altering jot
or title. MI. Mills will make the first
speech on the bill, and he is said to be
preparing for the greatest effort of his
life. If the gentleman from Texas will
| keep his head cool, and not allow the
enemy to get him ratified he will make
a strong tariff argument, for he has the
knowledge and ability to do it. The
other members of the ways and means
committee will also deliver speeches
during the discussion, and Mr.. Breck.
enridge, of Kentucky, can be depended
upon to make magnificent appeal fol
tariff reform.
The great speech, however, on the bill
will be the closing one which will be
delivered by the gifted Kentuckian
John G. Carlisle. His great and thor.
ough knowledge of the question and
the high position he occupies peculiarly
point to him for the occasion, and it is
eminently fitting that he should make
the final appeal for his party friends to
stand together and vote for bill that
will, to great extent, lessen the bur.
dens that have been placed upon the
people by the Republican party. Mr.
Randall meanwhile is putting the fin
ishing touches on his bill, and it will be
ready for the committee and the public