New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-05-24
TIE Duty OF 4 MINORITY

III is strange UudI SOlnc SchSiDiO hOh u" 49,
understand why it is distinctly the duty oil
Republicans in the House not to propose any
revision of tariff at this session. The reason
is that they have not power to get anything they
may propose adopted in its completeness, ana can
only hope TO see accepted by the House frag-
ments of their plan which, taken by them
selves, would be both mischievous and I'M
popular That is the unavoidable embarrasS-
ment of minority. The people have entrusted
power to another party. The minority has no
power to propose anything in the hope that
it will pass without mutilation
To realize how important this is let the
sugar schedule be considered. large number
of Republicans would be glad to have the
duties on imported sugar entirely removed
with an adequate bounty to domestic producers
of sugar. Neither the bounty nor the abohuon
Of duty on imports would be luStlhable, nor
acceptable to the people, standing by ltseI.
Nay. more the proposition as whole Woulu
not be reasonable, nor likely to be approved
unless accompanied by other provisions as 10
the revenues and the expenditures Oh inc
Government which party in power wouid DC
able to agree upon and to carry through DuV
which a minority cannot control at ALL Leu
II Ye supposed that the Republicans in minority
propose the abolition of sugar duties with
bounty on sugar of domestic production; the
majority then will have power to adopt elther
part of the proposition, even though no Repub-
lican may favor either part by itself, OF TO
adopt the whole, and then to follow 1t with
such lavish appropriations as to leave the
Government without sufficient revenue.
So of the duties on woods and woollens;
the minority might be disposed TO
restore the wool schedule of 1867,
with such notifications as to make
the law fit the existing state of trade, or it
might be disposed to take off the duty on
carpet woods, with careful provisions against
the free importation of wool for other pur-
poses, if such provisions are practicable, and
with a change in the duties on products Of
such wool. In either case it would be abso-
lutely within the power of the majority to
pick out one fragment of the proposition, and
to adopt that without the other, thus making
| the change grossly unjust and rmnous TO I'M
portant industries. Responsibility for the pro-
posal would cling to the minority and could not
be shaken off. A great many voters would
never comprehend that the hurtful change
would have been beneficial if coupled with
other changes which the majority had refused
to make.
The same difficulty appears if the minority
attempts to propose any other change whatever
in the tariff or the revenue laws. 1t has no
power to prevent the adoption Of any fragment
of its plan, though mischievous by itself, or
to secure the adoption of other parts which
would render the plan as whole beneficial.
Therefore there is sound reason in the claim
that minority has no business to take upon
itself the responsibility of proposing legisla-
ton. That responsibility, with the power
which alone can make it endurable, the people
have entrusted to another party. The duty
of minority is not to propose, but to critlcise,
periodically, candidly, cautiously, accepting
what is worthy, resisting and defeating what
ever is unworthy. 1t has no business to aban-
don that duty in the futile attempt to perform
another which the people have refused tc
entrust to it. To the people themselves, il
they ask why Republicans offer no bill,
it is an absolutely sufficient answer. "1om
votes entrusted that duty to the Democratic
party.n The decision of the Republicans in
the House is therefore perfectly justihable
In further considering the various amendments
to the pending bill, which they may conclude
to offer and support the same principles Will
doubtless govern their action.