Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-03-04
FRAMED TO CATCH VOTES.
The New Tariff Bill is Most Ingeniously
WOrded.

"DdG SUfenSUn Uney may expect Tor II, EaV
first wished to know whether Mr. Randall
would support it, and if not, how man,
Democrats would follow him in opposition
The first inquiry has been answered. Mr.
Randall, while not consenting to forma
interview in answer to an inquiry whethe
he could support the bill as it is, said
"The bin is dead. Nobody could b.
elected on that bill" Mr.. Randall added
that he has in preparation tariff bill o
his own, which he expects to complete b.
Sunday, and which he will endeavor t.
present to the house On Tuesday next
What position he would take he declined
at present to say, except so far as to remark
that the bill would deal largely with inter
nal revenue matters, which the present
Mills bill omits. The next inquiry as tt
the probable influence which Mr.. Randall
will have within his own party, cannot bt
definitely answered This is subject az
to which he is not communicative. He
for evident reasons, does not desire tC
show his hand. 1t is very probable that
he is not himself quite sure how large a
vote he can control. A Republican mem
Der of the committee on ways and means
who has been in consultation with Mr.
Randall, says the latter is confident that
there are fifteen Democrats who will vote
with him in opposition to the ways and
means committee bill in its present form
in all contingencies.
Mr.. McAdoo, Mr.. Randalls most active
lieutenant among the protectionlst Demo
Gratis, says that Mr. Randall will control
nineteen votes against the bill. In making
dali strength somewhat less than that
which he had in the last congress. Yet
the Randall men have claimed that they
have more strength in the present congress
What the protectionistS Democratic vote
will be cannot be stated by anybody in adj,
vance of the first test vote upon some mo-
ton in connection with the bill. 1t Is
very possible that Mr.. Randall will not
be able to control as many votes as he
thinks.
A closer analysis of the bill shows that it
has been ingeniously framed with view
to vote catching. A good many reductions
which the majoriCy Of the ways and means
committee would have been glad TO have
made are not made. because it was be
lieved that the bill would be stronger by
leaving the present duties unchanged.
A conspicuous instance of this is the item
of oranges, The Florida and the Califor-
MIA people were yesterday very much ex-
cited in reading that all fruits are on the
free list. They have today been Informed
by the members Of the ways and means
committee that oranges are excepted, and
that the dut on them remains as it is in
the present tariff The way in which the
bill has been framed for that matter is
calculated TO mislead the general reader
and to deceive him as to the effect of the
bill. The bill Is to be taken in the form OF
an amendment to existing tariff laws, and
not as complete tariff law in itself. The
exact status of the tariff as it would be
left if the present bill should be enacted
into law cannot be understood except by
taking this bill and comparing it with the
existing tariff, item by item.
A good many of the representatives from
the iron districts at first thought that iron
was put upon the free list because of the
somewhat vague phraseology of clause in
in crude state" But they were at once
advised that iron ore is left upon the pres
ent dutiable list without change
The most ardent supporters of the bill
criticise its form quite sharply as the usual
schedules are omitted, and the bill is put
together in a somewhat disjointed way, SO
that it is not always clear to determine
what is proposed.
Mr.. Mills, chairman of the ways and
means committee, thinks that Randall
possibly may be able to control fourteen
Democratic votes, which he distributes as
follows: Two from Pennsylvania, two
from New Jersey, four from Ohio, four
from Louisiana and two from California.
He thinks. however. that the bill will be
supported by eight or ten Republicans,
mostly from the northwest, and notably
from Minnesota.
1t is certain that Mr. Mills may have
overestimated the strength of this bill in
the northwest. There is a good deal of
dissatisfaction with the bill on the part of
the Democrats from the tobacco growing
states. They insist that in order TO
strengthen the bill those who have it in
charge must Immediately make arrange
ments to provide for the repeal of the in
ternal revenue taxation. Mr.. Whitthorne,
of Tennessee, for instance, one OF the
strong men of the house, says that he can
support the bill, but that in order to secure
hearty support with the majority of the
party it Will be necessary for it to add to
the bill provisions to repeal the internal
revenue taxes. Senator Vance and Sen
ator Bate are of the same opinion. The
criticism from this class of Democrats
seems to have already demonstrated the
fact that if the leaders OF the ways and
means committee have supposed that
they could secure vote upon a
to reduce custom duties
prior to and separate from q vote upon a
bill to reduce the internal revenue taxes,
they have misjudged their strength. The
Democrats from the tobacco states consider
that the present bill to reduce the surplus
III this form is to some extent a reflection
upon them, in that the majority of the
on ways and means does not
seem to be willing to trust them to vote on
a general tariff reduction measure and
holds back a bill to reduce the internal
revenue taxes as q means to coerce them
into the support of the tariff reduction
bill. This proposition is resented by these
Democrats. The key to the situation, of
course, is the small minority OF the Demo
cratic party under the leadership of Mr.
They unquestionably are suffi-
GENTLY numerous to constitute the bal
ance of power. Mr.. Mills is undoubtedly
in error in his assumption that be can gain
rs many or more Republican votes for his
bill as he will lose of Democratic protec-
tionists votes.
The greatest cause of dissatisfaction
among the Democratic opposition to the
bill arises from the reductions proposed on
wool, sugar, glass and pottery. The Dem
ocats from the wool growing states viii
nearly all of them oppose the bill because
Of the fact that wool Is put upon the free
list The outside agents of the wool and
worSted interests, who are here, say that
while their condition may possibly be
little improved by placing wool on the
free list. the abolition of the pound rate
duties will very nearly offset this advan-
age, ana tlaI Wnlle close dndiys OF the
bill might show the net refult to be some
thing in favor of the worsted men, Yet Mr..
Mills need not except on that account a
single vote of New England Republicans
for the bill.
There have been some expectations that
the representatives of the wool manu-
featuring industries might be induced by
he fact that wool is put upon the free
list, whic is their raw material. TO vote
Tor the bill. But petition has been re-
,eived here, signed by the greater portion
If the worsted manufacturers of the
it is said, except three, stating
hat they are opposed to putting wool
Ipon the free list. and prefer to take their
,hanceS as they are under the general