St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-06-07
THE TARIFF FIGHT.
The Committee Having a Lively
Time Over the Tariff Plank.

|
Time Over the Tariff Plank.
ST. LOUIS, June 6.-The sub-commit-
tee of the committee on resolutions kept
up their deliberations until 3 o'clock
this morning, and at that hour. almost
worn out by the fatigue of debate, de-
ferred further consideration until
| o'clock. The discussion in committee
was confined solely to the tariff. Each
| member had been furnished with a
number OF planks for presentation, but
none of them figured in the proceed
lngS. The committee held long ses-
sion to-day, and while some progress
had been made, the platform is far
from being completed. In the language
OF Senator German: "We are but on
the, threshold" The proposition to
embody plank looking to the free coin
age OF silver, which was Endorsed by the
Watterson faction. has been defeated.
The German faction have carried by a
vote of 25 against 20 the proposition to
readoDt the entire platform of 1884.
MI; German argued with apparent eff
rect that the party should determine to
let we'll enough alone, and especially so
far as the tariff is concerned Mr.. Wat
terSon's views. as outlined heretofore,
In favor of the adoption of the tariff
| plank OF the platform of 1876, are well
| known. When the committee met this
morning and the subcommittee report
| ed its inability to reach any conclusion,
the committee as whole seemed to be
| still practically
WHERE IT BEGAN.
| The question confronting the members
| was whether to again refer the matter
10 subcommittee, to fight it out them
selves In committee of the whole, or to
relegate the whole subject to the action
OF the convention. Senator German
| presented a platform for adoption,
wnlchis an Endorsement and reiteration
OF the platform of 1884, and supported
the proposition in a speech of more
than an hour. He pleadedfor the accep-
lance of the measure on the ground
of .eXpediency and argued that. with a
positive declaration for free trade, the
Democracy could not hope to
carry New Jersey, Connecticut
and Indiana. III order to win, he
said, it was necessary that the
party should be united, and careless
statement OF the party'S position on the
tariff question would drive away large
part OF the advocates of protection. Mr..
Watterson said he could not support
Senator Germans platform. He was
wiling TO make concessions for the
GOOD OF THE PARTY,
but he did not want the party to 90 be-
fore the country with an equfvocal dec
laratlon upon the great subject of the
hour. He would sacrifice doctrine to
exp ,dency, but he would not sacrifice
rllciple. The presidents message had
committed the party to free trade, and
any declaration that was not in accord
with the message would discredit the
party. 1t would place the party in
the position of having Withdrawn
from stand once taken. He would ac-
cept the platform that the senator had
proposed with some notifications, and
those would be in the direction of an
earnest and positive Endorsement of the
message. He wanted the plank in the
Platform so simple that a child could
understand it. He asserted that an
equivOcal declaration would not have
the effect of uniting the party. 1t would
eXaggerate the diSSenSiOn now existing.
Inc platform of 1854 was prepared and
carried as a
MATTER OF EXPEDIENCY.
1t was said then that the Democrats
wanted to get into power. Let them
get into power and then they would de-
clare for free trade. They were in
power and now the opportunity had
come. After Mr.. WatterSOn had con-
cluded, Mr.. Scott, of Pennsylvania, who
was on the committee as proxy for Mr..
Mueller, made few remarks, after
which the states were called and each
committeeman had something to say on
the subject. When New York was
reached, Mr.. Edward Cooper made a
long speech, suggesting compromise.
He advocated the adoption of substi-
tute for Mr.. Germans proposition.
which was endorsed by Mr.. O'Day, Of
Missouri, and is as follows:
Taxes, including import duties,
should be laid for the purpose of raising
the revenue necessary to meet the needs
of the general government administered
economically. that the building up of
one industry by taxes, or at the eX-
pense of another, is foreign to the true
aims of free government, in which all
the people as to their legal and indus
trial rights stand on an absolutely equal
footing. We demand that war taxes lev-
led in times of peace for the private
gain of the few, thereby creating an
aristocracy, maintained by taxation,
shall cease; that our revenue laws shall
be so amended as to raise only the nee
essary moneys for defraying the ex,
penses of the government, administered
with strict fidelity and economy; and
that sugar and other prime neceSsaries
of life be placed upon the free list: and
that the moneys raised to meet the needs
of the government be levied off of the
luXuIies, and so indOrSe the presidents
message to congress-, and declare the
same to be the true sentiments of the
Democratic party.
Just before o'clock the Subcommittee
took recess until 3 p. m. The commits
tee resumed its session about p. IN.
and arranged the details of the plat
form, adjourning about o'clock. The
platform will be submitted as soon as
the convention meets tomorrow.
The tariff plank reaffirmS the Dlat
form of 1884,
ENDORSES THE MESSAGE
of the president, declares it the correca
Interpretation of the platform and APP
proves and applaudS the efforts by
Democratic representatives in congress
to reduce taxation. 1t was agreed by the
committee to affiX a supplement resolu-
ton commencing the Mills tariff
bill and urging the Democrats in con-
gress to pass it as soon as possible. Five
minute speeches will be made explana-
tory of the report of the committee on
resolutions by MeSSrs. Watterson, Cor
man, Albeit and Lehman, and at the
conclusion thereof, the motion that the
report be accepted will be made. After
the committee adjourned Henry Waiter.
son, in reply to questions by representa-
tives of the United Press, said that as
the platform of 1884 was susceptible of
double meaning, it was Objectionable
to him; but accompanied as it will be
in this case with an approval of the
presidents message. it is acceptable.
ANOTHER REPORT.
Another correspondent, after a care
full canvass in other fields, makes the
following deductions: There has been
a marked change in the Thurman senti-'
ment since noon to-day. Gray'S advO-
Gates have been working most indus