New-York tribune., 1888-03-23
IN SHAPE FOR THE HOUSE.
THE pXRK-LANTERN. BILL Is READY.

RKP0Rr-Irs CHANcKs IN THE HoUsh'
JBy rntMaWAPH rH4 rntSuNus
WAsurNcroN March 22-When the WayS ana
Means Committee met this morning. It appeared
that the Dark-Iantern" confederates had received
new light since yesterday In regard to several
items The new rays Of intelligence may have
been shed upon them while they were seated
around the hospitable board spread for their en-
tcrtainment by Parsec" Moore last night, or they
may have emanated from the superior minds OF
certain Democratic politicians who have been ao-
mitted to secret conferences and allowed TO nx
things" so that Democrat here and there, whose
money is invested in manufacturing enterprises,
may escape the general ruin threatened by the
Dark Lantern" bill. Either supposition IS rea-
sonable. ~Parsees Moore in times past has felt
a deem solicltudc In behalf Of certain industries,
and it has been asserted without contradiction
that his influence has been potential In the framing
Of the Dark Lantern bin. So he may have
been instrumental in the notifications made to-day
in regard to linseed OIL whiting etc. Perhaps the
other changes, notably in respect to rice and GER
tain cotton manufactures, should be ascribed TO
Democratic influence In regard TO none OF the
changes was any reason assigned by the majority
of the committee. After the bill had been thus
considered" and perfected the clerk was d.
rccted to call the roll" and the motion to report
the bill favoraby to the House was carried by q
party vote. The Dark Lantern confedcmtes
then sought welcome seciusion and resumed the
bill In brief conference Of the Republican men,
bers of the committee, the duty OF putting on paper
the views Of the minority IN opposition 20 thc
Dark -Lantcrn" bill assigned to Major Mckin-
ley. IL Is said that the majority has magnan-
mously intimated O willingness TO allow the mi,
nority to read the report before 1t Is submitted
to the House.
PRECEDENT FURNISHES NO EXCUSE.
The free-traters affect to be surprised because
the minority of the committee has not expressed
an intention to bring in with its views in opposI-
ton to the Darll-Lantcrn" bill q substitute for
that measure. This is all prctence A substitute
for revenue bill from the minority oil the com
mittee would be an unheard-of thing. IN 1900,
after the report OF the Tamil Commission hao oeen
under consideration for weeks, during dl which
time it was open to discussion and aniendment Dy
the full committee, the minority submitted It's
views in opposition to the bill which its members
had assisted in framing. but no substitute There
for was presented. In that case the fullest con-
sderation and widest range OF discussion were
given and every right Of the minority was cal0usiy
protected. But Mills was not chairman OF ways
and Means then, nor were the Breckinridges mem,
bers Of it. When the consideration OF that DliI
WAS begun by the Committee Of the Whole the free
trade Democrats made no secret OF their purpose
to frittcr away time, that the ALVlith Congress
should expire by constitutional Limitation before
any tariff bin could become law. Men who
witnessed that struggle to defeat legislation VIII
remember how, day after day, Democratc slSlr-
misheIs like Springer Thompson; Mills, Towns
A
score and debated them solely to consume precious
! time-for Congress was to adjourn sine die IN SIX
weeks-and how Carlisle. Tucker and other frec
trade leaders, whose dignity would not allow them
! TO offer frivolous amendments simply 70 waste
! time, voted with the sSrmishers on every division
and the datcry Mills 0E
! must remember those days and the desperate
| efforts which he and his party associates made
| to prevent tariff revision.
The free trade leaders should cultivate the virtue
of patience for they will need large stock OF II
before the Dark Lantern" bill shall pass the ne
| House In the Committee Of the Whole that bill
will be considered according to the orderly and
decent rules which govern in such cases Inc
rules cannot bc ignored or set ASIDE arhitrariy
nv the Premier" because in thr irst place. tne
majority Of the Committee on Rules consists OF
Mcssrs Reed Kendall and Cannon. who are or
posed to the lightning Express idea nf tanr
legislation which seems to govern the Premier.
and his confcderatrs and in the second place, 1t
| Is extremely doubtful whether the out-and-o
free trade Democrats plus the Democrats whom
traces will make a majority OF the House.
STORM OF PROTESTS AND OBJECTIONS.
! Protests and petitions continue to pour in from
every quarter in steadily increasing volume
| Many Representatives are nj loss what to DO
| They know that such papers when sent to the
Ways and Means Committee are dumped on the
| floor and are no more regarded than so much
waste paper would he The majority OF the COM
mittce Is deaf and blind and will consider nothing
unless comes from Dsmcerac Who ".Sss for
| example that the carefully prepared cotton
schedule proposed by the ArlSwright Cinb blli he
considered or oven read by thr DarK-i"n'frh,
confcdeates who have tinkercd the cotton sehcdule
in such fashion that il the changes bc adopted
the domestic manufacturers OF fine cotton yarns
and cloths will be compelled 70 rcnrc ron ,nr mn
field and surrender the market to forcinersY on
fine colored cotton goods. such as are dScfihca ln
tho annual report OF the Dnrean of Sfafsiles 1or
! 1887 as being SO claboratelv manufactured ana
| ornamentnd rs to become more articles OF luxury
than many articles OF silk which are classcd rs
luxuricsr the duties should bc advanced q -
| per cent while on coarscr cotton cloth the ARK
| wriobt Cmb proposas reductions VARYING from '"
| 10 2s per cont. Tmportations OF the iine goods
have steadily increased since the rrdncfion OF %
| 10 80 per cent in sS3, showing that fhc cut was
too great ut TINT time. In ! ss3 the ,mporahons rs
| of such goods amounted to 5000 600 yards: IN
| ss5 the importatiops had doubled. and last year
| the amount was Q. 600 900 wards or corrse. "
was not to he .peCcd that the careful and intel.
| ligent statements Of the Arl<wrieht Clnh would
he accorded fair trrafmcrt nv commute a oSr Wm"s
line of your tariff legislation is intended for the
benefit Of tho Trusts that are organized in dif-
fcrent parts Of the country"
COLD CONSOLATION FOR BENEDICT.
| WASHINGTON, March % tSpccial).-Two wit
nesses were examined by the Benedict lnvestigit-
| Ing Committee to-day. Both OF them were IN
the service under Mr. Rounds. and Chairman
Richardson tried hard to elicit testimony from
| them to sustain the charges and insinaations OF
Rcformcr" Benedict against his predecessor.
Mr.. Richardson did not succeed. Mr.. Munson,
| who was storekeeper under Mr.. Rounds, tsti-
| fed that ne had known the old Public Printer
| for more than thirty years and had always
| known him man Of strict integrity. In re-
| gard to the charge made by Benedict that Mr.
| Rounds was not so partisuar as he should have
been respecting certain contracts for paper the
| taary. had acted in the interest Of the Govern
ment. In answer to a question tic s. wit, wit,
ness said that, a, according to the pesi pes;
receiptcd for an in, oicc Of paper which had NOT
been delivered Several Of keformer' Benedicss
| witncsses have testified that Mr. Rounds spent
! sii Of his time in th. Office and never Inspected
the work rooms bat one of his witnesses to-day Ty
| who was employed in the press room durln3 slI Mr'
Rounds's administration, testified that he had ire,
.ss.aiu Col, NJ Rannds In that room and "a .lked