Wichita eagle., 1888-04-01

Z u,
secure. Practically, Mr.. Allison's tenure
has been as strong as theirs, and his famil-
| iarity with the business of legislation is as
accurate and thorough as that of the Under
Secretaries of the British Cabinet. This Is
especially true of his a. 3uaintauce with
fiscal matters. On his first entrance into
Congressional life he came To the front in
the consideration of al> questions affecting
the Treasury, the banks and taxation He
was member Of the Ways and Means
Committee of the House of Representatives
very early, If we take into consideration
the very large majority which his party had
in Congress at the time, and the number of
able men IL both houses. The reputation
he then made for himself for accurate in
formation and sound Judgment has not been
lost. He has not been tempted, as many
men are to endeavor to shine IN the discus
sion of other questions. He has been con-
tent to be easily the first authority on all
bills relating to expenditures. Some of his
short speeches have indicated that he
might have been a leading dcbster on ques-
tons of constitutional law and on taxation
and bank policy.
So far as the last two subjects are con-
cerned, he has been prominent, and there
are very few public men Of his party whose
opinions on al! fiscal matters are moro re-
spected than Mr.. Allison's; but of recent
years he has been chairman of the Appro-
priations Committee, and none but the
most reckless undertake to question his
statements of fact concerning the expendit-
ures of the Government. As chairman Of
the Appropriations Committee, he has been
of very important service to the cause IF
sound ADMINISTRATION. He is q wise econo-
mist, and the modern Deficiency bill, which
fifteen years ago wss not known in all its
possibilities, and the Urgency bill, which
has only recently become one of the appro-
priation bills to be recl1oned with at every
session of Congress, would not exist, or
would involve inconsi6erable amounts Of
money, if Mr. Arlisonis vicws about the reg
ular and stated bills always prevailed
He does not advocate loose and unguard-
ed expenditure, and he is always desirous
that every departmen, and division OF she
Government shall have all that IL needs. II
is not ezar9crating 10 say that when he is
ready to Sign q report Of his committee on
an appropriation bill he knevs as much of
the requirements of fhe objects for which
the proposed expenditures are to be made
as the executive officer who Is at the head
Of the department.
ton has boen felt because he insists on hav-
ing reason for his votes. He is largely
most largely, perhaps Influenced by the
feeling and opinions of his section of the
country. This has made him an advocate
Of lower rates of tariff duties, and a con-
sistent friend of the land grant railroads.
In 1870 after he had declined a reelection
to the House Of Representatives. and rust
before he was chosen to be Senator Har-
lan's successor, he took very prominent
part in the debate on Mr.. Schenck's Tariff
bill. Ii the course OF speech on that meas
ure he said The tariff of ls4S, although
confessedly and professedly tariff for rev.
enue, was, so far as regards all the great
interests Of the country, as perfect tariff
as any that we have ever had"
Perhaps the following extract from the
same speech win best illustrate his tariff
views Of that time: ''Our policy should be
so to cheaper manufactured products that
we can revive our export trade, now swept
away because we can not compete with
other nations in the markets Of the world
II we could restore what we have lost, and
in addition greatly enlarge our eIportations
Of manufactures, we would then have An
enlarged home market for our agricultural
products in a concentrated form, in ex-
change for other commodities, which we do |
not and can not produce" +"
He is really the author Of the existing sill |
yer law, although he did not bring forward I
and advocate the measure as an original (
proposition AS the Bland bill passed the 4
House of Representatives IL was free 1
coinage measure, ard the Senate Finance
Committee was equally divided for and /
against il, Mr. Allison neither approving /
nor opposing II.
Concluding the sketch, the writer in !
Earp<r's says Senator Allison is one Of the 4
safe men Of the Republican party. He is
without passion, prejudice or very strong !
He has not made the mistake, /
so common Of recent years, Of siiyrng him 4
self 70 faction. Ee Is not weak. nor q trim /
ner, nor a man CT undecided views. Il IS
not fnr ary one Of taess qualities tha. be ,
fails 70 make enemies: il Is because he is /
never carried away by the passions Of the /
moment, but is 50 moved and dominated by /.
dis jud znent that the public r1en who know
nIIi and have been associated with him 70
a,ize that his action Is always the result Of
his naSsured opinioa-