The Portland daily press., 1888-10-29

sertion OF the partisan Democratic press
'nat the Senate tariff bill was simply bum
comoe and the assertion of the equally par
tisan Voice that Republicans had been COM
mending Gen. Harrison as friend OF the
liquor traffic to New Jersey saloon men is
misrepresentation or not Assertions by the
PRESS that they are, or assertions by the
Herald that they are not, will count for but
little. As regards these alleged misrepresen-
tations probably opinion will divide on po-
litical lines; that is to say, the Democrats
will believe the stories, or profess to, and the
Republicans will not. The fact that the Her.
aid believes them shows where its heart is.
Bot there is one assertion that the Herald
makes. apparently ON its own authority. We
refer to its statement, twice repeated, that
Congressman Reed is responsible for the de-
struction of the shook industry. "Rather
than consent to the reduction Of the tariff on
sugar 10 per cent, Mr.. Reed" saws
the Herald, allowed an important
industry to perish" Now this is a gross
misstatement, and apparently the Herald
makes itself solely responsible for IL. With
regard to all its other Misrepresentation IL
falls back upon the plea that it borrowed
them from somebody else whom it believed
But this one it appears to have evolved out
ofit inner consciousness.
Now what are the facts. Mr.. Reed was
member of the way, and means com
m'ttee of the Forty-ninth Congress.
After consultation with the represent
atives OF the shook industry he offered
IN the House bill to increase the duty on
sugar imported in bags. The effect of this
bill would have been, of course. to compel
the Cuban sugar planters to substitute
American hogsheads for English bags. 1t
would have revived the shook industry by
creating demand for American hogsheads.
1t would not have increased the price of su-
gar mill. The bill was referred to the
committee of ways and means. On the 10Th
day of April, 1886, Mr. Reed called this bill
up In the'ways and means committee, saying
that ne desired vote on the question of do
ing something for the shook industry aoheth-
er 6y has Dill or otherwise. He asked the
committee, if they did not like his plan of
relief, to submit some other plan. What did
the committee do? Just this. Every Demo-
cratic member of that committee voted
against doing anything to relieve the shook
industry either by Mr.. Reeds bill or by any
other method; and every Republican mem
Der voted on the other side. That is the
record. Mr.. Reed was not committed to any
particular plan of relief to the exclusion of
every other plan. He was ready to
consider any proposition that might
come from the Democrats, and be
asked them directly, if they did not like
his plan to suggest some other. They sug-
gested none They came out fatfooted
against doing anything whatever for the
industry. They would not increase the
duty on sugar in bags nor would they
reduce the duty on sugar in hogsheads. Here
is what the Portland Advertiser had to say
about their performance at the time and
1t represents the facts as they actually
| existed:
~, The cooperage men besought Congress for re.
uel, eitner Dy increasing the duty ON sugar in
pays, or by reducing the duty on h0gshead sugar.
Nelther plan IL has been urged would increase the
cost price Of sugar to the American consumer, and
cilner would DUlSter up an important business
| which otherwise must fail disastrously The
Ways ana means committee divided on parry
lnes. fet u would not have been a departure
from principle for Messrs. Morrison and Hewitt
| 70 consent 70 redn ton OF the duty on hoeshead
sugar IN order to save great industry.
Ii the Herald knew these facts, it has been
guilty, In charging Congressman Reed with
being responsible for the destruction of the
shook industry, of malicious falsehood; if it
DID not, then it has been guilty of making a
serious charge against Republican con-
gresham without taking the trouble to as
certain whether the facts would sustain it or
not. Neither predicament is creditable
one Tor journal that processes to be engag-
ed In removing wckedness from the world.
ana Is constantly rebukiug the sinfulness OF
the old party organs.