New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-07-19
THE FREE-TRADE BARGAINS.


pleted in the House that its effects, if passed
can now be anticipated. Some changes in de-
tails may yet be made, but the bill will prob
ably reach final vote in essentially its present
form. 1t is expected that it will pass the
House. though by a small majority The
powerful influence of the Administration and
Of the Presidents patronage has been exerted,
without hesitation or the least regard for the
wishes of constituents, and has broken down
Democratic opposition in many quarters.
Changes of the bill in numerous details, for the
express purpose of meeting the necessities OF
some Democratic members, have made the
measure even more grotesque and inconsistent,
more illogical and shameless, than it was when
the Dark Lantern'' Committee first offered it,
but have enabled its managers to count upon
nearly every Democratic vote in the House.
Thus Mr. Vance, Of Connecticut, is said to have
consented to sacrifice his convictions and the
interests of nearly all his constituents for the
cake of pleasing the producers of wood screws.
IN order to get a change in the bill to their
advantage he agrees, it is said, to support
measure hostile to the interests of his constlt-
uents generally. The sugar trust has taken
care of some members, Mr. Mills and his COM
mittee having first obeyed the directions of
the sugar trust, and sacrificed public interests
and personal consistency in making the bill
more one-sided and sectional for the benefit
Of that interest
The whiskey trust has played not unim-
portant part in this conspiracy against Amer-
can industries. To this combination Of dis
tilers a repeal of the Internal Revenue law
would be fatal. 1t would open competition
from thousands of establishments, COMPETE
ton against which the distillers in the trust
would be powerless. Even removal of the
tax on spirits used in the arts would be objec-
tonable to that combination. whether seriously
prejudcial to the revenue or not The close
alliance between Democratic managers and this
combination is no new thing. When the State
Of Ohio was carried for Governor Hoadly, thus
opening the way to the election of President
Cleveland in 1884, large part of the campaign
fund and of the skilled and well directed
effort which secured Democratic victory came
from the whiskey ring. It's methods were not
made public, but there was no concealment
whatever of its determination TO elect Hoady
at any cost.
The ring succeeded, as it also succeeded in its
efforts for the election of President Cleveland
1t holds a mortgage on the Democratic party
which was enforced on Tuesday. Individual
ly, large proportion of the Democratic men,
bers would prefer to see the whiskey tax
abolished, so that the States might be more
free to tax or to prohibit as they chose. That
course would suit the convictions and the in
terests of the constituents Of many Democratic
members. But the party organization dictates
to them, and they dare not disobey. The
party needs the help of the whiskey ring, and
gets it by obeying the ring and disobeying con-
sttuents. In return the ring helps the Mills
bill in the House.
This is perfectly ineligible manifestation
of practical politics. All that the Free Traders
can do, cost what it may, they will do to break
down the protective system. Since they can
not succeed without the help of the rice pro-
ducers, they vote 90 per cent duty on rice in
order to leave no duty at all on wool. Since
they cannot succeed without the help of the
sugar trust they vote G8 per cent on sugar, in
order to carry only 40 per cent on woollen
goods. Since they must have the help of the
whiskey trust, they refuse to abolish or lessen
in order to have an excuse for abOlishing the
duty on wool and reducing the duties on cot
tons, iron and Steel An inconsistent illogical,
sectional and perfectly shameless measure is
the result but it is only the more plainly
free-trade measure, because it sacrifices every
thing else in order to break down the system
Of protection at a vital point