Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1888-05-18
rhn DaIlv InteIIIgencer.
.:,;1.TII NAY is. issa
gessibIe Mr.. Fitch, /,

The tariff debate is serving at least
tbe rood use Of introducing to the pub
Ia the members of the House who are
moved to deliver their own, or other
neoples, speeches; and there are great
many Of them, good, bad and Indifferent,
iuet q men are found everywhere.
The congressman evidently is not made
= sensible talker by the fact that he Is Q
congressman. The people elect intelligent
men Of good judgment and stupid men OF
poor Judgment Is their representatives,an and
tn average sense In Congress Is not
nuch greater than that outside. The
members do not often get IS full oppor-
tunity 10 show their quality as they are
having In this debate, which is thrown
open to oil who want to talk. A con.
gressman cannot talk whenever he has
anything to say the floor is pre.empted
By the special custodisns Of measures, and
those on unimportant committees have a
poor chance OF entering into debate, ex-
cent upon field occasions such as this
which is especially hard upon new mem
bars, who always 60 upon poor commit
tees.
Some good men have been developed
by the debate, and the most sensible
speech that has been made has come from
Mr.. Fitch, q new member from New
York city and Republican. He de-
clsred that he would cast his vote accord.
ing to his views Of what the tariff should
be and his belief as to the interests of his
immediate constituents; that he did not
consider 1t to be party question and he
would not hesitate to vote for a bill
that he considered right, though he voted
for Il alone Of his party. He believed
in fair protection, and he demanded
such revision OF the tariff as would make
it fair to his constituents and he de-
manded that this should be made now.
He was unwilling to wait for the advent
Of his party to power for this work to
be undertaken and he apprehended that
u It came into power under the strong
protective policy which 1t seemed to be
( advocating, 1t would not make an effort
to revise the tariff. He was ready to take
tho revision he thought necessary from
any party that would give 1t quickest. Th
question was business one and the bus
ines interests of the country dem andet
IL speedy as well as Its Just solution
The Mills bill was In the line Of the revis
ION that he desired, though 1t was defect
I've in particulars and needed amendment
II his party would propose bill tina
would come as near or nearer to his view
he would prefer to vote for It.; but tina
g whenever he had an opportunity to vot
for any measure that seemed to him I
Afford relief which he believed his pee
pie were entitled to, he would not fail Il
vote for their interest and his own con
victions, without any regard whateve
for the consequences Of his vote"
These seem to US to be the declaration
and conclusions OF o sensible man, an
OF m honest and conscientious legislator
We quite agree with him that the taril
question is not properly party question
but business question upon which sen
sible men of all parties can unite. Tn,
interests of the several sections of tn
country differ, and those Of their repre-
sentatives naturally will differ with them
There need to be concessions to secur
agreement upon national policy. TIL,
tariff question is one entirely of self
interest, and must properly be decided
according tc the average interest Of th'
country.
As we approve the party independence
Of Mr.. Fitch in acting upon this que'
tion as representative, We Of course wi
not condemn any Democratic represen
tative who may find himself acting apar
from the majority Of his party. We ca
only condemn the bad judgment he ma
show In determining what the interest
~ Of his constituents demand.