The Portland daily press., 1888-07-25
False Pretences.

The Boston Herald complains because Mr..
Reed has treated some of the measures be-
fore Congress with sneers. The particular
measure referred to is undoubtedly the tariff
measure concocted Mr.. Mills and the
Democratic majority of the ways and meaus
committee. The treatment that that meas
9re received from Mr.. Reed was precisely
the treatment it deserved. Had it been an
honest attempt to dispose of the surplus,
had it been an honest attempt to relieve the
present tariff Of inequalities or inconsisten-
cies, or had its true intent which was to begin
the reduction of our revenue system to a tariff
for revenue only basis been honestly avowed,
its authors would have been entitled to the
credit of good intentions, at least of inten-
tions which TO them seemed to be good. But
the bill has been a false pretence from the
start. Its effect upon the surplus was never
studied with any care. As matter of fact its
authors cared little whether it reduced the
surplus or not. Yet at one time 1t was rec
commended as measure of surplus reduction.
Next it was pretended that the bill was a
measure in the interest of the consumer. 1t
was commended as blow to the grinding
monopolist. 1t was going to abolish the in
iquitous trust. This pretence was kept up
until it was pointed out that the dear con-
sumner when he wanted rice would find that
article protected by hundred per cent.
duty, and when he wanted sugar would en-
counter duty of 6S per cent, kept on at the
request of the Louisiana sugar planters and
Mr.. Havemeyer, the head of the sugar trust
Then that pretence was no longer available.
1t appeared too In the course of the debate
that the measure had been framed with
great care SO as not to strike any serious
blows at Industries in which the Dem
ocratic sections of the country were inter-
ssted; and it was modified from time to time
to save close Democratic districts. Marble
In the bill as originally prepared was on the
free list, but 1t was discovered that Georgia,
a Democratic State, is deeply interested in
marble. Marble accordingly was quickly
taken off the free list, which caused the At
lanta Constitution to remark that ''such con-
cessions would draw Democrats closer to-
-gethef" Furthermore when the last day Of
the debate arrived the author of the bill de-
voted almost his whole speech to denying
that Che bill was a free trade measure. Thus
false pretence attended the bill from its in
CcptiOu W lts phssaso Ny Tile HOUSE, Every
thing it was claimed to be by its authors it
was not; and the thing that it really was its
authors pretended that it was not. To treat
such measure as that with sneer is very
proper way to treat it. The bill and its au-
thors deserved no greater consideration. The
country is entitled to fair and honest treat
ment from its legislators. 1t is entitled to
know their real purposes and to have them
honestly and openly avowed. Butthe authors
of the Mills bill have been seeking to impose
upon the country free trade measure under
the pretence that it was simply bill to re-
duce the amount of protection for the benefit
Of the consumer without injury to the pro-
Queer. They have concealed their real pur-
pose because they were fearful that an
open and frank avowal would defeat it.
Mr.. Reed revealed their false pretences,
he drove them from one refuge to another,
until he succeeded in exhibiting them to the
country in their true light. If he sneered at
them sometimes he only treated them as they
deserved.