New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-02-10
TARIFF Thinkers AT WORK.
pEppLING UNsAvoRY COMMODITIES.

pEpDLING UNSAvORY COMMODITIES.
A CONTRAST OF LEGISLATIVE METHODS
CRAM TIE BILL DOWN YOUR THhoAi''
rrY rsL1onsrH TO THE TRIBUNE
w.su,xoroN Feb. e.-Eight members OF the
wavs and Means Committee who are members Oh
th. Democratic party still continue to hoid secres
..ss,ors and conferences from which the other
ave- members of the committee, who are members
AZ the Republican party, are rigioV eAoiuueu'
The purpose of the conferences Is 10 frame rev
enue bin which will affect every lndustriai anu
manufacturing interest Of the United states buo
the five members who constitute the minority Oh
the committee and who come from States "hicn
contain more than three times the population ana
taxable property that art contained in the states
from which come the members who dominate the
majority OF the committee, are denied any lnior-
nation whatever respecting the general SCOPE VI
specifc details Of the bill In the several stages
~ its Ore paraton. The people of Ohio or Michigan
Aave quite much at stake, not only IA .ne
National prosperity but IN the oT OF
but while McMillen, of Tennessee and Brecken-
ridge, of Arkansas, arc fully cognlzant OF every
nng w sG' OF Of and
Michigan. kept in the most complete Ignorance
of every phase of the dark lantern" performances
of their so-called colleagues OF the ways anu
Means Committee. A..
IN Speaker Carlisle. instead of packing that
committee in the interest Of free trade, haa IGio
the places of the five minority members vacant ne
would have been more candid ana colrag age, rs
For all the influence which the minority Will be
permitted to exert in the cOmmIttee-rooin IL isn'
as well not exist at all.
TO CROWD THEIR BILL THROUGH
The holder members OF the dark lantern
cabal do not scrupe to declare that the Dill Is 10
be rushed through the committee at railroad speed
without the dotting of an or the crossing OF T.
exactly as it shall emerge from the mdden re-
cesses in which it has been framed. No D." outside
ipfap fa II ,
the voice of the manufactures and the worklngInan
is to be silenced so far as the committee-room Is
concerned.
We'll cram this bill down your Threats, as
you turust the Tariff bill of SS3 down the throas
Of the Democratic minority In the Alvin Ion
xress," Is the threat on the lips OF many rree
Traders in the House.
They find it convenient to forget that the sub
lect OF tariff revision was one which engaged the
attention OF both branches during many weeks OF
the long session OF the Alvin congress, thao
the Tariff Commission created by that congress
worked for months and the result OF long,
iaborous and thorough investigation submitted an
elaborate report, accompanied by mass OF teStl.
mony relating to the manufacturing interests OF
the country, and by draft of bill, which formed
the basis of legislative consideration. Moreover,
the Republican Committee of Ways and Means
did not attempt to take snap luagmeh.d Indge
Kelley and his colleagues did not h1de themselves
from the light Of day or the influences OF pun
Ncity to concnct a scheme OF tariff revision 1hey
courted public criticism and sought information
from every quarter. The Democratic members
Of the committee were accorded every privilege
and their rights were jealousy guarded
The bill was before the committee Tor Weeks,
and the minutes of the committees proceedings
will shGw 5has egTr ' smd cons
GRAFTON at the hands of the minority as well as
ths majority. How different was the course then
pursued By the Republican majority from the one
sdoptcd by Premier Mills and his dark hnt-
ernS associates. How different were the utter
anees of Chairman Kelley in IsS5 rom tne OUT It
the question, "What are you doingT Judge
Kelley would reply: ..
details and for information on any point come 10
me or go to some other member of the committee
At that time the committee was chiefly ANXIOUS
that all its proceeding should he known ana dlS-
cusscd Now the chief aim Of the majority which
holds the committee by the throat Is to preveht
any information from reaching the public untll
certain negotiations shall have been carried
TO a satisfactory conclusion
AsTATEMENT FROM PREMIER MILLS
To reporter who asked what progress " the
committee" is making with the Tariff bill, CHAIR
man Mills today responded;
We are going slow for the reason that it is
such an important subject. To hurry the bill
would result perhaps i'll defeating the very -, oh
iect which the lnaJorlCy hope to attain. me
cognmittcc has been at work almost continuously
since its appointment and we have amended,
modified added to and taken from them so much
thxt some OF the original propositions lad beiore
would not be recognized ny tnelr authors. OF or
The free list. Well, that proposition, hgurdtlFcN
speaking, trcads some cOmmltteemans Toes
or course some change must be made TO satisfy
him Again some one may have a small mining
OK manufacturing interest IN his district mat VIII
he affected by proposed change ana anu, ne, zoo,
consume time in their consideration, ana the com
mittcc must necessarily go slow in order not to
cratc any unnecessary alarm among the VarionS
industries of the country The committee VIII
do nothing rash, will any bill be reported con
tanning an attack on any special industries. Inc
Democratic party has promised TO revise the tariIl
and our majority in the Honsc being small, we
must aim to bring in bill that shall receive the
hearty support Of the party. 1t is not our purpose
to hurry up bill that can be torn TO pieces by a
stroke of lightning. We want the work of the
committee TO stand the assault of the enemy and
we are building structure accordingly !
can't tell exactly when we will report the bill
bit it will be in due season"
1t will be observed that the Premier not only
Describes himself and his dark lantern assoel
Atts as the committee" but he admits in terms
that trading is in progress If William l.. Scot,
can induce Mr. Lyle P ana oer nn1 Rls and ID
enough more Representatives TO vote for free wool
10 carry it, that provision will be inserted in the
hill by the committee" that is by Premier
Mills and his dark lantern confedcrates. II
proposition happens, fguratively speaking.
{, tread some commit emanS toes meaning
Of course, the toes Of some Democratic committee
man-whv. ssnc change must be made to satisfy
him" The Premier admits that the pcddlins
process is slow one-that the provisions of The
dark lantern" bill do not go off like hot cakes
even among Democratic customers.
PlON IDINO RON HE I-ChOfANE VIZ pO-'D'
WASHINGTON, Feb tSpecial.-Thc Commit
tee on Ways and Means has at last taken actor
OIL a public bill. This happened today when The
committee unanimously agreed to report favorabl,
the bill offered by Premier" Mills on Januar,
l6. TO provide for the purchase of United State
bonds by the Secretary Of the Treasury. In
bill contains five lines and simply authorizes tn
secretary of the Treasury to apply the surplu
money in the Treasury and such surplus a
may be hereafter put in the Treasury and no
otherwise appropriated or so much thereof as ma
be considered proper. TO the purchase rcdemptio
Of United States bonds.
Republican members of the committee mantai
that the Secretary of the Treasury now pOssesse
ample authority, but agree that the bill could d
no ham when enacted into law. The anxiety