The Ottawa free trader., 1889-02-16
0Jhr OTTAWA 1rRe Grader.
Ottawa. H.. February 10, 1889.
Current Events.

House has received from the treasury Ia
computatiouaskcd for IN regard 10 the rcdu'
ton of revenues 10y the senate tariti 3!ll "a
compared with that of the Ml's nllI' in'
computation is based on the imports oil Iso'
II shows as reduction of revenuc;-seh"'c p''
si;ss2 900; Mills bill SGG@dO,UOO. lhe rcuuc
tiou of customs ltaritJ duties uLuer lh'
Mills bill would have been S5O,53lOOOi under
the senate bill 1885, ,ssI. The average rate
of duties now is I69l per cent. The A''I'
bil would have reduced the rate to i23'
"A 53 per cent--free trade, tnatD; the senate
bill reduces the rate to ~ per cent l9I-lOo oi
per cent? The tariff reformer within The
marty" who, like the Chicago Tribune has
been waiting, these many years, Tor rchel
from excessive tariff taxes @a the republican
marty may see in this gleam of hope; bul
somehow il does not seem just the thing to'
men who believe in fair treatment OF all men
10 rejoice in results accomplished by freeing
tobacco and leyyng 90 per cent on ready
made clothing; cheapening whisky ana leaV'
ing tax of IS cents on soft coal. This sort
of reform may please the East to whom the
tribute is paid; but the West will not be sat
lsdcd with so transparent trucking TO TIE
monopolists and trusts as is the senate bill.
Their verdict may be slow in coming; but the
coming four years will do wonders, if tariff
reformers Of the right sort mistake not.
This computation is interesting, too, In
view Of the coming tariff reform convention
TO be held in Chicago on the 10Th inst, I'M
der the auspices of the American Tariff
Reform League. An effort is being made to
have a very large meeting, irrespective OF
party politics; aud every friend of tariff re-
form, no matter what his politics, is invited
to be present, the object Of the meeting being
to formulate plan of operations for "educa.
tion"-to dcnOunce the entire quackery OF
protection, to expose its iallacics and to In.
augurate system of concerted action as
shall eventually wipe it out.
The farmers have at last gotten what they
have so clamorcd fora cabinet position
an executive Office, the President having on
Saturday signed the bill creating the eXecu-
tive department Of Agricuture-thc first cab
met position created by congress since 1913,
when the Interior department was formed.
1t is to be presumed, thercio&, agriculture
will take " fresh start" under the stimulus
Of its new dignity. Prices may not go up
even cabinet officer can't force that, aud
prices have been on a very bad way of late, by
the way,-but we shall have reports and
&. a. III .f,
dations-undcr the next admlnistratlon-for
more aud more duties to protect the
farmer. AS he grows poorer; as his markets
contract; ~ the "paupcr OF India and
Egypt and south America and Australia, and
the "ises of the sea" keep driving him to the
wall and usurp his control of the food markets
Of the world we shall have il lroma" cabinet
officer" that the thing that is dragging him
down by its deadly, crushing wcight-a bar
barous, merclless tariff, must be again in
yoked-ncreased, piled higher aud higher on
top Of him in order TO get the load Ctf of him
such stuff may sound " nice" from cabinet
officer, but until the American farmer can
clear his head of the notion that empty
bcauroCracy is going TO save him and shall
turn his thought 10 the bottom cause Of his |
trOuble,a yilginous system of national aud |
local taxation the new department will be Of
little practical value to him.
OF course, rs leading western Republican
paper says, it is presumption for the Pres- |
dent to keep right along attending to his bus.
mess, part of which Is the duty of appointing |
men TO vacant offices, seeing that the senate
will not attend TO its business by acting on the
nominations In the case of MIR. Thompson,
appointed to succeed Edgcrton on the evil |
service commission, no excuse can be urged |
in eXtenuation of the Senate s course, except |
determination to kill civil service reform in |
practice rs well rs in theory. Edgerton, since |
mcnt, has been the Only member of the com
mission Though democrat, he was appoint. !
ed at the suggestion of a republicans and he |
never has at any time exhibited any evidences
OF sympathy with the theory or practice Of
this reform. AS friend of Mr.. Harrison,
Mr.. Edgerton tcIt sure Of his position for the
next four years and was inclined to be cap. |
tious. The President removed him;a both be-
cause OF symptoms of insubordinaton exhib-
ityd and because he thought, justly, that the
representative on the board for
the future should be genuine rcformcr.
Hugh ). Thompson, n recognized roformer
was therefore appointed. Sunday kilograms
said Thompson would not be confirmed, for
two reauus: republican plans do not include
an active civil service commission, and if
Thompson 10 not confirmed it will have no
existence, Edgcrton being removed; and If il
has no existence the order of the President
placing the 5000 employees of the railway mail
service under the operation of the law may be
prevented Of execution This order, in
republican view, must Dc nullillcd, aud this
may be an opportune way Of doing it, unless
the administration has already taken such
legal steps as are necessary TO throw the pro-
tecting arm Of the law around the railway
mail employees. Republican sincerity of civil
service reform is now TO be tested. Their
pretences look like the shalowest hypocrisy:
the foresight OF the President may prevent
their exhibiting their hypocrisy in the full
fare of daylight.