Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1890-05-08

WASHINGTON, Nav 6. '9l

AsH1NGToN, May u, w.
If, in drawing his federal election bill,
it was the aim of Senator Hoar to avoid
the objectional features of the Lodge
bill, he has not been entirely successful.
On the contrary, the Massachusetts
statesman has introduced features which
stamp his measure as not only impracti-
cal, but threatening to the very founda-
ton of popular government. If there
was ever general demand or good reason
for the passage of national election
law, it would seem that the present is
hardly the proper time to attemptit. In
almost every State in the Union efforts
are being made to revise and reform the
election machinery, and it is almost GER
tainty that wholesome changes will be
effected. With this spirit abroad, it
would seem indelicate, to say the least,
for Congress to enact such radical
measure as Senator Hoar proposes. The
boom of self government has not ceased
to be an attraction to the American peo-
pie, and all efforts in the direction of CEN
tralization of power will be looked upon
with suspicion and resented whenever
opportunity offers.
1t will not do to assert that election re-
form is unnecessary. Quite recently the
country has been treated to some very
humiliatlng exhibitions of overthrowing
the will of the people, but the people
are capable of correcting this evil, and
public sentiment will prove a strong
enough motive power in that direction
The people of this country are not lack
ing in patriotism or honesty, and they
will require similar traits in their public
servants, and this will be accomplished
without the aid of any monarchical or
centralized assistance.
*x*
The Republicans of the Senate Finance
Committee are at work on tariff bill to
be reported to the Senate as a substitute
for the Mckinley bill. They expect to
have all their work done and to be ready
to report very soon after the Mckinley
bill passes the House. The understand
ing is that the Mckinley bill is to pass
the House practically as it is, but there is
no expectation of its becoming law in
that form. The Senate is expected to
pass quite different bill, and the whole
matter will be settled in conference on a
disagreement between the two Houses
1t is said that there has never been any
expectation among the party leaders that
the Mckinley bill would become law
in anything like the form it was reported
1t is understood that the plan was pretty
well settled on from the first, and that
with this in view there will be no serious
difficulty in passing the bill through the
House. 1t was not possible for the party
leaders of the two Houses to agree upon
a general plan for tariff revision, which
could be put through in the form of a
bill adopted as party measure, though
there was an attempt to do this.
*x*
A large number of protests are being
received by the Ways and Means Com
mittee from interests in various parts OF
the country, many of which conflict
with each other. Over 500 formal petit
tions of protest are very emphatic in
their language, but the committee re-
main complacent and content with their
work.
~
Representative Bland, of Missouri in
troduced in the House a bill to reduce
taxes by placing on the free list all inn
ported goods exchanged in foreign coun.
tries for farm products. 1t provides that
in all cases where it can be shown by
proof satisfactory to the Secretary of the
Treasury that any goods, wares or mer.
chandise imported into the United States
have been purchased abroad by ex.
changing farm products for such goods
or when such goods have been purchased
with the proceeds or avais of farm
products in foreign countries, such goods
wares or merchandise shall be imported
free of duty. Any deficiency in the
revenue caused by this act shall be pro
vided for by the levying of an income
tax upon all incomes of 81, 900 or upward.
**%
A caucus or Republican Senators was
held Saturday to consider the silver
situation. 1t is said that the views ex-
pressed were widely diverse. The sill
yer men desire to have stricken out the
provision in the bill reported by the eau
Gus committee, which gives the Secretary
of the Treasury discretion to redeem in
bullion the Treasury notes issued in pay
ment for bullion, should the holder of
the note demand it. They do not want
the bill to give the Secretary the power
under any conditions, to pay out bullion
after it has been once deposited in the
Treasury. A suggestion was made in
the way of compromise that the amount
of bullion the Secretary might thus pay
out in any one month be limited and be
replaced by additional purchases the
next month; but this was not the less OBJ
jectionable to the silver men. They are
opposed to the principle of the thing. 1t
is said by the silver men that the pro-
vision objected to is not supported by
any Senator who has yet expressed HIM
self for any merit it has, but for the
reason that it is supposed to reflect the