New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-12-28
THE DEMOCRATIC FACTIONS.

The friends of Mr.. Mills have singularly little
sense who talk of introducing general 1arif
bill and sending it to the Committee OF Com
merce by vote of the House. Many members
who believe that such bill ought to be passed
would nevertheless refuse to violate the rules,
which give charge of that part OF the public
business to the Committee OF Ways and Means,
or to insult the members of that committee Sc
lected by the Speaker just chosen. 1t would no
much more sensible to let the advocates OF piece
meal tariff legislation find out their own
blunder when they Try TO bcstow gratmtes upon
the manufacturers by taking off duties from ma
terials and not from goods.
Another and less Objectionable plan is also ad-
vocated, which bids fair to renew the hight be-
tween factions in different shape. This is 10
call caucus and demand from it direct instruc-
lion to the Ways and Means Committee TO bnng
in a general Tariff bill. There would he no in
suit in such instructions the committee would
doubtless prefer TO have the question decided for
them by party caucus. But the caucus would
be a lively one eciting a large amount Of sharp
talk, and probably remarks about Presidential
candidates which would not conduce to harmony.
The trouble is that the tariff reformers do not
care much for harmony, if they and their sacred
issue and their pet candidate are to be pitched
into the waste baSkct.
In attempting to show where picCcmca tariff
reform ought TO begin and end, the advocates OF
that policy have themselves made its unialrness
and impracticability plain. They admit, Tor
instance, that it would be slperlaively unjust to
take off the small Z per cent duty ON binding
twine and yet leave the duties OF 80 or 100 per
cent on other articles of more general use. lheN
protest that it would kill them past all hope OF
resurrection in their districts if they should vote
to take off duties on wool, but do nothing to Sc
cure cheaper woollens for consumers by lowering
the duties thereon. They see that they cann0'
pass duties on cotton ties without engaging South
ern miners and furnace men, who are engaged III
furnishing the raw iron from which many thou
sand tons of ties are now made, whereas IKE
quantity was formerly imported, and would be
imported. without a protective duty. But if they
talk of removing the duties on iron ore, Nlrgl MA
accuses them of giving vastly profitable mo-
nopoly to the Pennsylvania concern which owns
mines in Cuba If they talk of removing duties
ON copper or tin in bars, Montana gets angry, and
it is doubtful State.
The chief objection comes, on the surface, from
Democratic members in comparatively close dis
tricts who do not want 10 60 into the contest next
| wear with great Tariff bill 10 defend item by
item. They say that it would be suicidal ic
thrust such burden upon them that the few
voters whom the bill must necessarily offend IN
almost every district will make "A tremendous
fight for their defeat, while the great body oi
consumers will make not the slightest additional
offor, for their election. This is really a con
fes>ion that the majority of voters in their dis
tlictS are not at bottom in favor of any bl
which a Democratic House is likely to frame
That is doubtless the truth, but most members
would not care to acknowledge it.
Behind all other reasons, fer or against thu
policy proposed, there is the old strife for A"
! against Mr.. Cleveland aS IA candidate All tho
other candidates and their friends are anxious
to have the tariff question as little prominent a'
possible, because It's prominence makes his nom
nation more easy and probable. But the " tariff
| lpformer>" have sense enough TO see that, II Mr
| Cleveland is to be Shclycd On any ground what
ever the voters for whom they speak Will con
! clude that il has been done because the party
/ does not wish or does not dare TO meet the t1rl
issue >quarely and plainly and they therefore
predict an overwhelming defeat il the CnSl
| Democrats have their own way in the conduct o
| L., .I,+in,