New-York tribune., 1891-12-25
TO INSIST ON A TARIFF BILL.
FREE-TRADERs TO APPEAL TO THE CAUCUS
RESOLUTION TO INSTRUCT THE WAYS ANr
MEANS CpMMITTEE-ANOTHER BATTLE
BETWEEN THE FACTIONS
rBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE


Washington, Dec. 24.-1he Tariff Reformen'
are defeated. but not daunted. 1t is said that .
scheme is Matching ameng the Democratic Rep
resentatives who supported Colonel Mills for ths
Speakership and who will agree with him that tne
majority in the House is under bonds to bring Ia
and pass a general Tariff bill at this session, To
have q caucus called soon after the expiration OK
the holiday recess for the purpose Of discussina
that question and, if possible, agreeing upon ana
adopting line of policy to be pursued. ooutnerh
and Western Democrats are understood to be the
leaders in the project IL Is also said tnat
number of the men who voted for Judge Cnsp
have been sounded and have expressed their
willingness to join the movement at the proper
time.
OF course there will be no difficulty in having
caucus called to discuss the tariff question, for
no Democratic leader in the House would dare
to object to the proposition and the men whs
are taking an active interest in the scheme are
confident that a resolution instructiIg the Ways
and Means Committee 10 frame and report bill for
a general revision and reduction of the tarlh can 20
carried through the caucus by an overwhelming
majority Such a resolution would probably re-
ceive the hearty and enthusiastic support OF tho
stronger and more influential party lead,rs In the
House, including several Of Judge Crisfs moss
prominent supporters Not only would Colonel;
Mills, the Brecknridges, Bynum, Mutchler, Warner
and Tracey, of New-York and the New-Engiand
Rcpr sentatives advocate it, but 1T is believed thas
three or four members Of the Ways and Means
Committee itself would do so.
There is reason to believe, also, that thu
Southern Representatives generally, from all thsi
States in which the Farmers Alliance is strong
and well organized, would be constrained to fall
into line and support the movement. despite the
fact that fve-siXths of them voted for Judge
Crisp There is said to be already some dissatis-
faction among the Representatives from the greao
Southern tobacco-growing States with the COM
position of the Ways and Means Committee.
Neither Maryland, Virginia nor North Carolfns
is represented in the committee at all, although
these States cast twenty votes for Crisp and only
two for Mills while Illinois, Michigan and NebraskaJ
which gave Mills eleven votes and Crisp only ten
votes, are represented by the chairman and two
other members. 1t is not pleasant for the Repre-
sentatives from the farmer States to hear so much
about separate bills" for free WOOL free SALT free
binding twine free iron ore, free coal, free lumberj
etc. and not word about bill for free tobacco
or free fruit brandy. Representatives, from thoss
States especially from Virginia and North Caro-
lima, deeply and bitterly resented the refusal OF
Speaker Carlisle and Premier" Mills in the Lth
Congress to allow bill to be considered which
provided for the repeal of the tobacco taxes, and
in the Speakership contest those States gave Mills
only two votes. Some of them have begun to
suspect that they have even less to expect from
the so-called Springer policy" than they had from
the Oarlisle-bIls policy which at least gave in
ternal revenue reform an equal chance with
tariff reform"
The two considerations mentioned are regarded
as important by the leaders in the project for
tariff caucus who believe that they will bring
many of Crisp's followers to the support Of the
Mills programme. There is scarcely any doubo
that the caucus will be held early in January,
and none whatever that it will be an extremely
lively and interesting one. What the result will
be, with German, Hill, Brice and all the other
anti-C Cleveland leaders and advocates of do
nothing" policy on the ground to exert their powers
of manipulation and persuasion, remains to be
seen That another battle royal between the
factions is impending is already apparent to alb
watchfu and well-informed observers Chairman
Springer would better be on the alert, lest he ba
caught mapping, and his policy" be overthrown.