The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1892-03-16
HOW QUAY SAVED THE TARIFF BILL


senator quay $ DOSlIlOu WIS dlulOHl uuaul-
mously sustained by the people Of Pennsyl-
vania who were iubilant that the Mckinley bill
had become law. The following, from the
Pittsburg Chronicie- Teiegraph, of August "a,
1890 will indicate the drift Of newspaper com
ment at the time.
THE ONLY ISSUE INVOLVED.
Like Aldrich, who has the bill in charge. Sen
ator Quay regarded the tariff of paramount i'm
portance and on the principle that half loaf
was better than no bread went in for what he
could get, so that all might not be lost in vain
cndeavor to accomplish "A thing that was out Of
That the Republican party and the country
! demand honest elections, and especially the
suppression OF the bulldozing and ballot box
| stufiing methods in vogue at the South, Mr..
Quay comedies as cheerfully as any Senator
! The passage Of the Tariff bill is now assured
and IL is only question of the length Of time 1t
Will take to finish its consideration in the Sen
ate and dispose Of il in conference The pros
! poets Of an early settlement of the vexed ques-
| ton which ought and doubtless will stand for
| the next decade should be gratifying to the
manufacturers throughout the country, after all
! the doubt and uncertainty they have expert
enccd during the last four or five years
! For this result no special credit is due to Mr.
Quay further than that he precipitated the
/ crisis that bound to come, but which he
/ foresaw and was the first to meet in practical
way.
The following extracts from letters received
! by Senator Quay after the introduction of his
resolution will show how the people of Penn
| sylvania viewed his actions
/ b. W, Greer. Philadelphia manufacturer,
wrote:
You are right Give us the Tariff bill first
! II Is of the greatest Importance to working
classes and manufacturers. The importers,
and foreign manufacturers, are cutting our
throats in prices ana deluging our country with
goods. The Federal Elections bills is import
ant, but the tariff is much more SO.
Thomas b. Murray, Of the wel-Inown Phila-
delphia firm Of Snodgrass, Murray s. Co.,
wrote
You deserve the thanks of every business
man in this land for your Efforts to bring about
a speedy solution of the Tariff question.
John b. Sheriff, the head of the Pittsburg
firm Of j, b. Sheriff, Son & Co., iron pipe-ntters
and brass founders, wrote;
| heartily approve Of your course in urging
/ the passage OF the Tariff and other important
/ bills now before the Senate in preference to the
Election bill. In my view the Tariff is of the
greatest Importance to the peopleo the United
States OF any bill now before either branch of
/ Congress and failure of Congress to maintain
/ the prlucple OF Protection TO American
! Industry would be fraught with the most
disastrous consequences to all kinds Of busi
| ness.
Joseph w. Yocum, OF Columbia, Lancaster
county, county heavily interested in the
passage Of the Mckinley bill, owing to the
protection given by it to the tobacco growers OF
that county, wrote
| congratulate you upon the position you
have taken with reference to forcing action
the Tariff and other bills, and the postpone
ment of the Elections bill. The people care
more for business than they do for politics, and
/ feel great interest in the settlement of the
Tnrin question, and little if any at all, in the
! Lodge bill If legislation is delayed to the
| detriment and loss of business politics will
have little or no interest for voters. The people
| are with you,
The view taken by the clear-headed, right
I'll
outside Of Pennsylvania, was daily expressed
in the following extract from editorial of
that distinguished journalist Murat Halstead,
in his paper, the Brooklyn Standard Union,
August %, 1889, to wit
Senator Quay has simply represented the
state of business in the Senate, and his
| sagacity and courage have been plainly shown
! in this case. He has a clear view OF the situa-
tion and acted accordingly, and the Republican
organization owes him a debt which should be
generously estimated for his tact in plotting
the party out OF dihculty. II there had been
perseverance to the bitter end with the Elec-
tons bill, the Tariff bill would have been in
peril and after the Tariff discussion the ad-
journment of Congress must not take place
without the Mckinley Tariff with reciprocity
| in it,
All the Demosthenes and Ciceros of the Sen
ate; all the oratorical jumping jacks of the
House who talk to empty benches, but are con-
tent because they get their names and spread
eagle harangues in the Congressional Record
had less to de with the passage Of the Mckinley
bill than Senator Quay who, though not a
sophomore Orator" had the sagacity TO extri-
cate the Republican majority in the Senate from
its humiliating position, and thus made possi-
BILE the passage of the Mckinley bill prior TO
adjournment, which took place October l. 1890.
And what is Senator Quays record on the
Elections bill itself This measure never came
g,,ls
once to wit, in January 1891.
In accordance with the agreement entered
into and signed by the Republican Senators al
their caucus, in August 1890, Senator Aldrich
introduced a resolution in the latter part OF
December, providing for change in the Senate
rules whereby il would be possible 10 shut of
debate, thus bringing TO a vote the measure
known as the Federal Elections bill. Unless
such a change in the rules were made the Dem
ocratic Senators could by dilatory tactics pre-
vent such vote, This resolution came before
the Senate in the month OF January, after the
holiday recess and was discussed for some
time. Finally, on the 22d Of January, Senator
Wolcott, one of the silver Senators from Colo
RADIO, who was cooperating with the Democratic
Senators, made a motion that the Senate pro
} coed to the consideration Of the apporuonment
bill the object being TO push aside and take the
place Of and thus enectually kill Senator Al
drch's resolution.
Upon Senator Wolcotts motion the yea'
were 35 and the nays "a, and Il was therefor,
J carried and the resolution to change the rules
practically defeated thus rendering impossibl,
and in effect defeating all consideration OF IN,
Federal Elections bill for that session. o
those voting in favor OF Senator WolcottI
I motion 20 were Democrats and Republicans
, and all Of those voting against the motion wer
, Republicans Among this number was Senate
Quay, will appear from the yea and nay yot
which follows, taken from the C6agress, ond
Record of that date
YEAs-Barbour, Bate, Berry, Blackburn
Butler, Cameron, Carlisle, COckrel, Coke
Eusus, Faulkner, George German, Gray
| Hampton, Harris, Jones, OF Arkansas Jones
OF Nevada Kenna, Mcpherson, Morgan, PascO
= Payne, Pugh, Ransom Reagan, Stewart
/, Teller Turpie Vance, Vest Walthall, Wash
u burn, Wilson, OF Maryland. and Wuloott-35.
Q NAYs-Aldrich, Allen, Allison, Blair, Carey
: Casey, Cullom, Davis, Dawes, Dixon, Dolph
4 Edmunds, Eyarts Farwell, Frye, Hale, Haw
- 10y, Hiseook Hoar Mcconnell Mcmillan, Man
? derson, Mitchell Morrill,, Paddock. Platt, QUAY