The Portland daily press., 1892-11-12
THE TARIFF WRECkERS.
Usual Methods Give the Mckinley Act
Two Years More,
BUT AN EXTRA SESSION MIGHT
HURRY MATTERS ALONG.

The Possibility of the Convening of Con-
gress in Spring Discussed in Washing
ton-In that Case. Few Months
Might Be Enough for the Tariff
Tinkers-Mr. Blaine Reported as Not
Displeased at the Prospect of Demo-
cratic Senate.
New YORK, November ia Wash
ington despatch to the New York Press,
says:
There is already talk here of an extra
session of Congress, beginning on March
next. The question will be decided, of
course, long before that date, not here in
Washington, but by Mr.. Cleveland and
the Democratic leaders elsewhere. If
matters take their usual course the Sem
ate will be called together in extra sess-
ion Immediately after Cleveland's S inaug-
uration to confirm his Cabinet and any
other important appointments he chooses
to make, but the House of Representa-
tives of the Fifty-third Congress would
not meet until the first Monday in De-
cember, 1898, unless called together in
extra session earlier. If the organiza-
ton of the new House is deferred until
December, the election of a Speaker.
committee appointments and other rou-
tine work would occupy the time until
after the holidays. The new ways and
means committee would hardly get down
to tariff legislationbefore February, 1884,
The Mills bill, the last Democratic tariff
measure, was in preparation nearly five
months before it came to a vote in the
House. If the Democrats
Repeal the Mckinley Law
and there are well informed Democrats
who do not believe they willard SUBJ
stitute an entirely new schedule on inn
ports it could hardly be finished and
ready for the Presidents signature in the
regular course before July or August,
1894 Ii it takes effect one month, later,
as is customary, the present tariff would
be superseded about September, 1894.
That would give the present tariff
nearly two years of life. This is in the
regular order of things. If Congress is
convened in special session next March
the Democrats might rush a tariff bill
through and have it in operation before
Christmas, 1898. Will they do so9 AS
Secretary Foster said, this is a question
which interests about twenty times as
many wage earners as employers. be-
cause for every one of the latter whose
business is unfavorably affected about
twenty times as many employees will lose
their employment or suffer decreased
wages.
Mr.. Blaine has seen only few callers
since his return to Washington, and of
course has said nothing for publication.
Without pretending to quote his words,
the substance of comment that he
made to a United States Senator is inter
esting.
The Senator who has had short
Conversation With Mr.. Blaine
opinion that, having lost the Presidency,
the loss of the Senate as well as the
House is not all added misfortune to the
party. 1t now becomes absolutely neces-
sary for the Democrats to adopt in the
next two years definite policy. There
can be no evasion, no Subterfuge, no
division of responsibility, as there was
from 1885 to 1880. They have won the
election on the cry that the rich are
daily growing richer and the poor poorer.
They have asked every man if he thinks
he has his full share of the worlds
riches, and have hidden him to vote the
Democratic ticket and thus secure an
equal division of profits. This is in
deed a favorite expression of Mr.. Cleve-
land.
Coming into full control of the legisla-
tive as well as the executive function of
government, he and his party must now
meet the full expection of the disappoint-
ed in every walk of life, and see that the
prices OF farm products as well as the
wages in manufacturing industries are
made satisfactory.
The Democratic policy will be judged
solely by its fruits. If the poor do not
become richer and the rich less selfish
Mr.. Cleveland's theories will be a failure
and the Democratic campaign fraud.