The National tribune., 1892-01-07

In my sketch Of the military services OF the
members of the present Congress, gave none to
Senator n. W. Aldrich. Of Rhode Island. since
none appears in his biography in the Con-
gressional Directory. Comrades from Rhode Is
land have since informed me that the Senator
served rs q private in the 10th R. l.. aRd re-
ceived an honorable discharge from the service.
%.
1t looks as II sugar viii be left severely alone
by the tariff refOrmers during this session.
s's
The addition OF two members to the Ways
and Means Committee, raising its number TO 10,
calls attention 10 the growth OF the Committee
since the formation Of the Government. At
first II had only five members. A little later
the number was increased to seven. and in 1914
TO IL. There it remained for 60 years, when it
was increased to l3, and since 1873 to the open
ing of the present Congress it has remained at
that figure. Until Henry Clay began to i'm
press his American policy " of protection upon
the country it was comparatively an unimpOr-
tant Committee. Then it suddenly forged to
the front as the most important Of all Commit
tees, and remained so until a portion Of its du-
ties were shOrn from it by the creation in 1865
Of the Committees on Appropriations and
Banking and Currency. 1t used to take Swo
pages Of the House Manual 10 describe its va
rious functions. Now single line says: 'All
legislation relating to the revenue and the
bonded debt shall be referred to the Committee
on Ways and Means"
The Committee as now made up consists Of 10
Democrats and five Republicans, but the latter
make up in quality what they lack in numbers,
and overmatch their Democratic confFeres in
legislative experience, and are believed to in
natural ability. Ex-Speaker Reed stands at
their head, and next TO him comes Capt. J. G.
Burrows of Michigan. Then come Joseph
McKenna, Of California;; Serene Payne, of New
York, and John DalzelI. of Pennsylvania. The
latter is the only new man among them. They
are all radical ProtectiOnists. At the head of
the Democrats aud the Committee is VIM. N.
Springer, Of Illinois, a Democrat. an able man,
aud member Of II years experience, but new
TO the Ways and Means COMMITTEES. Next to
him is Benton McMilIin, Of Tennessee, also an
able man. aud an old member. who was second
on the Committee when Mills was Chairman.
These two are radical Free Traders as in fact
are all the Democratic members. VIM. l..
Wilson, Of West Virginia, stands third. He is
a devout admirer of Mills's theories, and an
exhaustless talker. A. b Montgomery. Of
Kentucky, who is entering on his third term,
stands fourth. and the fifth is Justin R. Whit
ing, of Michigan, large lumberman, who is
supposed TO be the most moderate in his ideas
Of tariff reform Of any Of the Democrats. The
next is b. F. Shively, Of Indiana, who is young
in years, and comparatively new in Congress
The only explanation Of his being on the Com
mittee is a deal between the Speaker and Mr.
Bynum, who wants 10 come 20 the Senate from
Indiana. BOurke Cochran, Of New York, is
another ineTplicable addition to the Committee
aud next to him comes pleasant white haired
old gentleman Moses T. Stevens, Of Nassachu-
setts who is a disciple of Henry George. which
is about all that is known Of him to date. As
he is engaged in wooen manufacture, it is sup
posed that he will be an active partisan of free
wool, but with strong protection for wooden
goods. At the bottom Of the list comes w. J.
Bryan, Of Nebraska who fayors free WOOL coal,
salt, lumber, sugar and iron. lie is opposed
10 the sugar bounty, though Nebraska has eK-
pectations Of becoming great sugar r-producing
State