Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-05-06
THEY ARE AT SEA
Democrats Fear TO Attempt
Tariff Legislation
M'klNLeYS BILL is lNvINCIBlE
And They Dare Not Monkey with the
Buzz Saw The Opposition 10
President Hsrison Is Weak.

auandsry over the tariff situation. The
persistent entreaties Of the New Eng
land mugwumps that the democracy
shall come 10 their relief 10 enable
them 10 fulfill their unauthorized prom
ises have added to this embarrassment.
The attempts to induce the committee
10 put lumber and coal and iron on the
Tree list, have thus tar been unsuccess-
ful. There is great opposition 10 free
lumber on the part of influential demo
Gratis. There are large lumber interests
IN Wisconsin, Georgia and FLORIDA.
The committee on ways and means has
deemed IL expedlent to obtain the Judg-
ment OF the democratic members from
those states as TO "A bill for free lumber.
These democratic representatives,, with
out dissent, have appeared privately be-
fore the committee and made the most
earnest objection TO any bill 10 put lum-
ber OH the free list. They declare that
such y bill would not benefit the con-
sumner OF lumber in the United States
IN the slightest particular. The duty
on manufactured lumber, they inslst,
is now email, and II has been demon
strated by experience that the Cana
dians take the advantage of any reduc-
ton of the duty on lumber.
Free Lumber No Benefit.
The democratic members of congress
from the lumber producing states have
taken exactly the same position which
has been claimed by the republicans,
that free lumber will not benefit the
United States consumer, but that 1t will
be great benefit TO the Canadians.
Like unsuccessful results have attend
ed the effort relative to the bill which
has been introduced in favor of the
brewers and maltsters of the east to
take Oft the duty on Canadian barley.
Democratic representatives from the
sections where barley is raised have
also been called into consultation by
the majority of the committee on ways
and means. The result has been that
western democrats have warned the
committee that if it attempts to legis-
late tor the benefit of a few eastern
brewers who are now making profit
of 100 per cent IN their business. they
may abandon any possible hope of at
tempting to carry Wisconsin. The
ways and means committee has en-
countered like obstacles when it has
been considered the proposition to put
ccal and iron on the free list. Demo-
cratic congressman from Alabama,
Tennessee, West Virginia and other
southern states have declared that
nothing would be gained for the party
by putting b;tun,inous coal and iron on
| the free list.
wh-re Tammany Objects.
1t is was found. moreover, that the
ho v0yv etrrf,ff-
ously object to putting refined sugar on
the free list. The result of all this op-
position ie that the democratic men,
bere of the committee on ways and
| means have been unable TO come to
any conclusion. The probability now
seems to be that they will report one or
two bills to take off the smallest duties
| now levied by law, selecting some pro-
duct which will affect the least number
| of of persons in the United States and
then abandon further tariff legislation
| on the ground that it 10 useless TO at
tempt to do anything in the face of the
adverse majority in the senate. The
| democrats OF the ways and means COM
mittee are about to practically an
nounce that the piecemcal and hole
| punching policy of the tariff is fail.
4 ufc, tudt tuVy HahG lOt tbC a0illtN ,
skill or courage to introduce q new
tariff bill. They admit by their whole
| line of policy that the Mckinley act as a
whole cannot be successfully assailcd.
| They moreover acknowledge that they
have found 1t impossible to harmonic
| the opposing interests IN the democratic
| party as TO any OF the fundamental
articles which lie at the basis of the
| present tariff policy. They will not he
| able TO take the action desired by the
| mugwumps SIS 10 tree raw material.
| They can no more harmonic the an.
tagonistlc interest in this congress than
they were able TO do il in the Mills bill,
They Can n OF Agree.
| Mr.. Mills went much farther in the
| direction of free coal and iron than the
| present house with it's 40 majority has
! dcne. Mills did put coal and iron on
| the free list in the first draft of his bill
| which was submitted to the democrats
| of the ways and means committee. But
| they struck il out of the bill at the
| insstence of the democratic lead ers
before the bill was reported to the
| house. The democrats, whenever they
have had an opportunity. have refused
| to put coal and iron on the free list
and have declined tn grant the de.
mands of the New England traders
Those semi-protectonists, who for eel.
| fish interest have been prepared tc
give the dcrs ecrats support in hope
that they would get free raw materials
| for their ovn manufacturers while re
tainlng the duty on their manufactured
products, are certain TO discover that
l they have been deiuded. On the con.
trarv the only definite action ss Affect
ing New England interests ss to raw
/ materials ~ that the house practically
/ by the seiid vote of the democratic
\ party has passed q bill 10 Dut the hn.
ished product. binding twIne. upon the
| free list, while II has proposed TO dc
nothing 70 remove the raw material for
/ binding tvVins, nemp and fax, from The
| dutiabie ls.. The Affirmative declare
! ton Of the democracy Of the house
vith regard "a free raw nssterssl = ra'
raw material shsii refssin uren tht
I iutsahie list. wa5le the finished tsTs
/ duets shali 90 duty free. Mr.. 4psy
+ has gwen noilce ia tie senste that b,
! intends 70 be stseut the lAtter part ol
I this week. For several dsYs taere na.
b~sn unususl activity on the part o.
/ the opponents Of the president. and 4
I conference = ssd "a hare been sr
ranged for The lstser psrt % tbs week
I According - thls report = = 90 pc held
/ n Nsshlngssn. but Nj. Qasy's nsysterl
/ aus movements lead many to think j
! "a 20 be held elsewhere.
a~~ es shs Opposition.
There : 20 doubt tnst Nf Quay, Nr
iqsu OF N~w ark. Nf. Clsrksen. ex
ssfaksx n~ea. NJ Eoraker ~ Os.5o
ssslansi nuaiev. Mr.. Teller. sad NJ