Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1892-03-25
QUAY Fought Tariff and Honest Elections.

WASHINGTON, MaTcn lO--au dItiOtc AZ
Mr.. Quay's newspaper organ in Philadel-
phia, entitled, How Quay saved the tariii
bill. " and under stood to have been written
under Mr.. Qusy's order and direction, was
exhibited yesterday to a number oil Re-
publican senators, and created no little
amusement in the Senate chamber. II MI
Ouav had claimed to have saved the bill
providing for fair aud honest elections ne
could not have exhibited more aSsurant e.
in the opinion of the senators, then he,dld
in putting forth the claim that he saved
the tariff bill"
Mr.. Aldrich, Mr.. Sherman and Mr..
Hiseock were the three Republican sen
ators especially in charge of the tariff bill
Owing to his advanced age, Mr.. Morrill,,
chairman of the finance committee, was
not able to take personal charge OF the
bill. and Mr.. Aldrich did that work. II
Mr. Quay can get Mr.. Aldrich or Ar.
Sherman TO subscribe to has claim OF
Saving the tariff bill" then there will be
no ground OF complaint against him.
But Mr. Quay knows well enough that
he. more than any other man. is held by
the senators who were in charge of that
tariff bill, responsible for the delay in
passing it, and as result for the disaster
that overwhelmed the Republicans in the
election of 1890. Had the tariff bill been
passed promptly in the senate 1t would
have been before the people long enough
to have allowed the Republicans the time
necessary to refute the Democratic false
hoods about the measure. Bat it was
passed so late in the session that there
was no opportunity to meet the preeon-
certed and universal attack on the bill.
For that delay in passing the bill the two
Pennsylvania senators have always been
held particularly responsible by the sena
tors in charge of the bill. 1t is safe to say
that Mr.. Quay will wait long time be-
fore he will get Mr.. Sherman or Mr.. AL
drich to say anything to the contrary. 1t
was regarded by the senators as amazing
that Mr.. Quay should call attention to his
record on that tariff bill.
'If the senator is not responsible for the
article" remarked one of his associates
to-day, che ought without delay TO send
the fool-killer to Philadelphia.
HISTORY OF THE TARIFF BILL.
The tariff bill was reported to the Sen
ate on the 18th OF June, 1890. Soon alter
ward Mr.. Morrill, moved to take up the
bill in the Senate, but owing to absentee
ism on the Republican side, the motion
was lost. Among the absentees were
Cameron and Quay.
A little later Mr.. Gray, of Delaware.
acting in accordance with the Democratic
program to delay the consideration OF the
tariff bill, moved to take up the bill to
transfer the revenue marine service to the
navy department. Mr.. Morrill, antag"-
nized the motion with one to take up the
tariff bill. But Mr. Gray's motion pre-
vailed, and among those voting with him
was Mr.. Cameron, Mr.. Quay was, of course,
absent.
Four days later the revenue marine
bill was again taken up in preference to
the tariff bill by the aid of Mr.. Cameron's
vote, and Quay was absent. Three days
later the revenue marine bill again dis
placed the tariff bill by aid of Mr.. Cam
eron s vote.
The next vote on the tariff was on
motion made by Mr., Turpie to recommit
il, which was OF course lost, but both
Cameron and Quay were absent The
consideration of the bill then began in
earnest, but it had at that lime been before
thes Senate for month and a half, with
the senators in favor of it vainly endeav-
oring to get it up for consideration, and al
ways finding themselves antagonized either
directly by the votes of the Pennsylvania
senators or by their absence.
QUAY WAS FISHING.
1t is well known here, and to the readers
of the Press, because attention was called
TO it at that time, that Mr.. Quay was
fishing at Atlantic City or Cape May while
the tariff bill WAS under consideration,
and was otherwise absent good deal of
the time The best proof of this is found
in the official records of the Senate. There
were 1873 roll calls on the tariff bill, and
on sixty- nine roll calls he was recorded
absent and on sixty nine as present. But
this only gives faint idea of his neglect
of the interests of his State. PennSylva-
mia, as every body knows, was more inter
ested in that bill than any other state, and
the interests OF no other state Suffered in
The Senate so much as those of the Key
stone State. All the large reductions were
made on Pennsylvania products. Aud
how unfair were some of the d:scrimi-
nations was well known to. some of the
Pennsylvania members Of the House at
that time The duty on hemlock lumber,
for instance, Pennsylvania product, was
cut down 80 per cent, while the duty on
spruce lumber, product of Maine forests,
was not reduced at all. Mr.. Mccormick,
of Williamsport, who was q member OF the
House at that time, got no assistance
whatever from the Pennsylvanta senators
in looking after the lumber interests. In
fact neither of them were in Washington
at the time the Senate committee was
considering the matter. They were both
absent also when the committee was con-
siderng the iron and steel schedule, and
when they did seek to prevent the large
reductions in that schedule they were too
late, as the committee had already done
its work.
QUAY AND A QUORUM NOT PRESENT.
Not only were Mr.. Quay aid Mr.. Cam
eron to a considerable exteut responsible
for the delay in taking up the bill, and no:
only was Mr.. Quay absent on one-half OF
the l3S roll calls on the measure, but on
four different days while the bill was
under consideration the Senate was
Obliged to adjourn for lack of quorum,
and on every one of these days Mr.. Quay
was absent. But there were eight other
days when the consideration OF the bill
had to be suspended because the vote
disclosed lack Of a quorum, and on every
one of those votes Mr.. Quay was absent
Thus there were fourteen times when the
bill was under consideration that busi-
ness had to be suspended in the Senate for
lack of quorum, and on every one OF the
occasions Mr.. Quay was absent, and on
nearly all of them Mr.. Cameron also.
ASeven times the sergeant-at-armso OF the
Senate was sent ont to arrest absent men,
bers, SO as to compel the attendance OF a