New-York tribune., 1892-03-11
A BAD DAY FOR DEMOCRATS.
MR. DINGLEY UNMAsKs MORE " TARIFF RE
FORM PRETENCE.
ne GIVES Mr. M,MILL1N AN UNPLEASANT AFTER
Nooy-MR. REEDS BRILLIANT SPEECH
Try 1rLkanArn 10 Tnn TKIBUNE.l

Washington, March 1O.-IOday, Ike yestcfuIy' "u>
q had one for the called tariff reformers' IN the
Uous- of Reprcsentativesthe statesmen who are nov
going through the motions of reform legislation ana
bs.-,ng eongs blowing penny trumpets and making
o,her dscordant and dsagleeabe noises in the nope
and expectation that they VIII thus make the
conntrv he,ey. that they are actually in earnest that
they really desire to reform the tariff ana tha
their present performance Is not u mere VAIN ANA
fraudulent preence. ~
Times bave indeed changed for the worse "i "'e
hast fonr years 50 far the cause OF "tirlI re-
t,rmp in the House is concerned. Nobody theh sns
uoctea the sincerity OF It's leaders, strongly as many
cistrusted their Judgment Carlisle ana Mis- "'"
their followers-tlle BIechnrdges, McMillln, Iurher
wilson of West Virginia, Bynum and all thc resi-
were rs earnest as they were Jealous How dinerc'
nowl The leaders inspire neither confidence III their
sincerity nor respect for their judgment. bill IS
brought by the Ways and Means Committee INTO a
House with a Democratic majority of 1oO-al taria
reformers"-snd the first two members OF the CON-
mttee called speak m Its support not only nave no
heart In their TASK but they show 1t by spoech Us "e
as in manner. They speak not as majority ieiaeTs
advocating a great, affirmative measure, but as mem
bers of a minority They aSsail the Mckinley law
with all the venom and energy that they exhibited
AGAINST the Mckinley bill two yeors ago. but they
damn the Wool bill with faint praise and cordially
detest the policy which compels them to give 1t even
perfunctOry support
Messrs McAilMn snd Turner are honest enough
10 confess to themselves that the present performance
Is not calculated TO inspire confidence and respect
or to deceive the country to any great extent and
that does not make their position tolerabe to
themselves Both Of them to-day had other good
reasons 10 feel discontented and disgusted
Mr. McNirn, as the deputy leader Of the majority
felt called upon TO caecise Governor DlngleN' VINO
had resumed his argument, and to deny some OF his
statements 1t woud have been much better for him
rtn * avi 80
who es equipped with a thorough knowledge OF every
s,biect With which he attempts TO deal, and Is no;
man who ventures to make assertions that he cannot
support by an array Of facts. II was actnaiN
cruel him as he did To-Day h"l ohS "s
incoIgectness not TO say grOndleSsness vi some III
McMln's statements and assertions IN resaiu W
matters which are su current but also his ienofancs
q, tho nolittcal origin and history Of legislation IN
rsspect 10 such important matters as foreign ana
domestic commerce and bountieS 10 the hsh'ns III
dustry as well as the canses OF the decline ol uie
foreign merchant marine of the unHed olaies'
Governor Dingley was not the only man present VINO
was astounded when the Tennessee slateeh'"" "'u0
certain statements which showed mat ne ulous"' "e
tnev FIAT the laws which forbid foreign SHIPS 10
caco in the constvise and interior commerce of the
United States had their genesis In and are dephoehI
pnon treaties between the United states and foreign
nations No doubt McMn was equally astouhuo' u
learn that his views In respect to free sIhps aic
directly opposed 10 the Views when were hciu anu
maintained by Thomas Jefferson In regard u ue sao
subject Before Governor Dngley was through "i'n
him the Tennesye see statesman became very angry au
,so 20 leave the hall but was prevailed upon to re
main His friends all appeared to feel sorry for him.
Mr. Turner's opening declaration, to the eject That
he did not agree with the method OF tarni reior"
adopted by the majority of the Ways and Means 'on'
mittee and his intimaton that other members mlsh,
advocate the pending bill with greater zeal and effect
men who are familiar with his opinions. Under the
II WAS natural that he should devote less
attention to the bill than he did 10 nrce'ahs
matters but 1t was unfortunate for bim as the result
proved that he undertook to reverse the un'H''noi
decision OF the supreme Court OF the ,hiteo o"''o "
the ouorrm CASE and then undertook to prove th''
ths, tribunal did not decide what the court ITSELF a.
ueu AZ everybody who has read It, supposed II uio
decide 1t would not, perhaps, be quite iar 10 7as
tn.t Mr. Turner descended to pettifoggery, bue he
came perilousy doing so, when' aiNr o'o'",''e
that the Supreme Court had not done or'dni '9'
no declared that the case had been oeciueo III
a,,.on, rav nv the people of the United States" ue
s,preme tribunal Of appeal-"heh lhe' 0'
I.rnocrstic majority to the present House 49,
,I pona rever made better speech than Inc QUO
. a ,,-hen he exposed the sOphttTies ana o'er'hIe"
90 arguments of Mr.. Turner, whose aolV Hnu
..or,rements he has held In high respect ITO SP
Win great earnestness and some cenHs " "
o1uc,rainp sentences reached heigit VI c~Iuo
which f. seldom attained In the HOUSE VI
s.rtanves and which eXtorted applause e'e" - iD"
~ ~, Ms politlcal opponents, whose sympa''n'S
were all with Turner
n,,aov copcluded his speech in opposition 10
-, o..sur. ard took occasion TO enter ffS deiA" ~
,b. statement made by the gentleman no'h ,e.
~, >,oNmin, that the last Congress had approP'h''
h,,r-op and nine million dollars Duilhg 'he 'As' ~"
escal wears appropiated for by that OohSre9' " - 80
nar.,;t1lres Of the Government were Du'
Tb,. country under the policy OF pro'ecuoh ""u "
come the largest agricultural. the largest han"''
,y the largest mining and the most prosperous cou
, on the face of the earth. Let Congress be uue "
that policy WHICH had carried the Nauon u sui"
height Of prosperity. (Appau7e.) ,
Nv Turner Of Georgia. the next speaker, cohles>o'
,hst when Mr. Dingey inveighed against 'he ''e","
cance ot this bill and those which were 10 I'iio" "
tH,ed in that denuncation lie would nave ve" ei,'
N have had pending bill which ~ouio s"eop yin
,o,o bori,on and give 10 every citiSsn that Dhpc'
cation which fair and just reform 0f tDe tai" "''
give 30 every consumer in the country i"r 49,.
tn this respect had been overruled by tbo~s !" "iS
on,nion he deferred with great respect ana II "A Wv
to those gentlemen that he should say 'hao 'i"S ~
cerely believed rtat their policy wouio enA"s '"'
majority O, the House to secure Tor the peop'e ~
eucht relief from the burden OF taxation But tDous'
the gentleman from Maine regarded the pending meas
-, .ugh, consequence it seemed that it hAd
epnd.nt scope to require him to discuss II Dor 1ou'
hours . ,,,c;sr
Mr. Turner then turned his attention 10 c'''' ~
Of speaker Reeds rulings in the last Congress- oe'
t tat tho recent decision Of the supreme Court ho
vindicated those rulings. -,
The wool duty Of today had been largely oi
work Of his distinguished friend from Naihe ''l'
Dngley) The Tariff act, as far as 1t referred I" "''
WAS a curious document 1t provided Tor coihPo'"'
compensatory and nd vaiorem duties II inu1. ~ '''
the peculiar genius Of the gentleman from M1ne'
ur Reod rising TO reply 10 the criticism mace upo
him and his rulings in the last Congress, sprtss e
the opinion that his action at that ume hiin pee
Thoroughly vinlicated by the decision OF tfie suPe'n
Court The question was whether ne had ViOiatc
hi duty In counting members present VINO wefe
the chamber Never before the decision OF the Coul
had any admission been made that IL was presen
ouoruni that was demanded by the Constitution IN
gentleman from Georgia himself had IN his spec
today admitted that this was correct nn1n "a, ui
hndl an.iIn.t him .iAIeMcnl ne na