The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1893-03-25
FINANCES AND THE TARIFF.

FINANCES AND THE TARIFF.
The rumor that Senator VOORHEES,
was to be made chairman of the COM
mittee on finance, notwithstanding the
protest of Mr.. Cleveland, is confirmed.
The full committee consists of eleven
senators, six Democrats and five Re
publicans, At first the Democratic
caucus was disposed to Put none but
free coinage silver men on the COM
mittee, and that policy would have
been pursued had it been necessary to
give free coinage majority. But an
understanding was reached with the
Republicans which relieved the caucus
from that necessity. In the old COM
mittee Mcpherson, Democrat, from
New Jersey, was opposed to silver,
and Jones, of Nevada, Republican, in
favor of it. 1t was agreed that both
should be retained.
The other eight members of the
committee are: Democrats, Harris,
of Tennessee; Vance, of North Caro-
lima; Vest, of Missouri, and Jones, of
Arkansas; Republicans, Morrill,. of
Vermont; Sherman, of Ohio; Aldrich,
of Rhode Island, and Allison, of Iowa.
The Democratic four named, with
Chairman Voorhees, and Jones, of
Nevada, will work in perfect harmony
on the silver question. The three Re-
publicans first named are very strongly
opposed to all phases of the silver
policy, says an exchange, while the
last, Mr.. Allison, comes nearest to
being cross between the two ex-
tremes of any member of the COM
mitiee. The committee will obstruct
the unconditional repeal of the Sher-
man silver purchase act, and it Is
morally certain that it will not be re-
pealed without clause expressly re-
enacting the Bland act of 1878, or
something substantially like it. Mr..
Cleveland might as well make up his
mind to that. There are few DEM
ocrats of extreme gold views who
would be glad to reduce all our silver
money to subsidiary basis, and place
our currency in its full legal tender
character upon q strictly gold basis.
There are some Republicans who
would help them. But we do not be-
lieve that majority can be found in
either branch of congress to consent to
anything so unpopular and unjust
The country feels confident that
Mr.. Cleveland will be as powerless
during his second administration as he
was during his first one to make con-
gress subservient to the nod and beck
of Wall street.
The senate finance committe also
has to do with the tariff bills. All
such legislation comes before it. 1t is,
in fact, composite committee, enjoy
ing the main privileges and welding
the same authority on the two great
subjects of the day as the Ways and
Means committee and the committee |
on weights, measures and coinage. 1t
is morally certain that Mr.. Bland will
be retained in the ohairmanship Of the |
latter committee, and he and Voorhees, |
will be joint masters of the situation,
negatively speaking, at least. No bill
which gets into their pigeonholes will |
be likely to get out which they do not
favor. When it comes to the tariff it |
is by no means certain who will be the |
associate of voorhees,. Mr.. Springer
may be left out in the next shuttle |
He has not shown any very marked
ability as "tariff reformer." But
whoever may be chosen he will be
free-trader.
1t is not at all sure that this senate
committee on finance will be in favor
of carrying out the extreme views of
the Democratic platform. The Re
publicans are all stanch protectionists,
Jones, of Nevada, no less than AID
rich, Morril or Sherman. Vance, Vest
and Harris would probably favor the
most extreme free-trade measure, but
New Jersey and Indiana are both
states which largely profit by protec-
tion, and 1t is quite probable that
Voorhees, and Mcpherson will furnish
practical evidence that General Han
cock was not SO very far out of the
way after all in saying "the tariff Is a
local issue" Voorhees, will not dare
disturb the leading protected indus
tries of Hoosierdom, nor Mcpherson
those of New Jersey. At least they
will try to shield them if they can
without raising hornets nest about
their ears.
MOHAMMEDANISM