Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1893-12-07
Washington Letter.
(From our Regular Correspondent.l

/ single redeemlng feature luereln. II
would, If enacted law, turn over the
cream of the American market, the
finest in the world, to European manu-
facturers and Canadian farmers, and
all it offers Americans in exchange
therefore are gIittering promises Of an
increase in the foreign trade Of the
United States, promises which are not
believed in even by those who have
made them. 1t is admitted that free
wool would put an end TO the produc-
ton Of wool in this country and that
free iron ore and coal will cause foreign
coal and iron ore TO be used exclusively
in the neighborhood of every Atlantic
seaport and that American iron ore and
coal will be used nowhere except at
places so far in the interior that the
freight rates will allow them to conf
pete with foreign products.
These are only specimens Of the man
ner in which American industries have
been treated by this bill. The same
holds good through the bill. There is
hardly single industry OF any conse-
quence in the United States that is not
struck at in some way Aud as if that
were not evil enough to be contained in
a single bin this one changes the meth
cd of imposing the duty upon many of
the articles which it leaves upon the
dutiable list from specific to ad valorem,
system which has been condemned by
nearly every Secretary Of the Treasury
the country has had as one that en-
courages fraud and p1ts a premium
upon deception. The bin is dishonest
ia every way While purporting 70 be
tariff for revenue its makers estimate
that It wouid produce 500 100000 q
year less than the Mckinley law 1t
leaves the sugar bounty which the
democrats claimed to oppose on con
sututiolal grounds and provides for its
continuance eight wears, dropping a
quarter Of a cent each year. The
question naturally arises, how can a
bounty Of + cents be constitutional if a
bounty of two cents was upconstitu-
tional?
There is. however. one consoling
thing about this bill. 1t is so utterly
bad and vicious that it cannot possibly
become a law in its present shape, al
though Mr.. Cleveland's power may be
sufficiently strong to force it through
the house without amendment, but Of
that there are doubts The const tg-
ents # democratic members who will
feel the reductions in wages aud loss of
employment will make themselves
heard and felt as soon as they are
brought to a realizing sense of the in
Jury to themselves that is contained in
the bill Many believe that the bill has
been made public in lis present shape
to feel the public pulse and that the
features which prove most obnoxious
will later on be eliminated or modified
by democratic caucus. The report of
the republican minority of the House
Ways and Means Com. upon which
work is now being pushed, promises
to be document that will make repub-
lican converts by the thousand. 1t will
probably be ready by the last OF next
or the first of the week after.
The democrats of the Ways and
Means committee are still undecided
about single feature of the internal
revenue bill which they will have to
prepare to meet the big deficiency
created by their tariff bill. They wish
to include the income tax, but SO many
vigorous protests have been filed against
il by leading democrats that it is not
certain they will.
Secretary Herbert, not having a son
to take care Of, has introduced new
variety Of nepotism by appointing his
son-iu-law chief clerk of the Navy De
partment
Il is certain that Mr. & d. johnson.
Of Louisiana, who was the only Demo
cratic member Of the Civil Service Com
mission, did not enjoy his Thanksgiving
dinner Cause why? tie was peremp-
torily removed from Office by Mr. Cleve-
land thus week MIR johnson has ever
since the democratic administration
came into Office acted as though he
thought il was his duty to stand by the
most outrageous violations Of the civil
service law, in favor Of democrats.
rather than to enforce that law He
has been going from bad 10 worse in
that direction. and when the time came
TO prepare the annual report Of the
commission. which is now III the hands
of MIR. Cleveland. there was an open
rupture between him and his republi.
ran c0llaauues and ma refused rs sio,,