The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-02-17
NOT So SURE OF 1T.
Wilson BiIIs Passage Not As
sured After All.
Its Supporters are Adopting a
COnciIiat0ry Tone.
al STARTLING RUMOR.
Old Mills Bill to Be Offered as a
Substitute.
A STARTLING RUMOR.

WASHINGTON. d. O.. Feb. 17-[Speeiall-
THE confident assertions of Chairman oor-
hees and Others of the senate finance com
rnlttee that the tariff bill would be pushed
right along with a speed to surprise the
people and relieve all anxiety have grad
ually changed I'd q mild protest against der
law The general tone is something like
that 81 q half hearted boss. as Really, now
boys. there must not be amy delay with this
thing But. just the same. the chances OF
delay increase, and, what IS more surprising
the pressure over the country for speedy ac-
ton certainly decreases. From all parts Of
the country coneFessLnen receive letters the
general purp0rt of which is. ivy e are re-
suming or we have resumed business on
the basis on tie Wilson bill. w e have made
all oEr calculations just as if that bill were
now the law" OF course farmers and
many other classes of Iaborers have to re-
sumo business at the appointed season. just
the same, regardless Of the tariff.
Tba Tariff and silver.
The moderate Democrats are loud in their
assertions that it was mistake to force
the Bland silver bill into issue SO soon
that IS. before the tariff bill was fairly start
ed in the senate-and if, as is likely, the bow
Of tho one craft runs into the stern Of the
other 10 the senate their gloomy forecasts
viii certainly be justified. We were, they
Eay, almost united on the tariff after SO
long time, but we are h0pelesslY divided
on silver, and the more we debate it the more
divided we shall Be. Now we are just play
ing into the hands Of Senator Quay. whose
scheme IS to put ia his silver amendment
and divide u.s. ana there are the Populists,
too, who are with as on the tariff and VIII
not be en- silver
When Senator's Jones, Vest and Mills,
no bcoumittee Of the senate finance com
mistee. took the Wilson bill i'm charge. we
were confidently told that they would
change it in very few particulars. such as
putting a cent OK So per pound on sugar and
q moderate duty on coal and iron ore Three
days later we were told that they would re-
wise several CT the schedules on the basis off
the Walker tariff Of 1916. and next that
they would make an entirely new tariff
which would hurt nobody, help everybody
satisfy the protectionists if they were rea-
sonabla and ya1 conform to the Chicago
platform.
The net result has been that the matter
comes before lhe senate open for q tolerably
free fight, and although the representatives
OF various interests were deniedlA hearing
before the committee they are here just the
same. crowding the lobbies and insisting
upon private hearings with their senators. /
haany radical changes are urged, and some 4
very curious suggestions are made even by Z
Democrats aad friends Of the bill
"a RatHaer Startling I2umor-
Among other uhings of q somewhat star
Ting nature St is limited that at the proper I
time Ieadimg Democrat will introduce The T
sfitute and tha1 il viii be adopted Par
liam entary obstruction aside, the Mills bill
would really stand first class show, for
much as II was denounced when It was be-
fore congress. it is now looked on as q very
moderate measure indeed compared with
the Wilson bin 1T is even suggested that
che old Morrison plan of the uniform hori-
zontaI reduction be applied
Still another suggestion is that, after
amending the Wilson bill as To coal. sugar. 7
ut I1ara
clause ba added IMPOSING a uniform duty
of 10 per cent ad valorem on the whole free 4
list. this ad vai0rem duty to continue IN T
til the deficit IN she treasury is replaced by
a certain surplus, then procIamations TO 4
be made and at the end of three months +
the tariff reduced to q per cent. and SO on by 4
successive degrees of reduction to entire F
abolition. OF course this is to be with the +
proviso that tits done as p necessity and for (
revenue only
Representative Harter's general plan is /
gradually Increasing I'D favor He would 4
have q Uniform tax Of a cent per pound on +
sugar. an increase Of the whisky tax by 80 /
cents per gallon. ain equal increase of the 4
beer tax. a small ad valorem tax on tea and Z
coffee, general l'eduction Of che salaries Of 4
government officials by rs per cent and T
rigid economy all around. TO supply the /
temporary deficiency he favors treasury
notes at q low rate ST interest and redeem \
able ct the option Of the government. On /
the whole it is very decidedly evident that 4
the supporters of che Wilson bill are far (
from being out of the woods. AS yet they T
de not even see the light On the other side
An Eloven Year Discussion
The condition Of the public mind-the {
W ashinaton public anyhow-on the tariff \
discussion may be summed up in one word 7
-reariness. Since 1852 there has been an
almost continuous discussion on the sub
iect. and since 1889 there have been, omit
Ting minor amendments. treasury rulings
and supreme coars decisions which amount
ed TO q change, at least 40 different tariffs.
Since 1850 the tefiE has been changed 20
times. Is IS seiu doubtful If there has been
fin 90 years g single new argument intro
duced on general principles or even am ar
gum emit shat was not used in the parliamen-
tary and pamphlet war over the corn laws
vi England. Laying delicacy aside. the as
sar6ion may be Hatiy made that ninetv-riine
hundredths of al she speeches on the tariff
since 1880 have simply repeated old arqu-
ments and thras he'd over old straw, and
that most of the alleged new arguments
have been more original than true
FFrrr~o1 ~