The Washington times., 1894-08-14
SURRENDERED, HORSE, FOOT, AND ORA.
GOONS.

The House yesterday surrendered to the
sugar trust, and celebrated its defeat by the
passage of what are known as popgun bills,
placing sugar, iron ore, coal, and barbed wire
on the free list. The tariff mudde has finally
been cleared by the acceptance OF the Senate
bill, and from its depths have arisen, smiling
and crowned with wreaths OF sugar trust
stock, the sugar Senators who brought about
the surrender. In the background, bowed in
humiliation, disgrace, and defeat, are the
House Democrats who have stood loyalty by
party principles and pledges, while their cham
pions who chanted so defiantly at last week s
caucus now sing low and deny their connec-
tion with the defeat 1t was surrender
brought about by combination of unwar-
ranted and objectionable circumstances for
which the Democratic party is not respon-
sible.
The public ought generally to know and
understand the history Of this tariff contest.
Its complications and the influences that pre-
vented an agreement between the House and
Senate. The Presidents letter to Chairman
Wilson, the quarrel with the Louisiana Sem
ators, the determination OF Senator Hill to
defeat any tariff legislation that embodied an
income tax, the all-powerful pull OF the sew
eral trusts with the Senate, the Senatorial
courtesy that permitted Republicans to frame
tariff schedules, the final test Of strength be-
tween President Cleveland and Senator Cor
man, all exerted an influence in defeating
satisfactory Democratic tarih legislation.
The entire consideration OF the Senate bill
has been a continual wrangle between Demo-
cratic Senators. and the result could not have
been otherwise than unsatisfactory.
This controversy has been the first real test
OF strength between corporate power and the
people. Heretofore corporations have openly,
bodily controlled tariff legislation. There was
no necessity for secret committee meetings nor
basement schedules. The party in power was
In sympathy with them, and Congress did
their bidding without protest, But when
Democratic Congress and Democratic Presi-
dent were elected the situation changed, and
corporations realized that a conflict with the
people was inevitable. They wasted no time
on the House, because that body is large,
loyal, and directly from the people. There
fore all efforts to control legislation were CEN
tered on the Senate. Naturally, from SYM
psthy and association, the Senate, as body,
is favorable to trust legislation, and but little
difficulty was found in securing sufficient
votes to insure the desired enactments.
The Senate bill is an Improvement on the
Mckinley law, which it will soon replace, but
1t lacks that essential feature of real Demo-
cratio raforrn ,rbiob fba publio bad raocop to
expect. 1t will save consumers many millions
OF tariff taxation, but it will also enrich and
promote Objectionable trusts and combines.
II is a step toward economic justice, but it is
laden almost beyond forbearance with bur-
den of scandal The Republican party can
not point to this defeat and use it as a cam
paign argument, becausethat party is respon-
slbIe for the power that defeated honest legis-
lation. Two-thirds of the hundreds of trusts
and combinations that control our markets
have sprung into existence since the enact
nent of the Mckinley law. And the sugar
trust that abomination of trusts, is directly a
creature of the Mckinley law.
The popgun bills which passed the House
last night will all die still-born unless, per-
haps, it is the free sugar bill. There is a bit
ter feeling in the Senate against the Louisiana
Senators because of their signing compact
with the Populist Senators and for other un-
explained reasons. The fight against the
President may also be extended to free sugar,
inasmuch as he recommended that it be made
the subject of a tariff tax. Free sugar would
make the Senate bill popular with the masses,
and if by the passage of the popgun bill that
result can be reached, yesterdays tariff labors
will not have been in vain