The Van Buren press., 1894-07-21
JONES ENTITLED TO PRAISE.
MS dreat Werk in Managing The Tariff
Bill.

Arkansas Should Be Proud Of Her Dst,uc.,.ha6
Representative In the United States Sen
ste-How He Brought Harmony
Out Of Chaos.
WASHINGTON, June 30-The most nrom;napt
hgure on either side of the chamber during the
'ous contest In the senate over the tariff bill
was senator Jones Of Arkansas. There are men
on ei'her side. Democrats and Republicans, who
nave become famous in connection with tariff
legisiatlon. Among them are Harris. Vest
Mills and MCPHERSON. Democrats, and Allison.
Aidrlch Sherman and Morrill,, Republicans.
but the brunt of the long fight Just ended has
iailen upon the senator from Arkansas and the
senator from Tennessee, and their colleagues
cheerfully accord them more credit for the sue
cessiui WORK done than to any other members of
the senate.
During all his public life Senator Jones has
been an ardent and persiste mt advocate of tariff
reform. He took up the question years ago.
when 1t was new to the people of this genera.
uon, and was the able co-adjutant of William r.
MORRISON. John G. Carlisle, ]. Randolph Tucker,
FRANK Hurd, Henry Watterson and other pio-
neers who "felled the forest and broke the
cane, as 1t were, for the advent of this issue in
national politics
senator Jones first entered congress in 1880 as
member of the house from the old Second dis.
trict OF Arkansas, which was then the battle
ground Of the State between the Democrats and
the combined opposition of Republicans, Green.
packers and Independents He was vigorous
and successful campaigner, and in three success.
sive campaigns defeated the three strongest
men those combined elements could put forward
Hon. Rufus r. Garland, the elder brother of
General Garland, who abandoned
the Democratic party to become the leader of the
Greehback party in the State; Hon John A.
Williams, the presentjudge of the United States
Court for the Eastern district of Arkansas, and
J judge G. E. Mitchell. circuit judge of indepen-
ent political proclivities and great personal
popularity.
The tariff lines were first distinctly drawn in
the Democratic party In the contest between
Hon. John G. Carlisle and Hon. Samuel ]. RAN
dali for the speakership of the Forty eighth con-
yress following the election of 1882 Represen.
tative Jones became at once an earnest, active;
Jealous supporter Of Mr.. Carlisle on that issue,
being the first member of the Arkansas delega-
lion to declare himself interest In that contest,
t will be remembered, became universal, and
It was discussed with increasing earnestness and
Zeal, even by the country newspapers almost TO
The exclusion Of everything else. until the end
brought overwhelming success to Mr. Carlisle
and the principle of tariff for revenue only,
which he represented.
Upon the organization of the house. MI
tones, then entering upon his second term was
made member of the ways and means commit
tee, of which Hon. William r. Morrison was
chairman and Hon. Roger @. Mills a member,
and rendered efficient assistance in the prepara-
ton Of the first Morrison bill. He was elected
10 the senate in 1885 and took his seat ON March
ith of that year. When the Democrats gained
control of the senate on March L. 1893. he was
elected member of the finance committee by
the Democratic caucus, and subsequent events
have entirely justified the wisdom of that
choice.
When the Wilson bill was sent from the house
to the senate, about the 1st of February 1T found
a majority of the Democratic members of the
senate finance committee physically incapaei
tated for the hard work the circumstances re-
luired OF them, Senator Vance, since deceased,
and Senator Mcpherson were i'll in Florida, and
Senators voorhees, and Harris, though at Wash
ngton, weIe in feeble health and physically un-
equal to the task before the committee. This
left only Senators Jones and Vest able for active
service, and to them, with senator Mills added,
As a subcommittee the tariff bill was referred.
without undertaking to discusss the Wilson
bill at length, it Is sufficient TO say that it was
neither intended nor expected even by those
most responsible for it that it should become
aw In the shape in which it left the house. The
sub. b.committee, composed of three of the best
known and best-equipped tariff reformers in
either branch of congress. set themselves indus
triously to work. therefore, to revise the sched-
ules upon basis that would yield the govern
ment sufficient revenue on the lowest practicable
scale of rates.
The revised bill was completed early in March.
but notwithstanding there had been much con-
,ultation between the sub-comm ittee and other
Democratic senators concerning its provisions,
It was found, when the bill was presented to the
Democratic senatorial caucus, that the opposi-
tion of certain Conservative senators to it was
10 strong that its passage, with the narrow DEM
Dcratic margin In the senate was impossible.
What was to be done In this emergency, as
startling as 1t was unexpected The situation
was most serious, indeed. Failure to pass
tariff bill, with Democratic president, house
and senate, after ten years of discussion and
would have utterly discredited the
Democratic party on that Issue in future. If it
should not well-nigh destroy 1t Senator Mills,
not being member of the finance committee
anyway refused in his disgust, to have any
thing more to do with the preparation of the
bill. and Senator Vest was not In much of a
humor for concessions.
In this crisis, while elimination and re-crimi-
nation were running riot and creating the
utmost discord In the Democratic ranks In the
senate, and dissatisfaction and alarm prevailed
among Democrats everywhere. Sena-
tor Jones, always thoroughly practical, set him
self deliberately to work to ascertain the specific
causes of opposition aud to find if it were posi-
BILE to reach an agreement upon any reasonable
TERMS Proceeding in this way, he soon ascer-
tained that the differences were not 90 great as
had been at first supposed, and that granted
the concessions demanded, the bill would still
remain the greatest measure oftarif reform pre-
,cnted TO congress since the war, and immeasur-
ably superior, from q Democratic standpoint TO
the existing Mckinley law.
With these facts in his possession Senator Jones
went into consultation with President Cleveland
and Secretary Carlisle, and they both readily
agreed with him that 1t were inc0mparably bet
ter to pass such an amended bill, which sacri-
feed no principles OF tariff reform, than to fail
altogether to pass any kind of bill. What have
since come to be known as the Jones amend
ments were then prepared and submitted to the
finance committee by Senator Jones' not that he
personally approved them all, but that their
adoption would secure the passage OF the Dill
The committee promptly and unanimously
adopted his suggestion and the Demo cratic SEN
atorial caucus approved their action by vote
ha do