Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1894-09-08
DESERVING OF PRAISE.
The Good Work Done by the Genuine
Democrats.

Democrats.
Tho democrats in both houses o
congress, with but few exceptions, ar
entitled to credit for doing all that /
seemed to them possible to do towart
the fulhllment of the pledges with re
spect to the tariff which their part
made In 1892.
They have made an honest, earnes'
and persistent attempt TO obey tn,
popular mandate delivered when til,
present democratic congress and pres
.dent were elected. They are deserv
ing Of great praise for wrestling wha'
they have wrested from a protectionist
senate and for holding out so long a.
there seemed to be a ray Of hope
against the protectionist amendment,
which that body thrust so plentifully
into the Wilson bill,
The democrats of the WAYS and
means committee labcred with great
zeal and industry, and finally produced
. bill which was fairly acceptable 10
those who meant what they said when
they voted for a tariff for revenue
only, They did not produce a perfect
bill by any means. They did not pro-
duce a bill which was satisfactory TO
most of their wi number.
But they did produce one on right
lines, based on right principles, and
making a long step toward the final
goal Of commercial liberty and the Ill
innate abandonment of the entire
policy of supporting and e%nriching
favored industries by levying forced
contributions upon Others. They went
as far as they believed 1t possible to
go, In view Of the known character Of
the senate, toward the total abolition
OF the republican system of legalized
robbery.
The house, led for the time being by
such men as Tom johnson and De Witt
Warner, went further than the com
mittee and voted for free coal, iron
and sugar and the immediate stoppage
OF the Mckinley sugar bounty.
A majority OF the democratic sem
ators stood ready to 60 even farther
than the house, making larger reduc-
tons on manufactured goods and going
farther in the direction of ad valorem
rates But presently they found them
selves confronted not only by the re-
publican senators In solid array but
by this body reinforced by enough
calling themselves democrats
to defeat any bill not acceptable to
them and the interests they repre-
The question with the loyal demo-
cratic senators then was not what
they wished to do but what it was pos
'ible to do. They contested the ground
inch by inch, and yielded to the rene
sade senators no more than they were
to yield. The result was a badly
INITIATED bill, but IL was that or no
dill, They had saved much that was
'aluable. The bill, bad as it was,
vas still vastly better than the Nc
Ainley monstrosity, and they accepted
t as better than nothing.
The house has at last done the same,
nut not without making prolonged and
leroio resistance. The house con-
e%rrees, headed by Chairman Wilson,
truggled long and manfully against
he bad amendments, forced upon the
I'LL by the senate renegades, and their
.emocratic associates in the house sup
'orted them without wavering until
hey became convinced that the choice
ny between the mutilated bill and
at all,
The majority of the democrats are
Untitled to high praise for making a
outrageous and determined fight and
aving the bill from wreck. II is not
heir fault that the measure Is not far
etter than it is.-Chicago Herald.