The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-02-07
NO HEARING ON THE TARIFF.
The Democratic Senators Head on a
Republican Scheme.

Republican Scheme.
Washington, Feb. 6.-At the meeting of
the Senate finance committee this morn
ing Senator Sherman asked that hearings
d be given to the wool industry, but it was
objected 10 on the ground that if one in
dustry was permitted to be heard the
committee would have to admit all. At
1l:3D o'clock the democrats intimated that
they would like to confer together, and
the republicans retired to Senator Sher-
mans conference room, when they agreed
to insist upon hearings
After the conference of the democratic
members. Senator Voorhees,, the chair
man of the committee, gave out the fol-
lowing prepared statement assigning the
reasons why the democratic members
have decided not to have hearings upon
the tariff bill: Prompt and speedy &C
ton on pending tariff legislation is
required al this time by every patriotic
and business consideration. The major
lty OF the finance committee, charged
with the responsibility of the pending
measure, intend that no delay shall occur
which it is possible to avoid. We are de-
/ termined that the business men of the
country of all classes shall, at very early
! day have full and clear insight into the
Z avs VI tdiA III bdAdtlOu WHICH SIld4A ueIO-
! after prevail. A claim. however, is now
made that whoever may wish to do 50
/ must be allowed to come before the
/ finance committee and make speeches TO
/ US IN regard to each and every particular
/ interest affected by the tariff.
THE BIGGEST KIND OF FILIBUsTER.
| This claim is without limit as to num-
! bers, and if granted to one person it must
/ be granted to all. One senator alone asks
! 800 to be heard from his state. 1t is also
| unlimited as to time, and becomes, there
fore, in the hands of the opponents of
| tarlh reform, an instrument of
delay, indefinite in duration, and
! far more formidable and efficient
| than the worst form of filibus-
tering on the floor of the Senate. But
| if these hearings, as they are called, are
matter of right and cannot be denied
| by the committee, why should they be
merely ex parte in their characters If we
] are to listen for the next four or five
| months, as is boosted in certain quar-
| tiers, we will be compelled to
! do, why should the manufacturers
| those, who plead for protection
| for gains and profits by legislation, alone
! be heard2 1t seems to us that the CON
| sumers of tariff taxed goods, the farmers,
the toiling millions throughout the whole
land, have the highest right of all to be
| heard in their necessary self defense
| self-defense against injustice and OPP
| preston
SHOULD BE NO FAvoRITIsM.
IF the causes of privilege, protection
and financial greed are to invade our
committee rooms to be heard during the
| coming spring and summer, then by
| every principle of justice and right, the
cause of the victim, the toiling consumer,
must also be amply and fully heard. The
| truth is that legislation was never ac-
| COmplished by such methods and never
will be under our form of government.
! The people are heard through their
| representatives in congress, and mo-
| ment's reflection will show how ample
and sufficient such hearings always have
| been, and will always continue to be-
| For instance, why should the business of
| the country be left in doubt for weeks
| and months, while the manufacturers of
a certain state are talking to the commit
| tee, when IN point of fact sena-
tor from the same state, a manufac-
| turer himself, could be discussing
the same questions far more intelli-
| gently and ably on the floor of the Senate?
1t is all idle pretense that any right is de-
MED TO anybody by the course the COM
mittee has determined TO take. We will
report our bill to the Senate without de-
lay, anu then full hearings will take
place. Already more than 100000 cir
culars, embracing heterogeneous touch
ing every branch of business known
to the census of 1890, have been ad-
dressed to all our industries, and
abundant streams of information are
| pouring in for use in discussion in the
| Senate. In addition to this, nearly all the
| protected manufacturers were heard be-
fore the committee on ways and means of
the House, and the testimony there taken
is in print and in the possession of the
Senate. The whole subject is very famil-
lar to the American mind and needs no
| further calculation than will be incident
to full, free debate. The country needs
| antinr .