Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1894-01-01
FREELAND, PA, JANUARY l, 1894.
WASHINGTON LETTER.

Washington, December 30, 1893.
The use of money to defeat the Wilson
tariff bill is the dominant idea of those
who have grown rich at the expense of
the consumers of the country by reason
of the so-called protection legislation OF
Republicans. Returning Democratic
congressman from districts having pro-
tected manufacturers nearly all agree in
saying that money is being freely spent
by those manufacturers in order to work
up bogus public sentiment in those dis
tricts against the Wilson bill, hoping
thereby to influence the representatives |
to vote against the bill. Not only are |
halls hired for meetings to be held to
protest against the bill, but individuals
are employed by the hundred to come to
Washington, and to get signatures and
names to petitions asking that the bill
be not passed. and space is bought in the
columns of impecunious newspapers
which claim to be Independent which is
filled with shrewdly written articles
adapted to the locality and intended to
frighten the ignorant into the belief that
the passage of the Wilson bill will be
local calamity of incalculabe magnitude.
All of these things were expected.
The Democrats knew that the men who
had grown rich by legislation would not
see that legislation upset without spend
nf thaip aaci1t opgI,iral
to prevent it. But the money is wasted
as far as its influence upon Democratic
congressman is concerned. 1t is easy to
find Democratic congressman who would
like to change some schedule in the
bill and who propose to state their
reasons for desiring a change to the
Democratic caucus soon to be held and
ask that it be made, but the number of
Democrats who will refuse to vote for the
bill if the caucus does not agree with
them can be counted upon the fingers of
one hand with fingers to spare. They
generally recognize the fact that the
Wilsonbill is a party, not an individual
measure, and that as good Democrats it
is their duty to support the bill.
No party measure has ever been pass
ed by congress that did not receive the
votes of men whose personal inclinations
and interests were opposed thereto, and
none ever will be. When man cannot
bring himself to vote for party measure,
particularly when it represents tariff
reform which has been the keystone of
the Democratic arch for so many years,
1t is high time that he should cease to
call himself a party man or to expect to
receive honors from the party he de-
clines to support
Representatives McMillin, Of Ten
nessee, and Bryan of Nebraska, who
were appointed a subcommittee by
Chairman Wilson to report to the Demo-
Gratis Of the wavs and means committee
of the house the features of the internal
revenue bill that is to make up the deficit
that will be made in the revenues of the
government by the Wilson bill, have
decided upon their report report. 1t
will recommend that a tax of per cent.
be imposed upon all incomes of $4,000
and over; that tax be imposed on in
heritances of personal property, the rate
to be fixed later; that the tax on cigaret-
tes be increased to $l.50 per 1000, and
that tax of 5 cents a pack be levied on
playing cards. They estimate that bill
on these lines will bring in about
S45,OOO,OOO.
To haye heard some of the men who
think themselves entitled to advance
knowledge of all the Presidents move
ments talk this week foreigner would
have supposed that President Cleveland
committed great crime when he went
down the river in company with Secre-
taries Gresham and Carlisle for several
days recreation without telling his would
be guardians beforehand. The antics of
these smart alecks would be amusing if
they were not so absurd.
A subcommittee Of the senate COM
mittee on foreign relations, composed of
Senators Morgan, Butler, Gray, Sher-
man and Frye, this week began the
Hawaiian investigation authorized bv
Senator Morgan's resolution. They
heard several witnesses friendly to the
provisional government and adjourned
until next Tuesday, when other witnes-
ses will be here. Nothing will be made
public until the work is finished and the
report of the committee made. S.