Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1894-03-03
BLAND'S BAD BREAK.
A Free Trade WrangIe-PecuIiar Bus
mess Methods.

A Free Trade Wrangie-PecuIiar BUS
mess Methods.
From our regular correspondent.l
WASHINGTON, Feb. 26, I8e4.-Dem-
ocratic cuckoo and anticuckoo Sena-
tors haye temporarily buried the
Ratchet and are now engaged in far
more important fight, the tariff being
the battle ground. There are ten
Democratic Senators who demand
more home protection than the sub
committee is willing to give them. A
caucus of Democratic Senators was
held this morning, but inasmuch as it
was understood beforehand that no
action binding upon the Senators was
to be taken it has resulted in accom-
plishing nothing and the fight is still
on. The subcommittee tried to reach
compromise by taking coal, iron
ore, and sugar from the free list and
putting a small duty upon each of
them, but that appears not to have
pleased either the free traders or the
home protectionists. The former are
kicking because these articles were
taken from the free list and the latter
because the duty placed upon them is
too low. 1t is impossible to say what
effect this fight will have upon the
fate of the bill 1t may be that the
home protectionists are, as the free
traders say they are, making grand
bluff in order to secure the highest
possible duties for the articles they
favor, and that they will in the end
fall into line and support the bill The
retention of the income tax has made
it certain that the three Populists will
support the bill and Senator Stewart,
of Nevada, may go with them. In that
case the Republicans will only. have
thirtyseven sure votes against the
bill, making it necessary for six
Democrats to vote with them to defeat
it. If reports are true concerning the
condition of Senator Vance's health
he will not be able to return to Wash
ington to vote for the bill, and, as
there is little probability of any Re-
publican pairing with him. that will
mean one vote less for the Democrats
There is still possibility, however.
that enough Democrats may vote with
the Republicans to carry motion to
postpone consideration of the bill I'M
4 til next December.
Mr.. Josiah Quincy. of Massachu-
sets, ex-headsman of the Department
of State, will hardly go down to his
tory either as great statesman or as
a shrewd political manager, but it
cannot be denied that Josiah is we'll up
in the art of self-preservation. He has
asked and been granted permission by
the Senate committee on printing,
which is investigating charges which
allege that Quincy was guilty ofcrook-
edness in getting the contract for
printing the Patent Office Gazette,
awarded to parties with whom he holds
peculiar business relations, to with
hold its testimony until all the evil
dence against him has been present
ed. Mr.. Quincy frankly stated that
his reasons for asking this favor was
that he did not wish to give the other
fellows any pointers. The committee
will push the investigation as rapidly
as possible.
Even the postal cards sold by the
government are poorer and shabbier
under the Democratic than they were
under the Republican administration
For proofof this assertion you have on
ly to compare a Democratic card
with one of those sold under the last
administration. You will find the
Democratic card much fimsier in
quality and the printing vastly infer
ior in every respect. Verify, the coun-
try is going through period of craw-
fish reform. But there is a day of
reckoning ahead, and the verdict will
be another period Of obscurity Thirty
years long for the organized incompe-
tency known as the Democratic party. |
1t will be long time before any
one who heard Mr. Bland make that
bitter speech, accusing those members
of the House who had declined to vote
to make quorum SO that his bill for
the coinage of the seigniorage, which |
still has the house tied up, could be
passed of teaching anarchy and with
being no better than men who would
throw dynamite bombs on the floor
and endanger the lives of those pres
ent, will forget it. if they ever do.
Without entering into the question Of
whether those who declined to vote
were justified in so doing, ex-Speaker
Reed insists that it is question which
concerns only the members, and the
constituents whom he represents. 1t
can be truthfully said that man who
could make such speech as Mr.. Bland I
made is utterly unfit to be entrusted |
with the management of any bill on
the floor Of the House. He lost his
head, and no man who loses his head I
is fitted to be leader of other men. /
By none were his incorporate words |
more severely condemned than by I
some of the silver men whose leader
circumstances had made him. His I
standing as a man of judgment has
never been high in the House, but he
will in the future have no standing at |
all. Mr.. Bland insists that his bill
will be kept before the House until it |
is voted upon. but it will surprise no /
one to see it side-tracked at any time.
Y VI Sss Sssaz u #