Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1894-01-05
NATIONAL CAPITAL.
REPUBLICAN METHODS FOR MAX
ING POPULAR SENTIMENT.
The Wilson Bill Strictly n Party
Some Features OF the Internal
Revenue Bill-Investigating the
Hawaiian Business.
WASHINGTON, Dec. %. 1S9

WASHINGTON, Dec. 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
protective legislation OF Republicans.
Returning Democratic Congressman
from districts having protected manu-
facturers nearly all agree in saying
that money is being freely spent by
those manufacturers in order to work
up bogus public sentiment in those
districts against the Wilson tariff
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 Washing
ton, and to get signatures at home 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 sketches
adapted to the locality and intended
to brighten the ignorant into the be-
lief that the passage of the Wilson bill
will be a local calamity of incalculable
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
spending a part of their easily ac-
quired wealth to prevent il. But the
money is wasted Is far as its influence
upon Democratic Congressman who
would like to change some schedule in
the Wilson 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
Wilson bill is party, not an individ-
ual measure, and,that as good Demo-
Gratis it is their duty to support the
bill as it will be approved by the
Democratic caucus, and they will do
it. No party measure has ever been
passed by Congress that did not re-
ceive the votes of men whose personal
inclinations and interests were op-
posed thereto, and none ever will be.
When a man cannot bring himself to
vote for party measure, particularly
when it represents tariff reform, which
has been the Keystone OF the Demo-
cratic arch for so many years, it 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.
The presence of several Democrats
who would be willing to preside over
the Government Printing Office, to-
gether with the knowledge that the
period covered by the bond of the Re-
publican Public Printer will expire at
midnight Of next Sunday, makes it
look as though the appointment OF a
new Public Printer would very shortly
be made. The Democrats have waited
very patiently for this change to be
made, as there are more places out
side OF the civil service rules in that
office than in any other single branch
of the government.
To have heard some of the men
who think themselves entitled to adj
vance knowledge of all the Presidents
movements talk, this week, a foreigner
would have supposed that President
Cleveland had committed great
crime when he went down the river
in company with Secretaries Gresham
and Carlisle for several days recreation
without telling his would-be guardians
beforehand. The antics OF these smart
Alexis would be amusing if they were
not so absurd.
Representatives Mcmillan of Tenne-
see, and Bryan, OF Nebraska, who were