Saint Mary's beacon., 1894-12-20

doubt. There il where the opposition
marshalled their forces, and then It was
that one of the greatest civic battles in the
history of this country was fought
The protected interests Of this vast co,an-
~. made rich by reason of the undue nd
vantage accorded them under the McKin-
ley bill, fought with desperation worthy
of better cause. Every artifice that
persistent, implacable and determined foe
could command, with an ample supply of
means, was resoriei %, % either defeat The
bill entirely, or, failing in that, TO 50 ems
culaie its more important provisions as To
render. il nurgaiorY. This would have
been bad enough, but TO add TO IL, was the
want Of unanimity in our own ranks.
The income tax lever had done It's work,
a. the republicans had intended. Some
democrats were certainly opposed 10 the
passage of the bill with this feature added.
Others who were tariff reiormers only to
moderate extent. if al all, insisted that sew
eral items-especially iron and coal
should be restored 10 the dutiable bill.
Thus the fight went on. The committee
rooms and the Senate chamber were be-
seiged by interested parties. Every form
of argument was used to maintain the un-
fair advantage given them under the Nc
Kinley bill. That vast army ofconsumers
and laborers OF the land were mot In il. ]"
They were conspicuous by their absence.
No interested parties plead the cause OF la
Dor and the poor either at the doors of the
Finance committee or the Senate chamber!
Wealth, vast aggregation Of capital were
ever present Ii was reported, that from a
room in the Arlington. they held constant
ielaphonic communication with the Sem
ate chamber BE this as il may, the report
that some members of the Senate were in
cOllusion with trusts and corporate influ-
ences, gained credence throughout the
! country. The belief spread that the bill
would be ultimately defeated, or So amend.
ed in the interest of protection, that it
would give little. if any, practical relief
The stout democratic heart Of the country
seeing their bill being thus defeated in the
house of their friends, bea' with indigna-
ton. Thoughtful men of the party urged
them to be true t. the people and the par.
ty; and above all To- hurry through the bill.
IL was palpable to the careful observer,
that the body polite. was fast losing faith
in the intentions Of the dominant party To
give them the promised relief Mutterings
loud and deep We're heard on every hand
against the party. Every days delay was
not only rrolonging the depression in bus
iness circles, but exasperating the members
of our own party, as well as the hosts Of
! independent voters who had helped 10
place the banner of democracy TO the front
But appeal or argument, or the distress of
the country had little apparent effect upon
the cOntumaciuus members of our own
party, who, either blind or in ifferert 10
the party's or country's interest, declared
they would pursue the even tenor of their
way, regardless of protest from friend or
foe. The republican party, knowing that
the Ceep distress aud discomfort of the peo-
pie were playing directly in their own
hands, looked on serenely, and did moth
ing except to widen the breach and pro-
long the agony.
Thus matters stood and dragged their
slow length along during the spring and
GUNNER months. But everything must
come TO an end al last, and so the bill f.
nally emerged from the Senate so changed
that it could not fairly be called the bill
il received from the House In the COM
ference the peoples representatives made
strenuous endeavor 10 alter its changed
provisions, but all TO no purpose. The
Senate conferees fatty stated that it was
the Senate's ultimatum-it was the Senate
bill or none-that no other bill could pass
that body.
/ Now, this may be so. We may reason
/ from different standpDints, and, necessari-
/ ly, reach conflicting conclusions. 1t is
possible that the motives of those Senators
who insisted upon changing the Wilson
bill were pure, and while We may oppose
measures we should not question motives.
| would not for . moment wish To cast re-
/ Elections upon their honesty or patriotism.
Time may prove that they were right, and
that no other bill could have passed the
| senate. Still | cannot understand, if we
had tariff reform majority in truth, a
better bill, more in accordance with the
democratic platform and the expectations
OF the people, could not have passed. All
the democratic majority in the Senate had
10 do, aided by the Populists who would
have supported the measure, was 10 cote
| for 1t Then surely the bill as it passed the
House could have passed the Senate.
| The House, aided by all the influence
that the Executive could bringto bear, was
unable 10 move the Senate. II was th,,
Senate bill or nothing and as much as thu.
House, and for that matter the country de
piored the result, they had patriotism
enough Ia accept the bill, rather than sex.
| all effort at tariff reform defeated. II an.
peared that the Senate was prepared to let
| all effort at reform perish sooner than Weld.
The Senate may have felt warranted il.
their course, and may be able 10 justify it
before the people, but confess cannot
see it in this light
At last the agony was over, We had a
partial measure--much better than the
Mckinley bill-but short Of the promises
of the party and the peoples needs. The
people breaihsd fr,a, once mora Ru, ~,