Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-06-09

vocates Of tariff re-
form who believed
that bis tariff measures. presented to the
House when he was member or chairman of
the ways and means committee. more near
ly than any other tariff measures achieved
the results desirable at the time they were
framed Since the unexpected conquest by
the democrats in Illinois IN the last presi-
Dental election there has been much dis
cCssion OF the desirability of putting an
Illinois man on the ticket. IAN Illinois
nan on the ticket has always had a GER
tain charm for national conventions of
either great political party. Whether at
the head or the tail Of the ticket. Col. Nor
rison is a possibility to be counted on
strongly in the next convention. great
many OF the men who are concerned direct
~ IN the present tight for tariff reform in
Congress will do themselves incalcuIabls
damage in the eyes Of their constituents by
undergoing or overriding. Col Morrison,
sitting on the fence and seeing the tariff
procession go by, can point TO his record
with cerrain degree Of pride. For while
he never succeedes, in getting a tariff bill
through Congress. he made tariff bills
which were gospel to the democratic party
for many years.
Too Honest for n Good Politician.
Col Morrison has one fault which per-
haps has stood in the path OF his political
advancement. He is too honest for a good
poiitician-that is, he is not diplomatic
enough, for diplomacy is legalized and
recognized dishonesty When Col Morrison
believes thing, he says that thing il he
says anything at all. Because of his indie
pendence. he has been out with Mr..
Cleveland almost from the beginning of the
first Cleveland administration To be sure,
Mr.. Cleveland appointed him in the place
on the Interstate commerce commission
which he now holds. But in doing SO Mr..
Cleveland honOred himself as much as he
IGNORED Col Morrison
Col Morrison is nearly sixty-nine years
Of age He first came to Washington in
1868, remaining here for two years. He
went back to his district for four years and
then returned 10 the House, where ne con-
tinued until he was beaten for reelection
in 1SS6- When he left Congress. Ii was to
become a member Of the interstate COM
merce commission, with which he has re-
manned ever since. Though separated so
long from his constituents he has kept IN
touch with them constantly, and never has
given UP his interest in active politics.
Not Promising for Democrats.
Col Morrison was In his old home in I'LL
nois not long ago and he had some oppor-
tunity of learning what the feeling among
democrats was. 1T does not look so prom
ising for US" he said, "as it did two years
ago. But when the active campaign opens
and people get to making speeches and
working for their candidates. a great deal
Of that will disappear. sim. We win have to
fight against the effect Of the hard times.
However innocent an administration may be
OF causing them. it Is always held response
bic by the people tor seasons OF distress.
administration. instead of improving. it is
pretty difficult 70 convince the people that
the administration is not TO blame"
rs there not a good deal of dissatisfac-
ton with the tariff bill?' 1 asked.
Our people are not altogether satisfied
with the bill: particularly it has been
changed by the Senate. 1t does not give
them all that they expected. The bill as ii
passed the House was better"
WAS it satisfactory 70 you as 1t passed
the House?''
'Tt was a good BILL" said Mr.. Morrison
THE Wilson bill was q good bill. l do not
say that 1t was the bill I would have made.
but then no two men have just the same
ideas on the tariff question. There are al
ways points on which they differ. reported
three tariff measures to the House They
change. and our Views on tariff questions
change with them"
1 asked Mr.. Morrison IL he approved of
tho system Of trading BY which the tariff
49,
all tastes.
Never Did Any Trading.
ST never did any trading" he said, but
/ have frequently reported bill which did
not entirely agree with my ideas. 1 have
taken what could get out of the commit
tee. 1 had my own way a good deal, too
But a lot Of democrats used to beat me in
the House. 1 reported a platform to the
democratic convention Of 1884 which did
not entirely meet my IDEAS. 1 had to do IT
or take the chances Of splitting the con-
ventiOn- There were some people on the
committee who did not agree with me-who
were for protection. II we had not compro-
missed with them there would have been two
reports, which, II they had not split the
convention. would have shown that we were
divided I thought It was best to accept
q compromise / DO not criticise the Senate.
What they do is their business and not
mine"
I asked Mr. Morrison II he really believed
protection unconstitutional
He smiled grimly. Il made a speech In
1892" he said. Gin which 1 defended that
plank In the platform 1 did the best I
could with It" Then Mr. Morrison chuc<Ief
as he recalled the time he had had with that
speech.
You didn't fall DOWN. suggested.
No. he said, II got through all right -
Then he added, more seriously: ''The truth
Is that great many things in the demo
cratic and republican platforms alike are
accepted By a great many people with a
mental reservation. There are some people
who believe in them literally. but there are
others who do not. By the way Randall
went through the south once making speech
es on the tariff question. McAdoo OF New
jersey accompanied him. And in his speech
es Mr.. Randall said that Congress had no
constitutional right 10 levy taxes for nro-
lection; that all that it had a right 70 do
was 20 raise a revenue. and that any pro-
lection must be incidental I never co,rId
eaten him on that until he jrtro5uce1 a
tarf1 bill in the House and r1a1s a raDort
on It Making a tariff bill is great Al
IKE writing a hOOk-tO vO,l~ enemies. T.,
MS report VI. Randall said that the raya-I,a
was 70 he lowered by reducing the tarief on
some things and by ratsi7- the rafaE IN
some othe-s-by shutting Them out THAT
dld not entirely agree with his speeches -
mere ara no protection democrats to
day?'' I suggested W
Plenty Of Protection rer,ocrat.
There are plenty Of them" said Mr.
Morrison. There are a great many IN the
senate"
But they don't admit It,"
No; perhaps they don't"
DO You think that the tariff bill is goinr
to get through Congress-
There is no doubt that il will get through
In some shape"
You have no fear that it will fail in con-
fe-ence?'' --'l- IA NO'i0
NO: il win be put together in some form
so as TO so through. Whether it will be in
satisfactory form viii have to develop
later"