The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1894-09-07

n csea wsrs Dee - ~ Genuine


Dsmocrats-
The democratic in both houses Of
congress. with but few exceptions. are
entitled 20 credit for doing all that IL
seemed 20 them possible 70 do toward
the fulfilmcnt OF the pledges with re-
spect TO the tariff which their party
made In 1894
They have made an honest. earnest
and persistent attempt to obey the
popular mandate delivered when the
present democrats congress and pres
ident were elected They are deserv-
ing OF great praise for wrestling what
they have wrestcd from prot@ctionist
senate. and for holding out so long rs
there seemed TO be a ray Of hope
against the protectionist amendments
which that body thrust SO plenti:ully
into the Wilson bill
The democrats of the WAYS aud
means committee labored with great
zeal and industry. and finally produced
. bill which was fairly acceptable to
those who meant what they said when
they voted for a tariff for revenue
only. They did not produce perfect
bill by any means They did not pro-
duce a bill which was satisfactory TO
most of their own number.
But they did produce one on right
lines. based on right principles, and
making q long step toward the final
goal Of commercial liberty and the ul-
timhte abandonment of the entire
policy of supporting and enrichinv
favored industries by levying forced
contributors upon others They went
rs far as they believed IL possible to
60. in view Of the known character of
the senate. toward the total abolition
OF the republican system of legalixed
robbery
The house. led FOR the time being ny
such men as Tom johnson and De Witt
Warner. went further than the com
nittee and voted for free coal. iron
and sugar and the immediate stoppage
of the Mckinley sugar bounty
A majority Of the democratic SEN
asors stood ready TO GO even farther
than the house. making larger reduc-
tions on manufactured goods and going
farther in the direction of al valoren
rates. But presently they found them
selves confronted not only by the re-
publican senators in solid array but
by this body reinforced by enough
senator's calling themselves democrats
70 defeat any bill not acceptable 10
them and the interests they repre-
scented
The question with the loyal demo
cratic senator's then was not what
they wished 10 do but what il was pos
sible TO do. They contested the ground
inch by inch. and yielded TO the rene
gade senators no more than they were
forced TO yield The result was badly
mutilated bill. but il was that or no
bill. They had saved much that was
valuable The bill. bad a il was.
WI ,till vastly better than the Me-
kinley monstrosity. and they accepted
it as better than nothing
The house has az last done the same.
but no. withou: making prolonged and
heroic resistance The house con-
ferrees. headed by Chairman Wilson,
struggled long and manfully against
the bad amendments. forced upon the
bill by the senate renegades- and theiz
democratic associates in the house sup
ported them without watering until
they became convinced that the choice
lay between the mutilated bill and
none at all.
The majority OF the democrats arr
entitled to high praise for making q
courageous and determined fight and
saving the bill from wreck IL Is not
their fault that the measure is not IA,