The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1894-08-24
TALE OF THE TARIFF
WHAT WAS DONE WITH THE "a.
NOUS BILL IN CONGRESS.
Hastily sketched History OF tho Most
stubborn Battle Ever Fought by Amer
lean Law-Mskers-The Incep Ion of the
Wilson Bill and It's Struggles.
Mon Who Did the Work.

Inc fLn udy VI lMdrCu, 1880, Iudrhc0
al era In Anne lean history. Upon
that date for the first time In the lile-
time of a generation the Democratic
party returned to the control OF every
branch Of the law-making power OF the
United States Government. Congress
met Aug. 7. Two weeks later the
Ways and Means Committee of the
House was appointed. Its Chairman
was William l.. Wilson OF West Vir-
ginia. With his colleagues OF the ma
jority PARTY, men OF more o. less expe-
rience in the consideration of economic
sub ects, Mr.. Wilson began at once
the work OF framing tariff bill.
The labor was one which necessarily
required & eat care aud delibera-
ton, but, Notwithstanding this, delay
and procrastination seemed to possess
the committee. The extra session
ad journel with the bill still in an in
choate state; it was not ready when
the regular session was called togeth-
err, and finally the new year came with
the measure still unreported to the
House. When 1t was at last submitted
in the month Ct January it met with a
storm of disapproval. Coal and iron
were on the free list, much to the dis
pleasure of the Pennsylvania, Vir-
ginia, and Alabama Democrats; the
bounty on sugar was to be abolished by
gradual degrees, while raw sugar was
continued as free importation, con-
dition which gave the Louisiana men
ground for complaint; the California
iruit growers threatened hostility be-
cause of the low duty on competing
products coming from abroad, and,
lastly, the Eastern Democrats were up
in arms at the rad cal cuts made in the
tariff on neary all manufactured
articles. The extent OF this feeling Of
opposition was manifest in the first
parlian entary stage o. the bill. Two
weeks we're occupied in the delivery of
set speeches. 1t was during the week
set apart for the consideration of
amendment that the free trade ele-
ment scored its victories. 1t was dur
ing this time, too, that the party
added TO the bill an amendment incor-
porating a tax Of 2 per cent. upon in
comes over s. ,OCO.
There was some little spice OF un-
certainty as TO the fate OF the bill when
the final day arrived. The occasion
bad been duly announced, and the pub
lie response was s nothing unprece-
denied in the history of the Capitol.
People began 10 arrive at 3 o'clock in
the morning, three hours before the
assembling of the Hou e. BY 10 clock
the Hobbies were impossible, and the
galleries were suffocating with the
concentrated mass of human being >.
Contrary to the ru' es of the House,
the floor was invaded by the excited
ana eager throngs and presented a
unique and Kaleidoscope spectacle in
the rich aul brilliant costumes of the
ladies'. The orators of the day, in the
order of their appearance, were Mr..
Reed, Speaker Crisp and Mr.. Wilson.
The efforts of these distinguished
leaders were thoroughly in keeping
with the spirit and the Importance of
the oc aston. Mr.. Reed was largely
didactic and philosophic Mr.. Crisp
was direct, practical and logical. 1t
was reserved for Mr.. Wilson, however,
to be the hero Of reception such as
has never boel witnessed upon the
floor. TIC appeal was not without its
effect. When the roll was called-Mr
viii on had referre to it as roll of
honor-only seventeen Democrat voted
against the bill, which was carried by
vote OF ZUf ID l4C.
BIZ Goes to the Senate.
Feb. ,, 1894, the bill wa laid before
the Senate. In that body it confron ed
conditions va tly different from which
obt lined in the lower branch Of
Congress. The Democratic strength
WIS exactly fot ty-four, or enc more
than the required figure. The Eepub-
llcans numbe red thirty-seven, and the
Populi5t party had four adherents,
whose political sympathies inclined to
the Republican and Democratic sides
in @ lual proportion. Und ar those cir
cumstances it b. came absolutely es-
sential for the Democrats TO command
every vote In their own party for any
measure which they might frame. 1t
is true that there was still the posi-
bility Of overcom ng any defectio by
gaining the votes Of the two Populists,
who sat o. the Democratic side of the
cha Der. 1t is iually true that in
due time this support al led in making
more secure the narrow, erilous, and
scillating bridge across which the
measure was fir all " cond cted to safety.
Senator Voorhees, still remained
Chairman of the Finance Committee,
but la king the ply ical strength to
assume the gigantic TASK CT PREF Ing
and IN lnaging q bill, Mr. Voorhees,
practically abiicated his position AMI
the labo' passed into the hands of a
subcommittee e. insisting of Messrs.
Jones o Arkansas, We ( of Mis- ouri,
aud Mills o. texas. The latter wai
te mp Jrary a ldltiOn the memoe. ship
OF the Finance G., mmittee. takin the
place OF Mr.. Nc ersoa of Now ersey,
whose health wa also precarious.
When the bill pr ssed into the keeping
of this subcommittee two methods of
procedure were open TO them. They
could have framed il c)rding to their
individual ideas. reported il to the full
committee and TO the Senate. and then,
careless as to it fate and Indifferent to
its m I'll ion, have allowed il to be
amended by the combined strength of
the always hostile Republicans and the
conservative Democrats. That such
course would have eve ltually resulted
in the utter defeat OF all tariff legisla-
ton il seems lie TO doubt IL, on the
other hand. a bill could be so form illted
within party lines a, TO command a
unitod Democratic support it was rea-
10 70 haf 10, To- -.