Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1894-05-19
VERY nUcH AT SEA.
Tariff Bill No. 4-coxey-HiH's 0pin-
ion-Demagogy-State Rights.

ion-Demag0gy-State Rights.
From orr regular correspondent.l
WAsHrNGToN, May IA. I8o4.-Nev-
er within the memory Of the Oldest
habitue of the Capitol has the MAORI
ty Of the Senate allowed itself to lie
nagged by the minority asthe Repub-
licans have nagged the Democrats
since those four hundred amendments
to the tariff bill were presented to the
Senate. Although Senator Brice
claims that 43 Democratic Senators
are pledged to support the tariff bill
after those amendments are adopted
not a single Democrat has had the
courage to defend the amendments.
The nearest anyone o them came to it
was when Senator Harris said: The
Democratic party believes in a tariff
for revenue with such incidental pro-
lection as revenue duties Afford" but
he had not a word to say when Sena-
tor Aldrlch asked him what then be-
came of the declaration of the last
Democratic National platform, that
Protection was a fraud and was un-
constitutional. The Democratic SEN
ators are very much at sea, and none
of them make any serious attempt to
hide it, while Mr.. Cleveland has gone
fishing to hide his disgust. The Re-
publican Senators will caucus to-
night to talk over their future course
on the amendments.
Coxey's nondescripts were compell-
ed by the health authorities to leave
the pest hole in which they had been
encamped, and being unable to secure
any other place in Washington they
are now camped in Maryland, five
miles from town. The Marylanders
do not relish their presence even a
little bit and threats are being openly
made of compelling them to move on.
Sufficient rations to feed the men is
getting to be a serious problem with
Coxey; he has got about all from
Washington that he will get, and
the Maryland people say they don't
intend to encourage their stay by
helping to feed them. The argument
for a new trial tor Coxey, Browne, and
Jones, convicted of violating the law
for the protection of the Capitol build
ing and grounds, will be heard to-
morrow. 1t is regarded as certain
that a new trial will be refused them.
Senator Hill, of New York. doesn't
mince words i'll expressing his opinion
of tariff bill number 4. He said:
"Let the odium of its passage or
praise for its defeat rest upon the
shoulders of Senator German, for
aught l care. One thing is certain,
the tariff bill low before the Senate
should never become a law. There is
no justice in it, and it is simply SUBJ
terfuge and a makeshift."
Hon. John Patton, jr., the new Sen
ator from Michigan, has made a very
favorable impression upon his col
leagues and the public. Although he
had no actual legislative experience
previous to his appointment as the
successor of the late Senator Stock
bridge his wide general knowledge
and his grasp upon political affairs
have made him feel at home in the
Senate, where he will certainly make
himself heard later on.
1t may not be entirely just to charge
Representative McGann, chairman of
the House committee on Labor, who
offered the resolution, and a majority
of the committee who voted to favor
ably report the resolution providing
for the appointment of a joint Con-
gressional committee to investigate
the industrial depression, with dema-
gogism; but if that resolution, follow
ing as it did the hearing granted Cox
ey by the Labor committee, does not
bear the genuine earmarks of dema-
gogy it has sone excellent limitations
Of them. 1t directs the appointment
of a committee of seven-three Sena-
tors and four Representatives-''to
investigate and report to Congress
within 80 days the cause of the indus
trial depression responsible for so
much distress throughout the coun-
try and what legislation will preserve
industrial and financial conditions
which will offer speedy, permanent,
and lucrative employment to the citi-
zens of the United States" Think OF
the enormity of the task imposed and
of the time given-3o days-within
which it must be done, and you will
see the point.
The House Judiciary committee, or
rather the Democratic majority of that
committee, has had another attack Of
State rights fever, a disease often
scotched, but never entirely killed,
and the result was the ordering of a
favorable report on a bill introduced
by Representative De Almond, of Mis-
souri,, providing that no judge of a
United States court shall punish any
citizen or officer for being in contempt
for refusing to levy a tax or collect a
tax for the payment of any bond is
sued by the municipality, county, or
State, where the levying of such tax
or collection is contrary to the laws of
the State. This bill, if it becomes a
law, will make the laws of a State
paramount to those of the United
States and the decisions of State
courts paramount to those of the
United States, which would be in ac-
cordance with the doctrine taught by
Southern Democrats from Calhoun
down to the present day, a doctrine
which four years of the bloodiest war
in history should have forever ended,