Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-03-08
SENATE TARIFF BILL.
How and When.It viii Finally Leave
the Senate.
Predic ions Of Several Senators Two Months
More Of Debate.

WASHINGTON, March 7.-[Special.I =
r'he opinion OF congressman on the prob
able co..rse Of the Wilson tariff bill in the
senate is only an opinion-the opinion oil
mere man and very often Of man great
Iy swayed by hopes and fears. Neyerthe-
less when several senators agree upon the
came general statement the opinion be-
comes of value not only because they know
what IL going on, but themselves help 10
shape the course which they predict.
One month ago there was no consensus
Of opinion, and the general situation was
chaotic indeed. Senator Voorhees, was pre-
dieting speedy action, and most other gen
ators we're contradicting him fatty in that
respect. Within 10 days past there has
been a rapid CLEARING up, and now there
is something Ike general agreement
among those who may d. called the mid
die class senators. The opinions following
are those Of ut least dozen. including
such men AS Senators Brice, Berry, Ran
som. Turpie and other who have hitherto
beeu slow to give any conjecture at all.
Omitting minor variations, the general pre-.
diction Of the moderate may be summed
up thus:
The Senate will not make a new lii,
but will pass the Wilson bill, extensively
but not radically modified. The osten-
sible reason for all the changes
will be revenue, but an at least
equally strong reason and possibly
stronger will be the desire for harmony.
To secure it concessions will be made on
all the disputed sections-in fact, to very
much greater extent than is generally sup
rosed. There will be concessions on sugar,
coal iron ore, possibly on wool and certainly
on many minor articles. But on none Will
the duty be as high as formerly. 1 There
will in every case be some reduction.
These concessions will be made because
they must he made The bill cannot pass
without them. Even with them it is GER
tain to lose one or two votes on the in
come tax and two on lack of n sugar boun-
ty and insufficient protection. And IT. X
not at all certa in that it will not lose 9th
ors on minor points. or course the maj
bill will not he what the radicals OF the
house demand, but the house will accept
it and without protracted debate. Inc
great thing il to make start. Any redlc-
ton will do for n start, II only to let the
people see that no harm is done by tariff
reform, but some good.
1t is usually supposed that the majority
party is always the worse divided. but
on the plan of action to be pursued in tn"
house in case the Wilson bill comes back
in the shape suggested above the minority
at present seems more divided than are the
Democrats. So far rs opinions have been
oppressed. the indications are overwhelm'
ing that the house would accept such a
bill with some grumbling, of course, but
still without great opposition. Among the
Republicans there seems to be n feeling
that this moderated bill will be harder 10
fight than the extreme measure as it pass
ed the house. But this is no particular
news, as it is only what one might have
conjectured from the nature of things.
Extremes of Opinion.
The general outline is, as aforesaid, only
valuable because a considerable number OF
senators agree upon it, but when it comes
TO the question as to how long they Will
be in arriving at that sort of a bill the I'M
certainty is, if possible, greater than ever.
The most sanguine say the middle of April.
On the other extreme the lst of July ~
given as the date. How easily senator
and statesman may be mistaken is shown
by many instances, two of which are rc-
cent and pointed.
When the bill to discontinue the coinage
of silver went over TO the senate last fall,
Senator Sherman predicted its speedy pas
sage Ten DAYS was the longest time he
thought necessary. When the present VIII
son tariff bill reached the senate, Senator
Aldrch thought it would pass that body
soon aud without radical change
If any one is disposed to be sangulne in
spite of these warnings, it would he well
for him TO consider the case of previous
tariff bills Omitting supplementary acts
and amendments. which amount 10 soiAe
40 in all. there have been niue great tariff
acts. and 1t is instructive to note that the
older the country has grown the longer
and the more heated has been the debate
on each act This is but natural. because
the interests are growing more numerous
and complex. The act of 1889 seems to
have created no particular feeling, to have
been debated with moderation and passed
by the regular stages with little delay.
The so called I.owndes. Calhoun tariff
of 1916 excited much more discussion, hut
still was passed with what seemed but
feeble opposition. 1t was acowcdly pro
tective tariff and was supported OF the
ground that industries had been forced
into existence by the blockade during the
war and ought not to be allowed to expire,
but in the retrospect 1t came to be referred
to rs free trade tariff. The act of s24
excited much more opposition than that
of ls2s. simply tore congress all TO pieces,
and only passed the house by the narrow
majority of l01 to l05.
Two Months of Debate.
In ls4a the credit of the nation was sc
bad that for awhile it could not borrow
money at any price, and so the tariff act
of that year was generally regarded as a
necessity and excited comparatively little
opposition. Secretary Robert j. Walker
4 had no sooner taken his seat in Folks cab
met than he began to work for new tar
iif. and yet the summer Of ls}6 had arriv
ed before his measure became II law. Th'
reduction Of 1851 was slipped through cas-
lily because the slavery question overshad
owed everything else, and even the famou:
Morrill, tariff scarcely interested the coun
try because of the appalling dangers thei
threatening. The act of 1867 was vigor
ously opposed, but in those days Demo
cratic opposition rather helped a measur'
than otherwise, and it was not until 1882
that debate ON the tariff may be said t,
have fairly reopened.
Every reader knows the history-hov