The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1895-08-16
INTERESTING "REMINISCENCES.
CIeveiand's Interference Alone Saved the
william RilI

INTERESTING "REMINISCENCES.
CIeveiand's Interference Alone Saved the
Wilson Bill.
In the Bulletin, organ of the Ameri-
IAN Iron and Steel association, Mr.
James NJ. Swank makes an interesting
review of tariff legislation from 1870
to 1894. It is an unavoidable conclu-
sion of the facts presented by Mr..
Swank. though he does not dwell upon
nor even mention it, that the passage
Of the Wilson-Gorman bill with the
consequent decentralization of trade is
not so much the work of the demo-
cratic party as of Grover Cleveland.
The majority of men to-day, and at
any time since 1882, active in the dem
ocratic party, are free traders at heart,
but there always has been and, except
under such a dictatorship as that of
Cleveland, always will be a minority
of protectionist democrats in congress.
And it always has been, except under
the Cleveland absolutism, strong
enough TO prevent radical changes of
tariff by acting with the republican
minority.
The tariff of 1870. passed by con-
gress that was overwhelmingly repub-
lican. was strongly protective. To the
twenty-eight dollars per ton duty i'm
posed by it the country owes the crea-
ton. growth and firm establishment of
its steel rail industry; and, indeed, all
the magnificent iron and steel works
of the United States were built up or
confirmed by the operation of the
tariff of 1870. It endured until 1888.
But in the meantime it had been sub
jected 70 three attacks, the most seri-
Gus of which was in 1873. when the
Wood tariff bill was framed and de-
bated. IL was free trade measure,
or, at any rate. a measure tending
toward free trade. The house was
democratic, and it was believed that
the bill would pass that body. Randall
was speaker of the house. But on mo-
ton of Gen. Butler 70 strike ont the
enacting clause it was defeated, nine
teen democrats voting with Butler.
Again in 1850 4 strong effort was made
10 reduce the duty on steel rails to ten
dollars per ton. This was defeated in
the ways and means committee.
The tariff of 1888 succeeded that of
1670. 1t also was protective in charac-
ter. though less symmetrical in pro-
portions than it's predecessor Hardly
had it passed into law before the demo
Gratis organized for its repeal. In 1884
Mr.. Morrison introduced his first 'hori-
zontar bill 1t was slain by motion
of Mr.. Converse, democrat, to strike
out the enacting clause, thirty-nine
democrats, with Randall among them,
voting aye on the motion of Mr.. Con-
verse. In November of 1884, Mr.. Clevc-
land was elected to his first presidential
term, and in March, 1885, he recon-
meuded reduction of tariff duties to
congress. The house again was strong
" democratic. In 1885 Mr.. Morrison
introduced a second horizontal bill
The house refused to consider it seri-
ously, thirty-ive democrats, with Ran
dali in the lead, voting against it. For
this vote" says Mr.. Swank. Mr.. Cleve-
land never forgave Mr.. Randall" In
his next annual message, that of De-
cember, 1856, Mr.. Cleveland again
urged tariff reduction on congress,
and again Mr.. Morrison introduced a
horizontal measure. Again the house,
through democrats, with Randall
again in the lead, voted against it. A
new congress was elected in the
autumn of 1896, and President Cleve-
land addressed himself TO it in his
next annual message, December, 1887,
and in this message he came nearer a
plain advocacy of free trade. The Mills
bill followed. The presidential power
known 20 be opposed to it, and but
four dared 70 brave his wrath. Ran
was too I'll 20 be in his seat on the &C.
Casion of the final vote, or there would
have been five. How the Mills bill
passed the house and was rejected by
the senate, and how the country re-
Iected the bill and the president who
framed it and most Of the democratic
congressman who had voted for it, are
matters of recent history. At this
point the history of tariff legislation
is completed 70 the end of Cleveland's
irst term. 1t is plain that there al
ways was considerable minority of
orotectionist democrats elected to con-
gress.
AS sequence of the elections of 1855
the Mckinley tariff was passed. The
country now is convinced of its mer-
IFS. 1t remained in force for but
brief time, but it brought unexampled
prosperity to the country, and uneX-
ampled adversely succeeded thereto as
soon as it became apparent that the
president and congress were bent upon
is repeal. The intrigues, the threats,
The promotions and the displacements
that the president brought to bear
upon protectionist democrats form
scandalous chapter in political his
tory. Yet he was not able to carry
the Wilson bill in it's original form
Amended and altered and patched out
of all semblance to its original design,
a tariff law that has all the faults of
an ill-considered measure of protec-
ton and all the vices of radical free
trade was passed through house and
senate, and was approved unwillingly
by Mr.. Cleveland. But he is to blame
for the hybrid measure. No congress,
not even a democratic congress, could
be expected to approve the monstrosity
Of the Wilson bill. But for presi-
Dental interference the Wilson bill
would have been killed. as the Morri-
son bills were. by concerted action of
democrats and repub-
iicans. 1t is to be noted that few of
the democrats who were known as
cuckoos were returned to
the present congress.-Chicago Inter
Ocean.