The Coconino weekly sun., 1895-08-15
A GLANCE BACKWARD.
cleveIand's Interference Alone Saved the
 Wilson Bill.

In the Bulletin, organ of the Amerl- san Iron and Steel association, Mir. James M. Swank makes an interesting review of tariff legislation from 1870 to 1894. It is an unavoidable conclu- sion of the facts presented by MT, I.Swank, though he does not dwell upon nor even mention it, that the passage of the Wilson-Gorman bill with the consequent demoralization 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 1s32, active in the dcm- ocratic party, are free traders at heart but there always has been and, except under such dictatorship as that of Cleveland, always will be minority of protectionist democrats in congress. And it always has been, except under | the Cleveland absolutism, strong l enough to prevent radical changes of tariff by acting with the republican minority.
 The tariff of 1870, passed by a con- gress that was overwhelmingly repub- lican, was strongly protective. To the twenty-eight dollars per ton duty im- 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 1883. But in the meantime it had been sub | iacte5 tn tbraa nftarES tho rnpSt Sari- | ous of which was in 1878, when the Wood tariff bill was framed and de- bated. It was free trade measure, | or, at any rate, 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- tion of Gen. Butler to strike out the enacting clause it was defeated, nine teen democrats voting with Butler Again in 1880 strong effort was made to reduce the duty on steel rails to ten dollars per ton. This was defeated in the ways and means committee.
 The tariff Of 1883 succeeded that of 1870. It also was protective in charac- ter. though less symmetrical in pro- portions thanits predecessor. Hardly had it passed into law before the demo crats organized for its repeal. In 1884 Mr. Morrison introduced his first ''hori- zontal" bill It was slain by d motion of MT. Converse. democrat, to striko out the enacting clause, thirty-nine democrats, with Randall among them, voting aye on the motion of Mir. Con- verse. In November of 1884, Mir. Cleve- land was elected to his first presidential term, and in March, 1885, he recom- mended reduction of tariff duties to congress. The house again was strong ly democrat;s. In 1886 Mir. Morrison introduced second horizontal" bill. The house refused to consider it seri- ously, thirty-ive democrats, with Ran- dall in the lead, voting against it. For this vote," says MT. Swank, MT. Cleve- land never forgare Mir. Randall" In his next annual message, that of De cember, 1886, Mir. Cleveland again urged tariff reduction op congress, and again Mr. Morrison introduced a horizontal" measure. Again the house, through democrats, with Randall again in the lead, votel against it. A new congress was elected in the autumn of 1886, 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 was brought to bear upon democrats known to be opposed to it, and but four dared to brave his wrath. Ran was too i'll to be in his seat on the oc- 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- jeeted 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 to the end of Cleveland's first term. It is plain that there al- ways was considerable minority of protectionist democrats elected to con gross.
 As sequence of the elections of 1888 the Mckinley tariff was passed. The country now is convinced of its mer- it's. It remained in force for but a brief time, but it brought unexampled d prosperity to the country, and unex- ampled diversity succeeded thereto as soon as it became apparent that the president and congress were bent upon it's repeal. The intrigues, the threats, the promotions and the displacements that the president brought to bear upon protectionist democrats form a scandalous chapter in political his tory. Yet he was not able to carry the Wilson bill in it's origiual form Amended and altered and patched out of all semblance to its original design, 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 tho Wilenp hill Rut for rrasi-