The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1895-08-17

review of tariff legislation from 1870
TO 1894. IL Is an unavoidable conclu-
sion OF the facts presented by Mr..
Swank, though he does not dwell upon
nor even mention IL. that the passage
of the Wilson-Gorman bill with the
consequent Generalization of trade Is
not SO much the work Of the demo
cratic party as of Grover Cleveland
The majority of men to-day, and ss
any time since 1892, active in the dem
ocratic party, are free traders at heart
out there always has been and. except
under such dictatorship as that OF
Cleveland. always will be minority
OF protectionist democrats In congress-
And IL 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 inn
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. IL endured until 1889.
But in the meantime it had been sub
jected to three attacks, the most seri-
Gus OF which was in 1878, when the
Wood tariff bill was framed and de-
bated. 1t was a free trade measure,
or, at any rate, measure tending
democratic, and IL was believed that
the bill would pass that body. Randall
was speaker of the house. But on mo-
ton of Gen. Butler TO strike out tho
enacting clause it was defeated, nine
teen democrats voting with Butler.
Again in 1850 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. 1t also was protective in charac-
ter. though less symmetrical In pro-
portions than its predecessor Hardly
had it passed into law before the demo
Gratis organized for its repeal. In 1884
Mr.. Morrison introduced his first ''hori-
zontal" bill II was slain by motion
of Mr.. Converse. democrat, TO strike
out the enacting clause, thirty-nine
democrats, with Randall among them,
voting aye on tho motion of Mr.. Con-
verse. Ia November of 1854, Mr.. Clevc-
land was elected to his first presidential
term, and in March, 1855, he recon-
mended reduction of tariff duties to
congress. The house again was strong
ly democratic In 1886 Mr.. Morrison
introduced a second horizontal" bill
The house refused to consider IL seri-
ously, thirty-five democrats, with Ran
dali in the lead, voting against II. For
this vote," says Mr.. SwanlS. Mr.. Cleve-
land never forgage 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 1t. A
new congress was elected In tho
autumn of 1880, and President Cleve-
land addressed himself TO IL In his
next annual message, December, 1887,
and in this message he came nearer
plain advocacy of free trade. The Mills
bin followed. The presidential power
was brought TO bear npon democrats
known 10 be opposed TO IL, and but
four dared to brave his wrath Ran
was too i'll 10 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 IL and most of the democratic
congressman who had voted for IL, are
matters of recent history. At this
point the history of tariff legislation
is completed TO the end of Cleveland's
irst term. II Is plain that there al
ways was a considerable minority OF
democrats elected to con-
gress.
AS n sequence of the elections of 1883
the Mckinley tariff was passed. The
country now Is convinced of its mer-
it's 1t remained in force for but
briet time. but it brought unexampled
prosperity 20 the country. and uncx-
ampled adversely succeeded thereto az
soon as IL became apparent that the
president and congress were bent upon
its repeal The intrigues, the threats,
the promotions and the dispiaccments
that the president brought to bear
upon protectionist democrats form
scandnlous chapter In political his
tory. Yet he was not able 10 carry
the Wilson bill In its original form
Amended and altered and patched out
of MI semblance TO its original design,
a tariff law that has all the faults OF
an ill-conSidercd measure OF protec-
ton and oil 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 democratic congress, could
be expected 20 approve tho monstrosity
of the Wilson bill. But for presi-
Dental interference the Wilson bill
would have been killed, as the Morri-
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