Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1896-07-30
DEMOCRATS. WHAT ABOUT THIS
Does tho Troaehory of Your Party APP

ply as Well to Tariff as to Silver?
The democratic party has always
professed to be tariff reform" party.
This was practically the only issue be-
fore the people when it was for the
first time since the war successful in
the national election Of 1884. Cleve-
land was elected and the party was
given AZ majority in the House Of Rep
resentatives where, under the consti-
tuition, all tariff or revenue bills must
originate. Mr.. John G. Carlisle was
elected speaker and in the formation Of
his committees gave the Craftsmanship
Of the Ways and Means committee to
w. r. Morrison, and OF the Appropria-
lions committee to Samuel ]. Randall.
1t began to be whispered about, even
before congress convened, that no
tariff legislation would pass the House
because Of the opposition Of the Ran
dallites. 1t was said that enough
democratic votes would be controlled
in the interest of republican tariff ideas
to prevent an opposition measure pass
ing. Such argument was treated with
scorn and contempt by the majority OF
the party who would net believe that,
with complete control of the House in
their possession, the party w6Sld prove
so recreant to its pledges as % permit
such course, and democratic rejoicing
over the fact that the party was now
in position to show to the country
just what 1t meant by tariff reform"
was unrestrained.
Mr.. Morrison and MS committee went
to work and in the course Of few
months prepared the famous "Hori-
zontal reduction bill" and introduced
it in the house. Mr.. Converse, demo-
Graf from Ohio, made a motion to
strike out its enacting clause. Upon
the result of this motion depended not
only the fate of the Morrison bill but
the fate Of all tariff legislation for that
session. Mr.. Randall threw the weight
of his influence against the bill and in
favor of the adoption Of the motion.
The battle was long continued and ap-
parently honest. Mr.. Morrison urged
the House to remember that its major
ity was chosen directly for the purpose
of reforming the tariff and that if his
bill was not acceptable 1t had the
power to take It in hand and amend it
to suit, but to for Gods sake, pasa
some kind of tariff reform bill" In
spite of all, in spite of the AZ tariff
reform" majority, Converses motion
prevailed and thus the tariff reform"
party, backed by all the influence OF
presidential patronage, went on record
in favor of the republican tariff policy.
Sam Randall was made the scape-
goat Of democratic indictments and
was abused as q traitor, Judas Iscariot,
Benedict Arnold, ETC., because he used
his power as chairman Of the appro-
priations committee to defeat a bill
which had the sanction Of his party.
But listen to the sequel. When the
next congress convened it, too, was
democratic and the House again
elected Mr.. Carlisle speaker and he
again appointed Mr.. Samuel j. Randall
to the very same position as chairman
of the appropriations committee which
he had been accused of using to defeat
democratic tariff legislation in the
previous House. Does this indicate
that the democrats of that time wanted
anything, even on the tariff, different
from what the republicans did? Again,
II the democratic leaders really wanted
legislation on the tariff different from
the kind given by the republicans any
thing like as badly as they lately
wanted monetary legislation exactly
like the republicans, couldn't Cleve-
land have effected the passage of the
Morrison bill, which had the approval
of the majority Of his party, much
easier than he did the repeal of the
silver purchase clause? Certainly, he
could and the fact that he did not, goes
to prove that the democratic position
on the tariff is as treacherous and
fraudulent as 1t is on every other ques-
tion in which the vital interests of the
people are concerned.
How much longer the people will
consent to be gulled and betrayed by
democratic and republican leaders is
a question for The future to decide, but
nothing is palmer than that they will
never get relief from present condl-
tions until they shall have repudiated
the entire crowd.