Evening star., 1897-03-19
DE RATS DIVIDED
Difference of Opinion as to . Tax on Raw
Materials.
Two Minority Reports on the Tariff
Bill Likely-The Future
Party Policy.

There is division among democrats over
the tariff question. All but two men,
bers of the minority of the ways and
means committee are in favor OF q tax
OF raw materials. and 1t is believed that a
large majority Of the democrats in the
House are also in favor of raw material
duties. This Is a radical change from
the position occupied by Mr. Cleveland on
the tariff question, he advocating free raw
materials This is one of the features
of the realignment of parties in the last
presidential campaign. The free silver
men Of the west and middle west are many
of them in favor of protection as affecting
the raw materials, of which they are the
chief producers. The free silver republi-
cars who claim to be protectionists are
SO only to this extent. The sanction of
Incidental protection on raw materials, it
Is calculated. will practically remove the
only barrier to the cooperation politically,
of the several elements which compose the
silver political aggregation.
a modification of the former democratic
position on this question of raw material
was involved in the construction of the
platform of the last democratic national
convention. The word only in the ex-
preston tariff for revenue only" was
voted out of the platform in the commit
tee on resolutions, and a declaration was
made In favor of levying duties for revenue
on the products Of all sections Of the coun-
try without discrimination. This declara-
ton was advocated in the interest of &;
duty on raw materials. including WOOL
The policy Is to satisfy the western senti-
ment by revenue tariff on their products
anG to center the anti-protection fight
upon the manufactured products Of the
east.
In the committee on ways and means
Mr.. McMillin and Mr.. Wheeler were the
only democrats who voted for the PROPOSE
tion to substitute the Wilson wool and
vcolen schedules for the schedules Of the
new bill. The other democrats voted for
proposition of Mr.. Bailey. to make a :3
per cent reduction in the schedule proposed
by the Dingley bill. and they all voted fer
a duty on wool. 1t is likely that there
will be two minority reports-one signed
by McMillin and Wheeler in support Of
the old Cleveland-Carlisle-M Morrison idea
of free raw material and the other signed
by Bailey, Robertson. Swanson and Me-
Laurin in favor of duty on raw material.
An effort is being made to avoid the diff
ference of opinion among the democrats
being advertised in this manner at the
start. but it will probably fail. The Bailey
report will necessarily deal with the SUBJ
ject in general terms, the majority not
having had time to thoroughly digest the
bill SO as to treat 1t in detail, and will be
confined to general declaration Of prin,
ciple on the tariff which will be expected
to form the basis of future policy to the
party. 1t will probably be In line with the
clause in the democratic platform, declar-
ing in favor of duty on raw materials
equivalent to that on manufactured arti-
cles, and in opposition to the high rates
of the Dingley bill, especially on manu-
featured articles.
This indicates three-corEered fight in
the House and division among the demo-
Gratis which will permanently ALLEVIATE the
Cleveland element of the party. while max
ing closer the alliance between the western
silver republicans and democrats. 1t indi-
Gates that there will be less resistance to
the passage of the tariff bill in the Sen
ate, though it may lead to a counter propo-
sition to the Mckinley bill being made in
the Senate by the combined silver forces
there.
The slender thread which holds the gold
democrats in the Senate to the party will
probably be broken on account Of the ad-
Nocacy by the party of tax on raw ma
terials, and the silver forces will be salts
fled to simply make clear their opposition
to the Dingley bill and their advocacy of
tax on raw materials with a lower duty in
all the general schedules.