The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-04-01
RIVER AT 8 A. NJ.
TANNED THROUGH.

We are indebted to the system de-
vised and put into effect by Thomas
Platt, of New York, Of framing such
measures as he wants passed by the
legislature in his rooms at Fifth ave-
nue. hotel and then issuing orders to
have them put through on a certain
day. The expressive phrase, damned
through" describes exactly the process
by which the Dingley bill was passed
by the house Of representatives yes
terday 1t would be safe to wager a
fortune that there are not five men in
the whole membership Of the house
who know anything about these pro-
visions in detail. 1t was not debated
except in the most general and cursory
way. 1t was framed in silence and Sc
crecy, ostensibly by the Republican
members of the ways and means com
mlttee, without Democratic consulta-
ton, but really by the manufacturers
of the country, who went down %
Washington and told that committee
what duties they wanted on the com
modities in which they were princi
pally Interested
The people and the peoples represen-
tatives have had nothing to do with
this measure, which is to be a law
for US until the congress which shall
be elected by the inevitable popular re-
vulsion of feeling shall reduce its terms
to reason and decency. The public
were told during the campaign AMI
Just after the election that the utmost
hopes of the Republicans were conferred
upon the passage Of a moderate" ta~-
III bill. Their ideas Of moderation"
show IN the finished product, which
imposes the highest duties ever known
to this country. The rates Of the Nc
Kinley bill were so extravagant and
oppressive, and the aid which it gave
to trusts and other monopolies was so
manifest, that the public rebelIed. Yet
the Dingley bill goes further toward
the same extreme than the Mckinley
bill, and embodies more than it was
supposed even the bigoted protectfonist
80 framed by the lust Of the million
are penehclartes of protective pol
icy, and so presented to the house by q.
committee whose own members knew
little of it except as to a few important
features, it was passed under gag law
at day and hour set in advance, with
out regard to fullness or freedom Of
discussion. 1t was damned through"
under pressure Of the rules Of the
mouse, and is, as q matter of fact 2
bit Of legislation as alien to our neon1a
as If it had been framed and put into
effect by a concert Of the European
powers. The spirit of the thing. its
contempt Of freedom and Of popular
rights, was well illustrated in the
amendment adopted at the last mo-
ment. by which it is attempted to put
the new rates into effect on the LIST day
of April. This exhibits the highway
mans desire that no traveller shall es-
cape him whose pocket has not been
empued.
The greedy tariff barons are dis
traught as they see heavy imports of
goods coming in under the old rates.
and cannot wait until their law goes
into effect to seize and hold up their
customers. They have, therefore. de-
termined to attempt the unconstitu
tional and impossible act Of making
the new rates retroactive. They say
that a thing which is not a law on the
list Of April, because it lacks two OF
the essentials of a law, namely the
approval of the senate and that of
the president, shall have all the effect
Of law and be binding on the public.
This is a triviality in itself, but it Is
worth considerable notice as being in
entire harmony with the bill Itself in
setting at one side all considerations
Of public right and popular liberty,
and enforcing, with a high hand and
regardless of legal or constitutional
Safeguards, the will OF the few lords