Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-04-02
The Tariff Bill.

The Democratic vi SohS' "'
bean expected, criticise the brief time
which has been allowed for DEBATE
THE Injustice of this objection Is APP
narent. Haste was demanded by the
conditions in which the Democratic
narty had left the revenue. Some re-
| lief was imperatively needed. the at
! tempt to afford temporary remedy III
the last Congress was defeated by the
Democrats They are responsible LOT
whatever haste there. is. Something
had to be done and done quickly. NO
bill, it is safe TO say. ever received
| more thorough consideration sin inc
committee than this. All the arSu-
ments pro ard con are fresh in the
minds of the people. The public is
tired of hearing the reiterations. What
people want to know is the ERECT as
nearly as that may be estimated in ad-
vance, of the particular schedules, TO
impart such information has not been
part of the Democratic scheme. the
bilrs political opponents contented
themselves for the most part with re-
reating the stale arguments put forth
| in support of the Wilson bill and which
have since been refuted beyond the
question of doubt. So far as they were
concerned there has been ample time
for them. Among the Republicans
there was disposition to discuss tina
separate schedules and there was in
that debate source of information for
the reason that the disputants were not
talking solely for political effect but be-
cause they either had suggestions to offer
or wished for information. In this part
of the discussion there has been
| afforded the public an opportunity,
which was not afforded by anything
| advanced by those who opposed the
tariff on general principles, to arrive at
better understanding respecting GER
tain features The replies of the COM
mitteemen to these questions have let
light in upon several of the schedules
| and in every instance the reply has
shown that the trainers had excellent
grounds for every step taken by them.
Indeed it may well have been wished by
the members of that committee that the
debate in the House might have been
extended. enabling them to make such
explanations and present such evidence
as would render perfectly clear to all
any position assumed by them and con-
corning which there might be some
misunderstanding. For all practical
purposes, however, the debate in the
House was long enough. However
much time had been consumed there.
those who might not have got all they
wanted would have gone to the Senate,
as they will now, to try to have the
bill changed there to suit them. Were
| the Senate restricted to some limit in
| the matter of time the House could
justly have had more at its disposal.
| Under the conditions there was moth
ing to do but to make the best
| of everything. This has been
done wonderfully well. The admins
tration came in March 4th, Congress
assembled March 18th and March 31st
the House turned over. for the consid-
Grafton of the Senate. complete re-
vision of the tariff along the line of the
protective theory. This work, approved
as it was by every straight Republican
member, has moreover received the en-
men, while q members refused to ex-
press any opinion upon it. Unques-
tionably some of the Republicans
| thought there might have been some
advantageous changes but they showed
that they realized the measure, was
virtually as near what it could be made
as might fairly be expected The
Democratic support is from the states
of Louisiana and Texas. where the
| DllSnt OF the present. law HdS ocSii
about as keenly appreciated as in any
part of the Union. Texas is great
wool growing state and Louisiana has
seen her sugar industry imperilled and
her planters kept from their duties by
the Bowlerisms of the Cleveland ad-
ministration. Surely the incentive to
support a protective measure was
strong but it was hardly expected that
they would come out and boldly defy
party leadership, as they have done
In some states in the South such a step
would ensure social ostracism but it is
evident that the constituencies Of these
members have outgrown such Stiffness
Their course lends weight to the Opin-
ion that one of the Louisiana senators
may be relied upon to support tbs
measure. Indeed the bill is one on the
whole favorable to the South. 1t favors
her lumber, iron and coal interests anl
affords substantial protection in Other
Il ways. Now that the bill has reached
j the Senate it's progress will be much
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