The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1897-07-09
DEMOCRATIC DELAY
THEY ARE HOLDING BACK THE
TARIFF BILL.

TARIFF BILL.
The Republicans Are Doing All in Their
Power to Keep the Bill Moving, but
They Are in the Minority in the
Senate.
E. F. PARSONS, Special Correspondent.
Washington, D. C.-That the tariff
bill has not passed before the end of
June is the fault of the Democrats and
of the Democrats only. This fact
might just as we'll be known now, and
plainly understood. So propose to
give you in this letter the words of one
OF the most distinguished and expert
enced members of that body, whose in
tegrity of purpose, good judgment and
fairness of expression are we'll known
the country over.
81 hope the people of the country
understand, said Senator Cullom, as
he closed weary day of tariff discus
sion. in the senate, ''that the silence of
our side of the senate is simply for the
purpose Of ecoonmizing time and get
ting this bill through as soon as possi-
ble.''
Then it is not because of lack of
matter with which to reply to the argu-
ments and charges being made by the
Democrats against the bill?"
Not at all. On the contrary there
is ample material with which to an
swer their arguments and every charge
made by them. But the pressure on the
part of the people for action on this
bill is SO great that we have deter
mined to let nothing, SO far as we are
concerned, stand in the way of the ear
liest possible action upon it,
THE pressure from the people for
action on the bill is unusually great, is
it not, senator?"
Eyes, more so than / have ever seen
on any. occasion of this kind. 1t is not
surprising, of course, that people who
have suffered as ours have, under the
depression and blighting influence of
the present tariff law should be anxious,
very anxious, for its instant repeal and
the substitution of the protective sys-
tenn under which the country was so
prosperous for so many years. But it
seems that they do not realize the >em-
barrassment under which the Republic
cans in the senate are laboring. 1t
seems to me that if they were to stop a
moment and consider the fact that we
are in an absolute minority in the sem
ate, that our hands are tied, and that it
is with the greatest difficulty and
diplomacy that we are able to command
or obtain sufficient number of votes
for the protective theory, they would
not be impatient, even under the dis
tressing circumstances with which they
are surrounded. 1t has seldom if ever
happened within the history of the
country that a tariff was enacted when
the two branches Of congress were not
controlled by one party. Here we are
with the Republican party in te senate
in the minority, trying to pass pro-
tective tariff bill.''
''Then it is the Democratic party and
its leaders. who are responsible for de-
lay in action upon the tariff bill in the
senateT'
absolutely. Had not the hands of
| the Republicans in the senate been
tied. the bill would have been upon the
statute books long before now. The
Republicans have worked in season and
out of season to hasten action on this
bill. They have laid aside every
other consideration. They are consid-
ering various items of the bill, schedule
by schedule and paragraph by para.
graph. in conference and caucus, and
before the finance committee, day by
day outside of the regular hours Of
the session and during the hours of the
session are depriving themselves of the
opportunity to answer the criticisms
made upon the bill and upon the party
simply for the purpose of gaining time
and fastening final action. They are
sitting in their seats, quietly, in re-
sponse to the demand of the people that
nothing shall interfere with prompt ac-
tion by the senate and there is no 9TH
er way by which they can hasten the
final vote. The Democratic members,
recognizing the fact that the Reupbli-
cans in their anxiety to hasten the pas
sage of the bill are omitting to answer
the false charges made against the bill
and the party are proceeding to pile up
/ the groundless attacks and charges, set
ting up straw men and fighting them
for the purpose Of making cheap polit-
! ical capital, and here we must sit and
listen to these false charges made, and
be unable to respond to them simply
because of our loyalty to those who are
demanding prompt action and COM
planning because it has not been had
before this time. They ought to under
stand that the Democratic leaders and
party are persistently and unnecessarily
and maliciopsly delaying this benefi.
cent measure, in order to permit their
allies, the importers, to fill the coun-
try with foreign goods and at the same
time to embarrass and pile up false
charges against the Republican party. u
"How soon do you expect to see the
bill pass the sentae?'
81 hope soon after the end of the
present month. The leaders on the
Democratic side do not make any prom.
ises as to when they will permit it to
pass. They talk about the first week
in July, but they have been making
promises of that sort from the begin.
ming, as everybody knows, stating that
they would not delay the bill unneces.
sarily, and yet they 60 on talking and
talking into the air indefinitely"
/ The Democratic senators who have
been scolding because sugar-trust stocks
advanced per cent in value while the
Republican tariff bill was under consid.
Grafton evidently supposed that the
country would forget that sugar-trust
stocks advanced 55 per cent in value
while the Democratic party, under