Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-11
MT. Bryan and the Tariff.

'Mr. Bryan was IN the House of Repre-
sentatives for four years and was a
committee. the ways and means. The
President and Congress we're both demo-
cratic. It was Bryan's opportunity. What
dpes the record show that he ever did :?
in Washington next door to the White
House. when he was part Of one of the
coordinate branches of the government
and when II he had employed himself
with the 81 me zeal he is now displaying
In his own behalf he might have induced
his democratic associates to take up some
or his theories and see what they were
worth. Was he afraid or were they
afraid to do so? Mr.. Bryan failed to act
when he had the chance. If he could do
nothing as member OF Congress, not
even talk In favor Of his ideas, what
could he do in the White House?
when he was In Congress the admin
istration was democratic and Mr.. Bryan
had q clear field. President Cleveland
was so dissatisfied with the tariff bill that
Bryan and his associates on the ways
that he declared 1t a perfidy and dis
honor and refused to sign it. It became
q law without his signature"
Here Is q curious tumble Of prejudice
and transformation. What did Mr.. Bryan
do while in the House? What he has
been doing ever since he left there. He
talked whenever the opportunity pre-
scented itself. He did not set the House
afire. and nobody foresaw his future, but
he gave the orator in him full sway.
Under the leadership OF William L.
Wilson. Mr.. Bryan helped prepare the
Wilson tariff bill. and spoke in favor Of
It. and the bill when 1t left the House
was entirely acceptable to Mr.. Cleveland
The President wanted the Senate to ac-
cept 1t. The bill he denounced as per-
1dious and dishonorable was the one Mr.
German and his friends fashioned, with
the Wilson bill as a basis. So changed
was the House bill by the Senate that
Mr.. Cleveland refused to sign 1t, although
Mr.. German and his friends insisted that
they had proceeded with Mr.. Cleveland's
knowledge and consent
One feature Of that controversy has been
too little considered. The House bill was
prepared by seven lawyers and three bust
ness men. Wilson of West Virginia, Nc
Miilin of Tennessee, Turner OF Georgia,
Montgomery of Kentucky, Cochran of
New York. Bryan Of Nebraska, and By
mum Of Indiana were the lawyers. Whit
Ing of Michigan. Stevens Of Massachu-
sets. and Breckenridge Of Arkansas were
the business men. All the lawyers but
one-Montgomery Of Kentucky-were ora
tors, and Mr.. Bryan and Mr.. Cochran Of
the ford school. Would any business
man go to such q source for tariff bill?
Hardly.
When the measure prepared by this
committee reached the Senate 1t came
under the control of four men-an men
Of business, and OF the wealthiest bust
ness connections-Gorman of Maryland.
Brice of Ohio. Smith of New Jersey. and
Murphy of New York. Not one was
tariff expert. but all were in close touch
with expert knowledge. and In sympathy
with the policy of protection and those
who were enjoying its benefits. So the
business interests, which had Jared badly
as they thought at the hands of the
House, turned to the Senate, and there
the battle was fought
Is 1t any wonder the Senate won. even
with the President backing the House?
Here were q lot Of lawyers and orators
bucking q line of senator's primed and
supported by all the manufacturing in
terests Of the country. Fancy q schedule
prepared by William ]. Bryan and Bourke
Cochran. professional spellbinders. sur
viving a swipe by German and Brtce,
keyed to their work by experts in the bust
ness world. And Mr.. Cleveland added no
strength to the House side, for he was
not an authority ON the tariff. and In a
newspaper interview on the subject a few
years before had confessed his ignorance.