Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-04-14
AMERICAN TARIFF LAWS
XVlE-The Wilson, German Bill
BY FREDERIC j. HASKIN

sometimes such tactics have served
to defeat the best laid plans of q whole
administration, but at no time has the
Quay record been equaled. Quay
could afford to fight for delay. Very
recently the statement was made by
one of the lieutenants of Speaker Can
non that every day the insurgents
postponed the enactment of new
tariff law 1t meant an extra cost of
$40 900, 900 to the nation. 1t is to be-
presumed that the changes now pro-
posed will not be as great as those
then contemplated. Quay was con-
fessedly for the higher tariff and $10,-
100000 day was worth talking for.
While the tariff bill was being con-
sidered, Coxey's army arrived on the
scene, and each side sought to make
capital out of the incident, but beyond
the temporary furry caused by its
presence 1t did not seem to affect the
even tenor of things at the capitol in
the slightest. Certainly. its influence
was not felt In the consideration of the
tariff.
The fight of the Democrats to COM
pose the differences among themselves
constitutes remarkable chapter. The
first step of the protection element of
the party was to deliver the ultimatum
that they would not stand for the work
of Vest and Mills. Senator Brice gave
out an interview in which he said that
bill had been agreed to by the ma
jority,. and that 1t was made up by
Secretary Carlisle, rpresentlng the adj
ministration. Senator Jones, represent
ing the finance committee, Senator Cor
man, Senator Cockrell and himself.
Another newspaper story represented
Senator Mills as kicking like one of
his Texas steers at this performance.
Senator Jones undertools-, the task of
bringing about harmony. He saw
every senator and found out the very
least with which he would be salts
fed. This resulted in several hundred
amendments to the I'LL as 1t came from
the house. He conferred with Secre-
tary Carlisle and President Cleveland,
and stated in the senate that they had
agreed to stand by the, amendments he
had drafted to meet the objections Of
the insurgents"
Burdened down with 6s4 amendments,
the Wilson bill was sent back to the
house. After pursuing the usual par
liamentary course the whole was sent
to conference. The first conference
failed, further conferences were had,
and finally the house abjectly surren-
dered to the senate, and the bill be-
came law, but without the presidents
signature. 1t is the only time in the
history of tariff measures that such
thing has happened. Mr.. Clevelands
My dear Catchings'' letter created
furore throughout the country. 1t was
the second time he had gone after the
senate for it's action. The first time
was in a letter to William L. Wilson,
written the day before the senate
passed its bill, in which he came dan
gerously near to impugning the motives
of many senator's. 1t was in this let
ter that he used his famous phrase
about party perfidy and dishonor."
This created great stir In the senate,
and wholesale explanations were made
Senator German, Senator Vest and
Senator Jones all stated that the bill
as 1t was finally passed by the senate
had been approved paragraph by para
graph. by Secretary Carlisle and Presi-
dent Cleveland, both of them admitting
that 1t was the best that could be had
under the circumstances.
AS the measure finally became law,
only free lumber and free wool re-
manned as reminder of the attitude
of the party in favor of free raw ma
terial. The fight over sugar saw
Democrats advocating taMd raw ma
terial and the Republicans free raw
material. The debate on this schedule
led Washington paragrapher to in
troduce Senator Sorghum to the news
paper world, and the character is still
making the rounds of the American
press.
The wilson-Gorman law was the
greatest compromise ever made In tar
If history. AS a whole 1t failed to
represent fully the views of any mem
Der of the party which fathered it. 1t
verified the old saying that If you
scratch free trader in the right spot
you will find a protectionist.
Copyright, 1909, by Frederic J. Hasl<in)N