The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1909-04-05

movement to make Kerr Of I1diana
the first Democratic Speaker after the
Civil War. Again N 1883 he led the
forces which put Carlisle In The speak
er's chair. In both Instances lie was
made chairman Of Ways and Means.
Roger @. Mills is now the only living
man who wrote o tariff bill that was
considered by both the Senate and
House. All OF the others have been
dead for some years. In recent times
there seems TO be a singular fatality
attaching to the authors of
tariff measures. william Mckinley
died within a decade after the passage
OF the Mckinley law, and William l..
Wilson lived no longer. Nelson Ding
ley lived only a few years after the
measure which bore his name became
the law OF the land. Today we, have
only one ex-PresiSent and one author
Of . histxric tariff bill living. Mills
went to the Senate after leaving the
House. and helped to frame the Senate
amendments to the Wilson bill He is
stiIl living in Texas.
After Mills came Mckinley to whom
the world gives the credit Of having
written the Mckinley bill. As mat
ter Of fact, the bill was largely re-
draft OF the Senate substitute for the
Mills bill, and Senator Nelson w.
Aldrich did more to frame that meas
ure than any other man. Mr.. McKin-
ley was perhaps the only author Of
tariff bill who has written q book ON
the tariff.
william L. Wilson was probably the
most scholarly man who ever wrote
an American tariff law. At the time
OF his election to the House OF Repre-
sentatives he was President Of the
University OF West Virginia. He was
assigned to the position of chairman OF
the Committee of Ways and Means
over the heads OF all those who had
been members OF that committee
This was done by Speaker Crisp as a
compromise and recognition of the
Cleveland Democracy In the House.
Mr.. Wilson's after career Is familiar
history He left a university presi-
dency to take up the duties OF pubic
life, and immediately after laying
down those duties was elected Presi-
dent OF the historic Washington and
Lee University. and died ie this posi-
tion.
Nelson Dingiey. owner, and editor
Of The Lewiston, Maine. Journal. was
perhaps the only editor OF q daily
paper who ever DRAFTED a tariff law
Dhgley was not q man of SURPRISING
ability, but he had a wonderful capaci-
ty for hard study. Not an orator, but
rather possessing weak and not TOO
pleasant voice; not Of pre-possessing
personal appearance. but slight ana
weak looking, he knew that the only
way to succeed in Congress was to
know what there was to know con-
corning subjects Of legislation. A col
league who boarded at the same hotel
says of him that he never visited Nell
son Dingley's. room that he did not
find him ensconceds in an easy chair
with books and documents surrounding
him. and pad and pencil in his hand
Pig Iron Kelly, Samuel J. Randall
Fernando Wood. and many others
might be included in the list Of those
who have written tariff bills. To
write such a, bill requires immense
thought, great discretion, scrupulous
integrity and abundant lack OF selfish
ness. Most of those who have pre-
pared the tariff measures--successful
and unsuccessful-have possessed
those qualities.
Copyright, 1909. by Frederic J. Has
KIM
Observation-Disclosures Tariff Laws.
xxHI.-As n Political Issue.