Los Angeles herald., 1909-04-09
AMERICAN TARIFF LAWS
XH-Morrison's Horizontal Bit
BY FREDERIC j. HASKIN

a hundred years there had to be 40
per cent given. a
The protectionists, on the other hand,
pointed to the growth OF the country,
the development of its industries, the
elevation OF its people, and claimed all
these to he the direct results OF pro-
lection. They submitted that the PROOF
of the pudding was In the eating, ana
that settled 1t to their minds. Thus dc-
bate dragged along for some tnree
weeks.
AS the day for vote on the pcnding
bill drew near the free trade people
were in high spirits, and the protec-
tionists were cast down. But when
the morning of May 6 arrived the tlue
had turned. The protectionists VINO
had been in the valley of despair Were
now on the high hills OF elation' anu
the free traders had changed places
with them. All washington recognizes
that one of the closest fights IN the ! ms
tory of congress was to be settled that
day. and the population turned out en-
masse to witness the spectacle. Jonn
q. Carlisle was the speaker. Inc Dlu
was promptly taken up to be conslu-
cred by paragraphs. At this juncture,
Representative Converse or ONO
pressed forward, gained the recognition
Of the chair, and moved 70 st XIV. ore
the enacting clause. This was the par
lianentary motion for beheading tne
hill forthwith. The motion was put ana
the sneaker announced that the ayes
seemed to have 1t. The ayes and nays
were then ordered. -
At this juncture Speaker Carlisle pe-
trayed q remarkable nervousness los
so seasoned a legislator He snou,a a
have announced that the clerk woulo
call the roll. Instead he told the ayes
to rise and remain standing until
counted. 1t was several moments pc
fore he recovered his usual equilibrium
Rut he was not the only one VINO De-
trayed nervousness. Even the veteran
Randall, who had been speaker OF tnree
houses and legislator for generation'
trembled like a leaf as he declared 70
the house the necessity tnat requl.ou
him to break company with the men
with whom he had labored SO long
He carried forty-one Democrats with
him In voting to kill the measure. he
and his friends were roundly oe>
nounced for their action. the Demo-
cratic press sought to read them OUT
of the party, and everything was done
to bring them into contempt win thelr
fellow Democrats. 1t is not lmproD-
able that this action of Randalrs had
something to do with losing him the
nomination which was given to Cleve-
land in 1884.
Randall was the favorite of the pro-
tectionist wing of his party for the
presidential nomination in the year
named, and If he had not offended all
his low tariff friends in his night
against the Morrison bill ne might
have been made the party candidate
He had the Pennsylvania state con-
vention adopt his idea In its PLATFORM
the retention of all high tariff sched-
ules and the abolition Of the internal
revenue taxes on whisky and tobacco.
The national conventions met not
long after the defeat OF the Morrison
HORIZONTAL bill. Both parties pledged
themselves to a revision of the tariff.
The Democrats won, and the first ses-,
sion of the forty-ninth congress- found
William r. Morrison again chairman
of the ways and means committee.
This time the Democrats had about
forty majority in the house. Morrison
introduced another tariff bill. and 1t
was favorably reported to the house,
Just as the "horizontal' bill had been.
But 1t got shorter shrift even than had
been accorded to the horizontal"
measure. When that bill was pending
the plea most heard against 1t was
that 1t made a fiat reduction and was
not scientific, logical nor polite. The
second bill did not make q horizontal
reduction, but considered each article
on its merits. When 1t came to tho
matter of taking 1t up for considera-
ton Mr.. Morrison moved that the
house go into committee of the whole
for that purpose. Here was the first
test vote, and. as afterward developed,
the only vote. BY 157 to 140, Demo-
cratic house, with a clear majority of
40. refused even to discuss the meas
ure, and the tariff question was dead
one in the forty ninth congress.
The house vote on the Morrison bill
4 AA1 ~.
country was for protection, and that
1t wanted higher duties than had been
levied before the Civil War.
Copyright, 1909, by Frederic ]. Hasiin)
Tomorrow--American Tariff Laws.
xIIT-The Mills Bill.