Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-05-14

that his side vas ready for the aye and
nay vote that very afternoon on the bill
as it came from the house. The Demo-
Gratis would not take up the gauntlet thus
thrown down, and Aldrich went after
them with another prOposition-that the
vote should be taken on the measure as
1t was amended by the senate Finances
committee Even this they would not ac-
cept on the spot, but afterward sought to
90 so. Aldrich then refused, saying that
many new amendments had since been
made by the finance committee, and that
he had certainly not intended to give the
Democrats an indefinite option. Senator
White, of California. accused him Of per-
hitting himself to be called" and de-
clined to respond. This reference to
poker brought from Aldrich the state
ment that he had never before heard that
a player could call hand the next day,
after consultation with his friends.
While the tariff bill was being consid-
| cred Coxey's army arrived on the scene.
| and each side sought to make capital
out of the incident, but beyond the tenn
porary furry caused by it's presence it
did not seem to affect the even tenor of
things at the capitol in the slightest
Certainly, it's influence was not felt in
the consideration of the tariff.
The fight of the Democrats to compose
| the differences among themselves con-
stitutes a remarkable chapter. The first
step of the protection element of the
party was to deliver the ultimatum chat
| 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 majority, and
/ that 1t was made up by Secretary Car
| Isle, representing the administration.
| Senator Jones, representing the finance
committee, Senator German, Senator
/ COckrell and himself. Another newspa-
I per story represented Senator Mills as
kicking like one OF his Texas steers at
this performance. Senator Jones under
took the tack of bringing about harmo-
: ny. He saw every senator and found
out the very least with which he would
| be satisfied. This resulted in several
/ hundred amendments to the sbill as lit
came from the house. He conferred with
/ Secretary Carlisle and President Cleve-
/ land. and stated in the senate that they
| had agreed to stand by the amendments
he had drafted TO meet the objections of
| the insurgents
| Much amusement resulted from the de-
bate on collars and cuffs. The duty which
Senator Murphy sought and obtained was
in effect a higher one than that of the
Mckinley law. The income tax feature
was saved by a vote of thirty-one Demo-
Gratis, three Populists and six Republic
1 cans. Finally, after a hundred different
maneuvers, the completed measure was
passed on the third day of July. Ii is
part of the secret history of the bill that
right up TO the final roll call the Repub-
! lcans expected it to fail of passage.
They were expecting the Louisiana sens-
H,w- - -
TO do so had voted TO terminate the sugar
bounty at once instead of after the crop
of 1894 was marketed. This was intended
| as trap for the Louisiana senators. But
these two gentlemen spoiled their calcu-
| lations. The one whose name was called
/ first withheld his vote. The other voted
/ for the measure. ThereupOn, several
Democrats, who, If their votes would
have served to defeat the bill would
have voted against it, ceased their OPPOSE
! tion and voted for it.
Burdened down with 634 amendments
the Wilson bill was sent back to the
house. After pursuing the usual prelln-
mary course the whole was sent to con-
ference. The first conference failed,
further conferences were had, and finally
I tho house abjectly surrendered to the
senate, and the bill became a law, but
without the presidents signature. 1t Is
the only time in the history of tariff
measures that such thing has happen
! ed. Mr.. Cleveland's my dear Catchings"
| letter created a furore throughout the
country. 1t was the second time he had
| gone after the senate for it's action. The
| first time was in letter to William L.
Wilson, written the day before the senate
passed its bill, in which he came danger
ously near to impugning the motives OF
many senators. 1t was In this letter that
he used his famous phrase about party
perfidy and dishonor.''
This created a great stir in the senate.
and wholesale explanations were made
Senator German. Senator Vest and Sena-
tor Jones all stated that the bill as IL
was finally passed by the senate had been
approved paragraph by paragraph, by
Secretary Carlisle and President Cieve-
land, both of them admitting that 1t was
the best that could be had under the cir
cumstances.
! AS the measure finally became a law
only free lumber and free wool remained
as a reminder of the attitude of the party
in favor Of free raw material The figh.
over sugar saw Democrats advocating
taxed raw material and the Republicans
free raw material. The debate on this
schedule led a Washington Photographer
to introduce Senator Sorghum to the
newspaper world, and the character is
still making the rounds of the American
press.
The Wilson-Gorman law was the great
est compromise ever made in tariff his
tory. AS a whole il failed to represent
fully the views of any member Of the
party which fathered 1t. II verified the
old saying that If you scratch a free
trader in the right spot you will find a
rotectionist.-(COpyri 1909, by Frede-