The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-11-08

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the most crushing kIs2zlEA 49,
defeat the Republican party yet has
sustained.
The tariff question had become the
chief issue talked about, but the
money question was really uppermost
In the minds OF the people. AS both
parties were divided In opinion on
the money question. just as Demo
Gratis and Wings had been divided on
the question OF slavery extension,
both parties 'straddled" the currency
question and made their fight on the
tariff but not without some trimming.
The demand for revision OF the
| tarff had reached the stage In Ar
! thurs administration that congress
| felt impelled 10 do something. II
created tariff commission. Every
| body was for the commission. be-
cause the high tariff men believed IL
would recommend still higher duties.
while the low tariff men thought II
would find reductions 10 be impera-
| lively necessary. The commission
made it's report, and. in the main, it's
recommendations were adopted in the
| tariff OF 1888. The rates recommend
cd on wool. cotton, steel and iron were
the chief matters of contention. On
the whole, the bill was a protection
ist victory, and in 1884, Mr.. Cleveland
and the Democratic party opposed the
| protectionist doctrine and won in the
election. But the efforts OF the Dem.
ocratic houses In the first Cleveland
administration TO revise the tarin
were checked by the Republican ma
jority in the senate. Toward the
close OF his term, Mr.. Cleveland sent
a message TO congress dealing solely
with the tariff. In II he took adj
vanced ground against the protection
lists. There was an immense surplus
in the treasury and the president be-
lieved that a rec 1ction OF duties was
demanded. Tn eradical tariff views OF
Cleveland were not endorsed by all
Democrats. and this message caused
a revolt in the party. The president
also was at variance with many OF
his partisans on the currency question
He was defeated for reelection and
the Republicans. on protectionist
\ platform, were swept into complete
power.
The first half OF the Harrison ad-
ministration was remarkable for three
} things-the establishment OF the Reed
rules In the house of representatives,
the attempt to enact the Force Dill,
seeking to make the south Republican
by the use OF federal power and fed
eral bayonets, and the passage OF the
| Mckinley tariff bill. The Republican
majority in the house was not large.
so contests were instituted and sew
eral Democratic members were
thrown out and their places filled with
Republicans. The Democratic mem
hers of the house sought TO block the
progress OF legislation by systematic
flibusters, but they were circumVent-
ed by the revolutionary Reed rules
which ever since have governed the
house. The Force bill passed the
house. but was defeated in the senate
after a long filibuster by a combina-
ton OF Democrats and western he
nublicans. Thus died the last serious
effort to control the political action OF
the southern states by federal inter-
ference.
The Mckinley bill was a new de-
narture in tariff legislation. II was
the hrst measure designed frankly TO
aRord protection without regard 10
nrices OF articles of consumption as
was avowed by Mr.. Mckinley when
he reported the bill TO the house on
Anril 16. 1890. The campaign OF lsSS
had been fought squarely on the tarin
issue as precipitated by Mr.. Cleve-
lands tariff message OF 1887. The Re
nublicans bad won and by their very
defense of existing protection duties
they were forced into demanding stili
higher duties. The Mckinley bill was
AN inward revision. In the debate the
, hattie ragged most fercely about the
wool. the sugar and the tin schedules.
The wooden duties were increased, a
hountv was granted TO domestic sugar,
and the demands a the tin-plate man.
ufacturers were met
The hill passed the house on May IL
and went to the senate. After nearly
a month the senate committee brought
n out with a large number OF emend-
ments mostly in the nature OF reduc-
lions OF duty. Then began long de-
hate which ended when the bill passed
the senate on Sept. 10. The confer
ence committee adjusted the diner
ences between the two houses on 464
points. and inserted In the bill pro-
vision giving the president power TO
suspend certain provisions to permit
the making OF reciprocity treaties. The
reciprocity feature was introduced by
Mr. blaine, then in the cabinet,
through Senator Frye. The bill was
passed I'm the last DAYS OF September
and was signed by the president on
oct. 1. 1t went into operation on
Oct 6.
or course the congressional cam
, paign was already on. II was only
four weeks until the election. IL was
impossible for the country to have felt
the effect OF the measure, for 1t was
not vet in working order. But all
during the long debate the Democrats
had made the most OF their emporium
ity TO riddle the bill and to point out
the alleged evils Il contained.
Peddlers were sent through Repub-
}lIcan congressional districts with wag-
ons loaded with tinware, for which
enormous prices were asked. The
housewives were told that the Nc
Kinley bill had put up the prices. This
. camraign device was worked In Mr..
McKinleys own district. All over the
country the Democratic orators were
busily engaged in tearing down the
new bill before Il was really passed.
The result OF the election In Novem-
her was an unprecedented rout OF the
Republican forces. Speaker Reed was