El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-04-12
EHE scholar in politics" tried
his hand at tariff rnalrinr

ssTHE scholar in politics" tried
his hand at tariff making
when William L. Wilson, OF
west Virginia, was appointed chair
man OF the ways and means committee
by speaker Charles F. Crisp upon the
organization of the 53rd congress in
1893. The general election of 1892
had resulted in a. complete victory for
the Democratic party, Grover Cleve-
land was returned to the white house,
the house was Democratic by a ma
Jority of "a and in the senate the
Democrats had plurality of six over
the Republicans, not counting three
Popul1sts, who nearly always voted
with the Democrats Thus, for the
first time since the Buchanan admin
istration. the Democrats had complete
control of the executive and legislative
branches of the government
The national convention in 1892 had
voted down conservative tariff plank
by a majority of its resolutions COM
mittee, and had adopted in it's stead
radical low tariff plank which de-
nounced the Mckinley law in the most
vigorous language that Henry Wat
terson could command. The party was
committed to radical tariff revision
Wilson virsinIan.
William L. Wilson, born in Virginia
in 1S43, enlisted as a private in the
Confederate army, after his graduation
from Columbian university. in
George Washington university, IN
1860. Immediately after the war he
became professor Of Latin in his alma
mater, retiring in 1871 to practice law
in Charleston. ". Va In 1882 he was
chosen president Of the university of
West Virginia, which position he re-
signed upon his election to congress
later in the same year. He was. above
all else a scholar. and his tariff views
were those of the theoretical free
trader After his defeat for reelection
toscongress in the great Republican
landslide of 1894 he was appointed
postmaster general by President Cleve-
land Upon the expiration of his term
he became president Of Washington
and Lee university. serving from 1897
until his death in 1900. While he was
in congress he declined the proffered
presidency Of the university of Mis-
souri,.
McNIilIin an Able Lieutenant.
Wilson's ab1est practical lieutenant
in the tariff fight was Benton McMil-
lin. Of Tennessee. It was McMillin
who turned the parliamentary tricks
and forced the passage through the
house of what Che committee believed
to be a good bill. 1t was McMiIlin
who added to the measure the income
tax amendment. which was designed
to make up the deficiency that would
be caused in the receipt of revenues
by reason of the reductions in the
tariff duties. At that time neither
Wilson nor McMillin even considered
the possibility that the supreme court
would reverse it's former decisions and
declare the income tax proposition I'M
constitutional.
No man ever has approached the |
task of remaking the tariff under |
more unfavorable circumstances than /
did chairman Wilson The Mckinley |
bill largely on account Of tariff free /
sugar and the cents a pound bounty |
on domestic sugar. had failed to pro- (;
duce sufficient revenue for the needs !,
of the government When president |
Cleveland came into office on March 4, |
1893, the treasury was depleted. Bonds |
were issued and sold to meet the obli- |
cations of the government Then the
great panic Of 1893 burst upon the |
country. banks failed, merchants were /
bankrupted, factories were closed |
down. and the whole business and in !
dustrial life of the country was par
alyzed.
Cleveland Calls Extra Session.
In this direful emergency president |
Cleveland decided that it was neces-
sary to stop the purchase and coinage
of silver dollars. that was then pro-
ceeding under the purchasing clause |
of the Sherman act With that end |
in view he called an extra session of |
the newly elected congress to meet on |
August I. 1893.
In congress a majority Of the Demo- 7
Gratis were silver men and they had |
no sympathy with the presidents pur-
pose to repeal the purchasing clause |
The minority of the Republicans also |
opposed the resident. The result was |
that the repeal bill was passed with !
a majority Of the presidents own !
party associates in both houses voting |
against it,
The president and congress were |
now thoroughly out of sympathy with |
each other; the gold and silver fac
tions Of the majority party in each |