Evening journal., 1913-10-07
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
How a Noted Tariff Leader
Lost Els 0ppOrtu-
nifty
BY Holland.

Thomas B Reed and some of the
other leaders pa the House of Represen.
tatives at Washington during the adj
mnistratiou of President Arthur were
OF the opinion. Ia 1884 that the Demo.
cratic party could nominate no stronger
candidate for the presidency than Col.
onel William r. Morrison of Illinois
would prove 10 be. Mr.. Reed often spoke
in terms of profound admiration of the
manner IN which Colonel Morrison man
aged the canvass for the nomination of
John g. Carlisle of Kentucky as speaker
of the lower house of Congress.
Political capacity OF a kind which en-
abled Colonel Morrison to defeat the
nomination of Samuel j. Randall who
bad been for several years speaker of
the house, and TO bring about the nomi-
nation of Mr. Carlisle by such accurate
and highly systematized politics as
made IL possible for Colonel Morrison 10
say on the day of the caucus what the
precise figures would be by which Mr.
Carlisle would be nominated was poll
tics, in Mr. Reeds opinion. which. from
the point of view of pure politics alone
qualified "a man for the Presidency and
for high achievements while serving as
President
Speaker Carlisle appointed Colonel
Morrison chairman OF the ways and
means committee, and il was at that
time Thought by politicians at Wash
ington and elsewhere that Carlisle ex-
pected of Morrison such signal triumph
in the framing q. tariff bill and such
success i'm securing IFS passage i'm the
spring OF 1884 as would serve pre- emil
nently 10 indicate Colonel Morrison as
the choice of the tariff reform element
in the Democratic party for the prcsi-
Dental nomination
/ had many conversations with Col
oneh Morrison when the ways and
means committee was preparing \, nat
afterward became known as Morri-
sons tariff bin. He confessed TO me
hie appreciation that his leadership
would end when the bill was reported
10 the House.
You know, was wounded in the
war, and the wound is of a character
which has affected my voice. he said
II can speak plainly enough when en-
gagged in ordinary conversation. but
I find that my voice fails me when /
am addressing a large body. 70 is prac-
tically useless in such a place as the
House OF Representatives.
Nov, a leader on the floor of the
House of Representatives must be a
man who possesses a voice that viii
rise above the customary tum1lt and
noise which prevail He ought to he
a man, too, of imposing personal pres
encc. ! wish I had the figure Of
William M. Springer and ] wish I had
the penetrating voice of Tom Reed.
81 presume thatl shall have TO ask
someone else to take my place when
the tariff bill is introduced
] was reminded of this conversation
when the day came for the introduce
tion by Colonel Morrison of the tariff
bill prepared by the ways and means
committee. He had swept away all
difficulties by reporting a bill which
proposed a horizontal reduction of
the tariff of 20 per cent from the rates
established in the law which was then
on the statute books.
With the difference Of nc member
unaccustomed 10 address large body
and with a queer sort OF slufllng motion
as he stepped from his desk To place
in the centre aisle he offered the report
His voice was husky. The house was
stillcd, and yet no one in the gallerio:
was able 10 hear the words with which
Colonel Morrison offered the bill. II
seemed TO many persons amazing that
this man of nconspicuous appearance
and of hesiiating manner and of inaudi
bic voice should have been the leadin,
member of his party To whom was com
mitted the tariff measure upon whicl
his party depended in part TO make iti
campaign for the presidency in the fal
'of that year
few days later Samuel S. Cox, bet
I ter known a. Sunset" Cox. said 10 me
/ Colonel Morrison was bitterly dsap
pointed because he was not able 10 grasl
a supreme opportunity There was II
/ his hand q chance which but for his ply
/ steal limitations and for the effects %
! the wound which he had received woul,
have made a dramatic scene whicl
would surely have placed Morrison al
most prc-eminent among the Democratn
leaders He Is very able man. a yer,
great politician and he would make
-plendid- president; but that Office is mo-
for him."
Copyright, 1918. by r.. J. Edwards Al
rights resenedl.
]