the cleveland era-第30章

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ch　was　spreading　among　the　masses。　The　relief　measure　at　the　forefront　of　President　Cleveland's　policy　was　tariff　reform；　and　upon　this　the　legislative　influence　of　the　Administration　was　concentrated　as　soon　as　the　repeal　of　the　Silver　Purchase　Act　had　been　accomplished。

The　House　leader　in　tariff　legislation　at　that　time　was　a　man　of　exceptionally　high　character　and　ability。　William　L。　Wilson　was　President　of　the　University　of　West　Virginia　when　he　was　elected　to　Congress　in　1882；　and　he　had　subsequently　retained　his　seat　more　by　the　personal　respect　he　inspired　than　through　the　normal　strength　of　his　party　in　his　district。　The　ordinary　rule　of　seniority　was　by　consent　set　aside　to　make　him　chairman　of　the　Ways　and　Means　Committee。　He　aimed　to　produce　a　measure　which　would　treat　existing　interests　with　some　consideration　for　their　needs。　In　the　opinion　of　F。　W。　Taussig；　an　expert　economist；　the　bill　as　passed　by　the　House　on　February　1；　1894；　〃was　simply　a　moderation　of　the　protective　duties〃　with　the　one　exception　of　the　removal　of　the　duty　on　wool。　Ever　since　1887；　it　had　been　a　settled　Democratic　policy　to　put　wool　on　the　free　list；　in　order　to　give　American　manufacturers　the　same　advantage　in　the　way　of　raw　material　which　those　of　every　other　country　enjoyed；　even　in　quarters　where　a　protective　tariff　was　stiffly　applied。

The　scenes　that　now　ensued　in　the　Senate　showed　that　arbitrary　rule　may　be　readily　exercised　under　the　forms　of　popular　government。　Senator　Matthew　S。　Quay　of　Pennsylvania；　a　genial；　scholarly　cynic　who　sought　his　ends　by　any　available　means　and　who　disdained　hypocritical　pretenses；　made　it　known　that　he　was　in　a　position　to　block　all　legislation　unless　his　demands　were　conceded。　He　prepared　an　everlasting　speech；　which　he　proceeded　to　deliver　by　installments　in　an　effort　to　consume　the　time　of　the　Senate　until　it　would　become　necessary　to　yield　to　him　in　order　to　proceed　with　the　consideration　of　the　bill。　His　method　was　to　read　matter　to　the　Senate　until　he　was　tired　and　then　to　have　some　friend　act　for　him　while　he　rested。　According　to　the　〃Washington　Star；〃　Senator　Gallinger　was　〃his　favorite　helper　in　this；　for　he　has　a　good　round　voice　that　never　tires；　and　he　likes　to　read　aloud。〃　The　thousands　of　pages　of　material　which　Senator　Quay　had　collected　for　use；　and　the　apparently　inexhaustible　stores　upon　which　he　was　drawing；　were　the　subject　of　numerous　descriptive　articles　in　the　newspapers　of　the　day。　Senator　Quay's　tactics　were　so　successful；　indeed；　that　he　received　numerous　congratulatory　telegrams　from　those　whose　interests　he　was　championing。　They　had　been　defeated　at　the　polls　in　their　attempt　to　control　legislation；　and　defeated　in　the　House　of　Representatives；　but　now　they　were　victorious　in　the　Senate。

The　methods　of　Senator　Quay　were　tried　by　other　Senators　on　both　sides；　though　they　were　less　frank　in　their　avowal。　After　the　struggle　was　over；　Senator　Vest　of　Missouri；　who　had　been　in　charge　of　the　bill；　declared：

〃I　have　not　an　enemy　in　the　world　whom　I　would　place　in　the　position　that　I　have　occupied　as　a　member　of　the　Finance　Committee　under　the　rules　of　the　Senate。　I　would　put　no　man　where　I　have　been；　to　be　blackmailed　and　driven　in　order　to　pass　a　bill　that　I　believe　is　necessary　to　the　welfare　of　the　country；　by　Senators　who　desired　to　force　amendments　upon　me　against　my　better　judgment　and　compel　me　to　decide　the　question　whether　I　will　take　any　bill　at　all　or　a　bill　which　had　been　distorted　by　their　views　and　objects。　Sir；　the　Senate　'lags　superfluous　on　the　stage'　today　with　the　American　people；　because　in　an　age　of　progress；　advance；　and　aggressive　reform；　we　sit　here　day　after　day　and　week　after　week；　while　copies　of　the　census　reports；　almanacs；　and　even　novels　are　read　to　us；　and　under　our　rules　there　is　no　help　for　the　majority　except　to　listen　or　leave　the　chamber。〃

The　passage　of　the　bill　in　anything　like　the　form　in　which　it　reached　the　Senate　was　plainly　impossible　without　a　radical　change　in　the　rules；　and　on　neither　side　of　the　chamber　was　there　any　real　desire　for　an　amendment　of　procedure。　A　number　of　the　Democratic　Senators　who　believed　that　it　was　desirable　to　keep　on　good　terms　with　business　interests　were；　in　reality；　opposed　to　the　House　bill。　Their　efforts　to　control　the　situation　were　favored　by　the　habitual　disposition　of　the　Senate；　when　dealing　with　business　interests；　to　decide　questions　by　private　conference　and　personal　agreements；　while　maintaining　a　surface　show　of　party　controversy。　Hence；　Senator　Gorman　of　Maryland　was　able　to　make　arrangements　for　the　passage　of　what　became　known　as　the　Gorman　Compromise　Bill；　which　radically　altered　the　character　of　the　original　measure　by　the　adoption　of　634　amendments。　It　passed　the　Senate　on　the　3rd　of　July　by　a　vote　of　thirty…nine　to　thirty…four。

The　next　step　was　the　appointment　of　a　committee　of　conference　between　the　two　Houses；　but　the　members　for　the　House　showed　an　unusual　determination　to　resist　the　will　of　the　Senate；　and　on　the　19th　of　July；　the　conferees　reported　that　they　had　failed　to　reach　an　agreement。　When　President　Cleveland　permitted　the　publication　of　a　letter　which　he　had　written　to　Chairman　Wilson　condemning　the　Senate　bill；　the　fact　was　disclosed　that　the　influence　of　the　Administration　had　been　used　to　stiffen　the　opposition　of　the　House。　Senator　Gorman　and　other　Democratic　Senators　made　sharp　replies；　and　the　party　quarrel　became　so　bitter　that　it　was　soon　evident　that　no　sort　of　tariff　bill　could　pass　the　Senate。

The　House　leaders　now　reaped　a　great　advantage　from　the　Reed　rules　to　the　adoption　of　which　they　had　been　so　bitterly　opposed。　Availing　themselves　of　the　effective　means　of　crushing　obstruction　provided　by　the　powers　of　the　Rules　Committee；　in　one　day　they　passed　the　Tariff　Bill　as　amended　by　the　Senate；　which　eventually　became　law；　and　then　passed　separate　bills　putting　on　the　free　list　coal；　barbed　wire；　and　sugar。　These　bills　had　no　effect　other　than　to　put　on　record　the　opinion　of　the　House；　as　they　were　of　course　subsequently　held　up　in　the　Senate。　This　unwonted　insubordination　on　the　part　of　the　House　excited　much　angry　comment　from　dissatisfied　Senators。　President　Cleveland　was　accused　of　unconstitutional　interference　in　the　proceedings　of　Congress；　and　the　House　was　blamed　for　submitting　to　the　Senate　and　passing　the　amended　bill　without　going　through　the　usual　form　of　conference　and　adjustment　of　differences。　Senator　Sherman　of　Ohio　remarked　that　〃there　are　many　cases　in　the　bill　where　enactment　was　not　intended　by　the　Senate。　For　instance；　innumerable　amendments　were　put　on　by　Senators　on　both　sides　of　the　chamber。。。　to　give　the　Committee　of　Conference　a　chance　to　think　of　the　matter；　and　they　are　all　adopted；　whatever　may　be　their　language　or　the　incongruity　with　other　parts　of　the　bill。〃

The　bitter　feeling；　excited　by　the　summary　mode　of　enactment　on　the　part　of　the　House；　was　intensified　by　President　Cleveland's　treatment　of　the　measure。　While　he　did　not　veto　it；　he　would　not　sign　it　but　allowed　it　to　become　law　by　expiration　of　the　ten　days　in　which　he　could　reject　it。　He　set　forth　his　reasons　in　a　letter　on　August　27；　1894；　to　Representative　Catchings　of　Missouri；　in　which　he　sharply　commented　upon　the　incidents　accompanying　the　passage　of　the　bill　and　in　which　he　declared：

〃I　take　my　place　with　the　rank　and　file　of　the　Democratic　party　who　believe　in　tariff　reform；　and　who　know　what　it　is；　who　refuse　to　accept　the　result　embodied　in　this　bill　as　the　close　of　the　war；　who　are　not　blinded　to　the　fact　that　the　livery　of　Democratic　tariff　reform　has　been　stolen　and　used　in　the　service　of　Republican　protection；　and　who　have　marked　the　places　where　the　deadly　blight　of　treason　has　blasted　the　counsels　of　the　brave　in　their　hour　of　might。〃

The　letter　was　written　throughout　with　a　fervor　rare　in　President　Cleveland's　papers；　and　it　had　a　scorching　effect。　Senator　Gorman　and　some　other　Democratic　Senators　lost　their　seats　as　soon　as　the　people　had　a　chance　to　express　their　will。

The　circumstances　of　the　tariff　struggle　greatly　increased　popular　discontent　with　the　way　in　which　the　government　of　the　country　was　being　conducted　at　Washington。　It