the cleveland era-第6章

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t。〃　The　truth　of　this　last　assertion　Congress　immediately　proved　by　passing　the　bill　over　the　President's　veto。　Senator　Hoar；　who　defended　the　bill；　has　admitted　that　〃a　large　number　of　the　members　of　the　House　who　voted　for　it　lost　their　seats〃　and　that　in　his　opinion　the　affair　〃cost　the　Republican　party　its　majority　in　the　House　of　Representatives。〃

Legislation　regarding　the　tariff　was；　however；　the　event　of　Arthur's　administration　which　had　the　deepest　effect　upon　the　political　situation。　Both　national　parties　were　reluctant　to　face　the　issue；　but　the　pressure　of　conditions　became　too　strong　for　them。　Revenue　arrangements　originally　planned　for　war　needs　were　still　amassing　funds　in　the　Treasury　vaults　which　were　now　far　beyond　the　needs　of　the　Government；　and　were　at　the　same　time　deranging　commerce　and　industry。　In　times　of　war；　the　Treasury　served　as　a　financial　conduit；　peace　had　now　made　it　a　catch　basin　whose　excess　accumulations　embarrassed　the　Treasury　and　at　the　same　time；　caused　the　business　world　to　suffer　from　a　scarcity　of　currency。　In　his　annual　message　on　December　6；　1881；　President　Arthur　cautiously　observed　that　it　seemed　to　him　〃that　the　time　has　arrived　when　the　people　may　justly　demand　some　relief　from　the　present　onerous　burden。〃　In　his　message　of　December　4；　1882；　he　was　much　more　emphatic。　Calling　attention　to　the　fact　that　the　annual　surplus　had　increased　to　more　than　145；000；000；　he　observed　that　〃either　the　surplus　must　lie　idle　in　the　Treasury　or　the　Government　will　be　forced　to　buy　at　market　rates　its　bonds　not　then　redeemable；　and　which　under　such　circumstances　cannot　fail　to　command　an　enormous　premium；　or　the　swollen　revenues　will　be　devoted　to　extravagant　expenditures；　which；　as　experience　has　taught；　is　ever　the　bane　of　an　overflowing　treasury。〃

The　congressional　agents　of　the　protected　industries　were　confronted　by　an　exacting　situation。　The　country　was　at　peace　but　it　was　still　burdened　by　war　taxes；　although　the　Government　did　not　need　the　accumulating　revenue　and　was　actually　embarrassed　by　its　excess。　The　President　had　already　made　himself　the　spokesman　of　the　popular　demand　for　a　substantial　reduction　of　taxes。　Such　a　combination　of　forces　in　favor　of　lightening　the　popular　burden　might　seem　to　be　constitutionally　irresistible；　but　by　adroit　maneuvering　the　congressional　supporters　of　protection　managed　to　have　the　war　rates　generally　maintained　and；　in　some　cases；　even　increased。　The　case　is　a　typical　example　of　the　way　in　which　advantage　of　strategic　position　in　a　governmental　system　can　prevail　against　mere　numbers。

By　the　Act　of　May　15；　1882；　a　tariff　commission　was　created　to　examine　the　industrial　situation　and　make　recommendations　as　to　rates　of　duty。　The　President　appointed　men　who　stood　high　in　the　commercial　world　and　who　were　strongly　attached　to　the　protective　system。　They　applied　themselves　to　their　task　with　such　energy　that　by　December　4；　1882；　they　had　produced　a　voluminous　report　with　suggested　amendments　to　customs　laws。

But　the　advocates　of　high　protection　in　the　House　were　not　satisfied；　they　opposed　the　recommendations　of　the　report　and　urged　that　the　best　and　quickest　way　to　reduce　taxation　was　by　abolishing　or　reducing　items　on　the　internal　revenue　list。　This　policy　not　only　commanded　support　on　the　Republican　side；　but　also　received　the　aid　of　a　Democratic　faction　which　avowed　protectionist　principles　and　claimed　party　sanction　for　them。　These　political　elements　in　the　House　were　strong　enough　to　prevent　action　on　the　customs　tariff；　but　a　bill　was　passed　reducing　some　of　the　internal　revenue　taxes。　This　action　seemed　likely　to　prevent　tariff　revision　at　least　during　that　session。　Formidable　obstacles；　both　constitutional　and　parliamentary；　stood　in　the　way　of　action；　but　they　were　surmounted　by　ingenious　management。

The　Constitution　provides　that　all　revenue　bills　shall　originate　in　the　House　of　Representatives；　but　the　Senate　has　the　right　to　propose　amendments。　Under　cover　of　this　clause　the　Senate　originated　a　voluminous　tariff　bill　and　tacked　it　to　the　House　bill　as　an　amendment。　When　the　bill；　as　thus　amended；　came　back　to　the　House；　a　two…thirds　vote　would　have　been　required　by　the　existing　rules　to　take　it　up　for　consideration；　but　this　obstacle　was　overcome　by　adopting　a　new　rule　by　which　a　bare　majority　of　the　House　could　forthwith　take　up　a　bill　amended　by　the　Senate；　for　the　purpose　of　non…concurrence　but　not　for　concurrence。　The　object　of　this　maneuver　was　to　get　the　bill　into　a　committee　of　conference　where　the　details　could　be　arranged　by　private　negotiation。　The　rule　was　adopted　on　February　26；　1883；　but　the　committee　of　conference　was　not　finally　constituted　until　the　1st　of　March；　within　two　days　of　the　close　of　the　session。　On　the　3rd　of　March；　when　this　committee　reported　a　measure　on　which　they　had　agreed；　both　Houses　adopted　this　report　and　enacted　the　measure　without　further　ado。

In　some　cases；　rates　were　fixed　by　the　committee　above　the　figures　voted　in　either　House　and　even　when　there　was　no　disagreement；　changes　were　made。　The　tariff　commission　had　recommended；　for　example；　a　duty　of　fifty　cents　a　ton　on　iron　ore；　and　both　the　Senate　and　the　House　voted　to　put　the　duty　at　that　figure；　but　the　conference　committee　fixed　the　rate　at　seventy…five　cents。　When　a　conference　committee　report　comes　before　the　House；　it　is　adopted　or　rejected　in　toto；　as　it　is　not　divisible　or　amendable。　In　theory；　the　revision　of　a　report　is　feasible　by　sending　it　back　to　conference　under　instructions　voted　by　the　House；　but　such　a　procedure　is　not　really　available　in　the　closing　hours　of　a　session；　and　the　only　practical　course　of　action　is　either　to　pass　the　bill　as　shaped　by　the　conferees　or　else　to　accept　the　responsibility　for　inaction。　Thus　pressed　for　time；　Congress　passed　a　bill　containing　features　obnoxious　to　a　majority　in　both　Houses　and　offensive　to　public　opinion。　Senator　Sherman　in　his　〃Recollections〃　expressed　regret　that　he　had　voted　for　the　bill　and　declared　that；　had　the　recommendations　of　the　tariff　commission　been　adopted；　〃the　tariff　would　have　been　settled　for　many　years；〃　but　〃many　persons　wishing　to　advance　their　particular　industries　appeared　before　the　committee　and　succeeded　in　having　their　views　adopted。〃　In　his　annual　message；　December　4；　1883；　President　Arthur　accepted　the　act　as　a　response　to　the　demand　for　a　reduction　of　taxation；　which　was　sufficiently　tolerable　to　make　further　effort　inexpedient　until　its　effects　could　be　definitely　ascertained；　but　he　remarked　that　he　had　〃no　doubt　that　still　further　reductions　may　be　wisely　made。〃

In　general；　President　Arthur's　administration　may　therefore　be　accurately　described　as　a　period　of　political　groping　and　party　fluctuation。　In　neither　of　the　great　national　parties　was　there　a　sincere　and　definite　attitude　on　the　new　issues　which　were　clamorous　for　attention；　and　the　public　discontent　was　reflected　in　abrupt　changes　of　political　support。　There　was　a　general　feeling　of　distrust　regarding　the　character　and　capacity　of　the　politicians　at　Washington；　and　election　results　were　apparently　dictated　more　by　fear　than　by　hope。　One　party　would　be　raised　up　and　the　other　party　cast　down；　not　because　the　one　was　trusted　more　than　the　other；　but　because　it　was　for　a　while　less　odious。　Thus　a　party　success　might　well　be　a　prelude　to　a　party　disaster　because　neither　party　knew　how　to　improve　its　political　opportunity。　The　record　of　party　fluctuation　in　Congress　during　this　period　is　almost　unparalleled　in　sharpness。*

*　In　1875；　at　the　opening　of　the　Forty…fourth　Congress；　the　House　stood　110　Republicans　and　182　Democrats。　In　1881；　the　House　stood　150　Republicans　to　131　Democrats；　with　12　Independent　members。　In　1884；　the　Republican　list　had　declined　to　119　and　the　Democratic　had　grown　to　201；　and　there　were　five　Independents。　The　Senate；　although　only　a　third　of　its　membership　is　renewed　every　two　years；　displayed　extraordinary　changes　during　this　period。　The　Republican　membership　of　46　in　1876　had　declined　to　33　by　1880；　and　the　Democratic　membership　had　increased　to　42。　In　1882；　the　Senate　was　evenly　balanced　in　party　strength；　each　party　having　37　avowed　adherents；　but　there　w