the cleveland era-第27节

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ve　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　became　a　common　belief　that　the　actual　system　of　government　was　that　the　trusts　paid　the　campaign　expenses　of　the　politicians　and　in　return　the　politicians　allowed　the　trusts　to　frame　the　tariff　schedules。　Evidence　in　support　of　this　view　was　furnished　by　testimony　taken　in　the　investigation　of　the　sugar　scandal　in　the　summer　of　1894。　Charges　had　been　made　in　the　newspapers　that　some　Senators　had　speculated　in　sugar　stocks　during　the　time　when　they　were　engaged　in　legislation　affecting　the　value　of　those　stocks。　Some　of　them　admitted　the　fact　of　stock　purchases；　but　denied　that　their　legislative　action　had　been　guided　by　their　investments。　In　the　course　of　the　investigation；　H。　O。　Havemeyer；　the　head　of　the　Sugar　Trust；　admitted　that　it　was　the　practice　to　subsidize　party　management。　〃It　is　my　impression；〃　he　said；　〃that　whenever　there　is　a　dominant　party；　wherever　the　majority　is　large；　that　is　the　party　that　gets　the　contribution　because　that　is　the　party　which　controls　the　local　matters。〃　He　explained　that　this　system　was　carried　on　because　the　company　had　large　interests　which　needed　protection；　and　he　declared　〃every　individual　and　corporation　and　firm；　trust；　or　whatever　you　call　it；　does　these　things　and　we　do　them。〃

During　the　tariff　struggle；　a　movement　took　place　which　was　an　evidence　of　popular　discontent　of　another　sort。　At　first　it　caused　great　uneasiness；　but　eventually　the　manifestation　became　more　grotesque　than　alarming。　Jacob　S。　Coxey　of　Massillon；　Ohio；　a　smart　specimen　of　the　American　type　of　handy　business　man；　announced　that　he　intended　to　send　a　petition　to　Washington　wearing　boots　so　that　it　could　not　be　conveniently　shelved　by　being　stuck　away　in　a　pigeonhole。　He　thereupon　proceeded　to　lead　a　march　of　the　unemployed；　which　started　from　Massillon　on　March　25；　1894；　with　about　one　hundred　men　in　the　ranks。　These　crusaders　Coxey　described　as　the　〃Army　of　the　Commonweal　of　Christ；〃　and　their　purpose　was　to　proclaim　the　wants　of　the　people　on　the　steps　of　the　Capitol　on　the　1st　of　May。　The　leader　of　this　band　called　upon　the　honest　working　classes　to　join　him；　and　he　gained　recruits　as　he　advanced。　Similar　movements　started　in　the　Western　States。　〃The　United　States　Industrial　Army；〃　headed　by　one　Frye；　started　from　Los　Angeles　and　at　one　time　numbered　from　six　to　eight　hundred　men；　they　reached　St。　Louis　by　swarming　on　the　freight　trains　of　the　Southern　Pacific　road　and　thereafter　continued　on　foot。　A　band　under　a　leader　named　Kelly　started　from　San　Francisco　on　the　4th　of　April　and　by　commandeering　freight　trains　reached　Council　Bluffs；　Iowa；　whence　they　marched　to　Des　Moines。　There；　they　went　into　camp　with　at　one　time　as　many　as　twelve　hundred　men。　They　eventually　obtained　flatboats；　on　which　they　floated　down　the　Mississippi　and　then　pushed　up　the　Ohio　to　a　point　in　Kentucky　whence　they　proceeded　on　foot。　Attempts　on　the　part　of　such　bands　to　seize　trains　brought　them　into　conflict　with　the　authorities　at　some　points。　For　instance；　a　detachment　of　regular　troops　in　Montana　captured　a　band　c