the cleveland era-第5节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



The　legislative　blundering　which　tied　the　President's　hands　and　made　the　Government　impotent　to　protect　American　citizens　from　desperadoes　of　the　type　of　the　〃cowboys〃　and　Jesse　James；　is　characteristic　of　Congress　during　this　period。　Another　example　of　congressional　muddling　is　found　in　an　act　which　was　passed　for　the　better　protection　of　ocean　travel　and　which　the　President　felt　constrained　to　veto。　In　his　veto　message　of　July　1；　1882；　the　President　said　that　he　was　entirely　in　accord　with　the　purpose　of　the　bill　which　related　to　matters　urgently　demanding　legislative　attention。　But　the　bill　was　so　drawn　that　in　practice　it　would　have　caused　great　confusion　in　the　clearing　of　vessels　and　would　have　led　to　an　impossible　situation。　It　was　not　the　intention　of　the　bill　to　do　what　the　President　found　its　language　to　require；　and　the　defects　were　due　simply　to　maladroit　phrasing；　which　frequently　occurs　in　congressional　enactments；　thereby　giving　support　to　the　theory　of　John　Stuart　Mill　that　a　representative　assembly　is　by　its　very　nature　unfit　to　prepare　legislative　measures。

The　clumsy　machinery　of　legislation　kept　bungling　on；　irresponsive　to　the　principal　needs　and　interests　of　the　times。　An　ineffectual　start　was　made　on　two　subjects　presenting　simple　issues　on　which　there　was　an　energetic　pressure　of　popular　sentimentChinese　immigration　and　polygamy　among　the　Mormons。　Anti…Chinese　legislation　had　to　contend　with　a　traditional　sentiment　in　favor　of　maintaining　the　United　States　as　an　asylum　for　all　peoples。　But　the　demand　from　the　workers　of　the　Pacific　slope　for　protection　against　Asiatic　competition　in　the　home　labor　market　was　so　fierce　and　so　determined　that　Congress　yielded。　President　Arthur　vetoed　a　bill　prohibiting　Chinese　immigration　as　〃a　breach　of　our　national　faith；〃　but　he　admitted　the　need　of　legislation　on　the　subject　and　finally　approved　a　bill　suspending　immigration　from　China　for　a　term　of　years。　This　was　a　beginning　of　legislation　which　eventually　arrived　at　a　policy　of　complete　exclusion。　The　Mormon　question　was　dealt　with　by　the　Act　of　March　22；　1882；　imposing　penalties　upon　the　practice　of　polygamy　and　placing　the　conduct　of　elections　in　the　Territory　of　Utah　under　the　supervision　of　a　board　of　five　persons　appointed　by　the　President。　Though　there　were　many　prosecutions　under　this　act；　it　proved　so　ineffectual　in　suppressing　polygamy　that　it　was　eventually　supplemented　by　giving　the　Government　power　to　seize　and　administer　the　property　of　the　Mormon　Church。　This　action；　resulting　from　the　Act　of　March　3；　1887；　created　a　momentous　precedent。　The　escheated　property　was　held　by　the　Government　until　1896　and　meanwhile；　the　Mormon　Church　submitted　to　the　law　and　made　a　formal　declaration　that　it　had　abandoned　polygamy。

Another　instance　in　which　a　lack　of　agreement　between　the　executive　and　the　legislative　branches　of　the　Government　manifested　itself；　arose　out　of　a　scheme　which　President　Arthur　recommended　to　Congress　for　the　improvement　of　the　waterways　of　the　Mississippi　and　its　tributaries。　The　response　of　Congress　was　a　bill　in　which　there　was　an　appropriation　of　about　4；000；000　for　the　general　improvements　recommended；　but　about　14；000；000　were　added　for　other　special　river　and　harbor　schemes　which　had　obtained　congressional　favor。　President　Arthur's　veto　message　of　August　1；　1882；　condemned　the　bill　because　it　contained　provisions　designed　〃entirely　for　the　benefit　of　the　particular　localities　in　which　it　is　proposed　to　make　the　improvements。〃　He　thus　described　a　type　of　legislation　of　which　the　nation　had　and　is　still　having　bitter　experience：　〃As　the　citizens　of　one　State　find　that　money；　to　raise　which　they　in　common　with　the　whole　country　are　taxed；　is　to　be　expended　for　local　improvements　in　another　State；　they　demand　similar　benefits　for　themselves；　and　it　is　not　unnatural　that　they　should　seek　to　indemnify　themselves　for　such　use　of　the　public　funds　by　securing　appropriations　for　similar　improvements　in　their　own　neighborhood。　Thus　as　the　bill　becomes　more　objectionable　it　secures　more　support。〃　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