ident or agent of the woolen manufacturers and
made the report. The manufacturers of woolens, however, were
dissatisfied, and demanded an entire change in the classification
of woolens, and, on some important grades, a large increase of
rates, but insisted upon a reduction of the duty on wool.

I hoped when the bill passed the Senate that a conference committee
would amend it, but, unfortunately Senators Bayard and Beck withdrew
from the conference and the Senate was represented by Senators
Morrill, Aldrich and Sherman. My colleagues on the conference were
part of the majority in the Senate, and favored the bill, and the
House conferees seemed concerned chiefly in getting some bill of
relief, some reduction of taxes, before the close of the session.

On the 13th of March, 1883, in reply to a question of a correspondent
whether I had any objection to having my views reported, I said:

"No, sir; the contest is now over, and I see no reason why the
merits and demerits of the law should not be stated. I worked at
it with the finance committee for three months, to the exclusion
of other business. Taken as a whole, I think the law will do a
great deal of good and some harm. The great body of it is wise
and just, but it contains some serious defects. The metallic and
wool schedules are unequal and unjust. The great merit of the bill
is that it reduces taxes. I would not have voted for it, if any
other way had been open to reduce taxes.

"Was there any urgent necessity for reducing taxes?"

"Yes. The demand for a reduction of taxes was general, and, in
respect to some taxes, pressing and imperative. The failure of
Congress to reduce taxes was one of the chief causes of the defeat
of the Republican party last fall, though it was not really the
fault of our party. The bill was talked to death by Democratic
Senators. The taxes levied by the United States are not oppressive,
but they are excessive. They tempt extravagance. We could not go
home without reducing the internal taxes. What I want you to
emphasize is, that the tariff sections could not have passed in
their present shape but for their connection with the internal
revenue sections. We could not separate them; therefore, though
I voted against the tariff sections of the Senate bill, I felt
constrained to vote for the bill as a whole."

"Is not the bill, as it passed, substantially the bill of the tariff
commission?"

"No, sir; the tariff commission