The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1882-03-30
SENATOR CoKE's TARIFF SPEECH.


relief" He has completely recovered by
its use.
SENATOR COKE'S TARIFF SPEECH.
what n "Kentuckian' has to Say on the
Texas Senator.
Oyerawed by the majesty (?O assembled
wisdom of the nation, your correspondent
had settled down in chair in secluded
part of the room, just in earshot distance OF
motley group of senator's, representing
all shades of political belief, who were dis.
cussing in very animated manner the
What do you think will be the main
issue of the coming camraign" inquired
Salisbury, who had finished his toilet and
II ow Joined the group.
The tariff" responded every one with.
out dissenting voice. Then there ensued
adsiointed debate between them on the
tariff, interlarded with many undignihed
explosives.
"Where there is so much smoke there
must be fire" says an old adage. If that
be true, the tariff certainly will be the is.
sue of the coming fall campaign. We have
| heard nothing here among the politicians
| hut the tariff. 1t is discussed earnestly
amid the clink Of glasses. 1t is served
up in huge slices at the. public DINNERS and
digested over the social games of whist and
poker. The discussion Of this subject land
is heard in all places from the hotel lobby
to the hall of the legislation) pervades all
classes. If one should desire a book from
the public library that has any bearing on
the science of political economy, he is sure
to be met with the answer
at is out; congressman has it, who is
reading up the tariff"
The chief of the bureau of statistics COM
plains that his clerks are overworked by
congressman hunting statistics on the tariff.
If one should peep into the committee
room during the meeting of the house, he
will find these astute statesmen busy,
amid piles of musty books and documents,
comparing speeches on the tariff" And
their lucubration ION the tariff at night
extends far into the ''wee, small hours" of
morning Even the ladies complain that
the balls hops and receptions are broken
up, as they express it, with this detesta-
bic tariff question:" and, to complete the
climax, the district gas company will, it is
said, declare u dividend in few days on
account of the congressional zeal over the
tariff.
What are the good constituents at home
to expect from all this work on the tariff
Why, deluge of speeches on that subject
is inevitable. With only few months OF
the session gone, we have heard already
over a halfdoze speeches on the tariff in
the senate, with many more, it is said, to
come from that body yet. With only one
exception, none seem to meet the issues the
subject presents on the proper ground or in
the proper manner. Most of them have
been the rantings of demagogues bidding
for re-elec ton, and, of course, were buried
in their borning hour, while those who
have endeavored to rise above demagogism
have enveloped the subject in fog-bank OF
mysticism.
But we have, fortunately, one, political
Noah who will tide us over this deluge of
nonsense and demagogism and he halls from
the great southwest. 1t was reserved for
the Texas statesman, Richard Coke, to de-
liver the great and leading speech on the
tariff. Unlike most of its predecessors, this
speech did not fall still-born-a dead, mis-
shapen mass amid empty seats, to be hur-
'ried oit OF sight and buried in a Lnornent-
but from the outset it bore all the indica-
tions of enduring strength, and was listened
to with the greatest interest by full SEN
ate. In it there is no superfiuity, no re.
dundancy, no strained effort at rhetorical
display, but every argument he adduced
is bold, logical and clear, and each bears
such a relation to the whole as to present
the country a masterpiece OF symmetrical
proportions. Its popularity, too, has been
Der who has read it land there are
few who have not have sent large
orders for il in order to distrib-
ute it among their constituents,
the demand now far exceeding the capacity
of the printer. There is no subject as
stereotyped as it is that presents better
"opportunites" for the forensic ora or than
the tariff. 1t was the fayorite theme of the
last generation of statesmen and,the field in
which the genius OF Clay delighted to roam.
A humorst like Sidney Smith has even IN
vested II with n species Of grim humor. But
Mr.. Coke, with the shrewdness of the ac-
complished politician, and the diplomacy
of statesman, studiously avoids anything
that tends TO antagonize those whom he
would conciliate; and with diction that is
forcible and precise, and a style of delivery
which is calm. clear and unaffected, seeks
rather to convince by force of reason than
to shine in the glamour of rhetoric.
He takes broad, comprehensive
view OF his subject. 1t is the
view of one who has been accustomed to be.
hold the boundless plains OF the west and
southwest teeming with fertility ana await
ing the development that is sure to follow
in the wake of free trade. IL is
the view Of one whe sees the whole country
awaiting impatiently the dawn of the day
when It can pour its rich stores OF wealth
into the marts of the whole commercial
world 1t especially addresses itself to that
wing of the Young democracy Of the south
who have imbibed the sophistries Of pro.
lection and seem ready to desert the good
OLD orthodox standard of free trade and a
tariff for revenue ONLY" 1t is strong
plea for agriculture and cheap traDsporta-
tion and a powerful blow at the iniquities
of the present system Of protection. Every
hypothesis he advances he sup
ports with an array of facts and
figures that is incontrovertible and
hear conviction on their face. This speech,
TO be appreciated. should be read
thoroughly, and ought to be in the hands
" every voter in the country for that pur.-
pose. Nature herself seems to have marked
him out for one Of her noblemen-to be a
leader among the leaders; for in every line
ament Of his full. honest face there are
stamped the deep fGrrows of character and
intellect. 1t was only Jesterday that
head a prominent pOliticiaH.,rEh plumes
himself upon his capacity to Pc >-rfmark :
IF the tariff Is TO be the question: ~
this Texas timber will do to coke these
protectionists with" 1t was a villainous
nun. but Il voices the opinion Of many OF
our leading men here, and for that reason
will pass mus.er.-TW Washington CORES
pOndence Louisville COurier-JOurnal.
Almost made a New Person OF Me.
IL am daily improving, AID can walk
about the house with considerable ease.
4 ~ almost desnaired Of ever being able