The Indianapolis journal., 1884-05-01
FREE-TRADE ELOQUENCE.
Samples from a Ridiculous Speech by Ten
nessee Statesman.

Samples from Ridiculous Speech by Ten
nessee Statesman.
Washington Special.
The alleged tariff debate, which ran through
three evening sessions of the House last week,
has not caused much excitement, but 1t will cost
a great deal for gaslight, type-setting, etc, not
to mention the untold reams of fair, white paper
that will be spoiled by the printing of alleged
speeches, many of which were not spoken at all.
Some of these productions deserve to be rescued
from the oblivion of official publication that
the country may know with what firm grasp and
keen intelligence the tariff question is handled,
especially by the smaller fry OF free-trade dem,
agogues and also because of the beautiful
metaphors and other rhetorical gems with which
they are studded, In his eXordium the other day,
Mr.. Warner, of Tennessee, informed
the chairman that Ito argue this ques,
ton correctly, we must consider all
the avenues whence revenue flows into the bosom
of our governments where it comes from, and to
what branches the pruning knife should be put.
He also assured his hearers that the rich should
bear the expenses of the government, because
they "foat in seas of luxury, dine at their
sumptuous tables, loll in their golden parlors
and sail in their silvery chariots own the great
bulk of property, their broad domains dotted
with sheep, hogs, CATTLE horses and mules. Let
the rich pay the bills and the "toiling millions
who are described as 'doube- breasted,
brawny armed and horny handed" as the ''pil-
lars of society upon whose shoulders rest the
human family, and domestic animal creation IS
upuelu Ike urlllWOOu upon Ouo DOoOul VI OhC
waters moving down the great ocean of time to
the abyss of eternity" and as ''the aqueducts of
nature'-will, ''Samson-like go the seat of
wealth, open the treasures of the earth and pour
them into the avenues of commerce till alNare
filled to overhowing; the bloom of health will fill
our national cheeks" Mr.. Warner is not only
statesman, but great word painter of histor-
ical scenes. He said: Liberty was born. The
beautiful political heavens smiled with thirteen
little satellites fixed in the vaulted sky. The
lovely babe perched upon the nations brow,
dressed in swaddling clothes, the child of the
finest pedigree Of the known world, save our
Lord and Savior, its fathers brave blood, its
mothers hard toll. How should admire and
love our predecessors child now grown to man
hood, holding the sceptre of equality, maintain
ing that all were born free and equal politically;
now straining the nerves of 90 900, 600 people to
maintain its purity in its pristine state waited
by the sea, ocean and gulf, winds rustling upon
their borders, and sending the sweet zephyrs to
the interior of all the United States of America"
Butjeven this sweet picture could not distract
Mr. Warmers thoughts from the toiling millions
who ''have groaned under the leaden weight of
taxes till they have become weak, bond ridden, |
bank-ridden, taX-ridden and poverty stricken;
till they are crying out, we are heavy laden and
need rest Lift the hand of liberty and wave
the flag of peace and plenty, that the gentle zeph-
yrs may be found in every cottage door, hatred
driven from the heart of the nation and love
plant its staff to its very core" His heart was
Stirred with grief and indignation as he described
the woes of the simple guileless 'moonshner,
who looks through the microscope of the future
and sees the scales of Justice are against him,
and the dark doors of dungeon parting for
his admittance into prison a convict After
that it is not to be wondered that Mr. Warner
said: ''Ah! it is the United States government,
with her giant arms and massive body,
raising the huge dagger of consolidation, sending
it quivering to the hearts of States rights and
shedding their life blood upon their own ruin.
This is but the shadow, the forerunner of the
coming storm. We must recede, or Liberty our
EIaA tfaps
a syllable till deaths ruthless arrow has pierced
his breast will sing his farewell song as he pass
es into the arms of grim DEATH
His remedy for this awful condition of things
is to abolish internal taxation and to enact a
tariff 'for revenue only" He thinks there
might have been time when protection was
needed, but that was when the howl of the
cougar, the growl of the bear, and r-whoop of
the savage commingled and re-echoed amid the
tall waved by the gentle sea zephyrs.
There were railroads, no turnpikes no inland
navigation-only about 3000 900 inhabitants,
about 900 ,post-offices and about ~, Ooo,,
just been stacked, cannons muzzled and swords
sheathed. True, the dark clouds of war had
passed away, and the gentle breezes of freedom
were famed through the interior by the rustling
of the sea winds. Still the footprints of his sad
effects were visible at every door. We were
met with the horrible sight of widow, with five
or six children clinging to her apron strings.
with one-legged or one armed man or
this rather painful reminiscence Mr.. Warner
turns to the present, and wants to know if the
manufacturing industries cannot now stand
alone. He says: ''They stand as
mighty giant, feeding upon better
and sweeter meats than all other
industries, controlling some three or four
hundred thousand votes, besides monopoles of
gigantic proportions. Take the banks, which
control several hundred thousand voters and
$5, ,00O, 900 900 worth of property The great
railroad corporations, equally as powerful IN
controlling votes and capital and besides the in
terror transportation. They form a trinity; they
are tripets; the same blood flows through the
veins Of each here the three great attributes of
the nation are under the control of huge corpo-
ratons" After mentioning number of other
articles that he thinks should be placed on the
free list, Mr.. Warner continues The Bible
should be- because it is the book of God. 1t
should be so cheapened as to lay upon the man
tel of every family. If we tax the Holy Ghost,
upon the same principle we should have a right
to tax the Son and Father. 1t is a shame and
disgrace to religious and enlightened
people to tax the Bible and prevent the spread
and water with all their treasures, free of
charge and only retained one day to Himself
out of every seven. It's wonder there is not
tax on air and water, and even upon the soul as
it leaves the body and a sentinel at the gate to
charge entrance for entering heaven If these
were not impossibilities they certainly would
have been on the tax list. The only vestge of
happiness and enjoyment of liberty left for the
poor toiling millions on earth is the ballot box
ard free seat in heaven hereafter. Strike
them down and his last hope is doomed, doomed.
Shall it be said that this great and grand re
public will tax the oil from them that their
lights will be out when the bridegroom comes
and leave them in darkness forever, forever?
May God forbid