Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-07-12
BUFFERS TARIFF SPEECH.
vapors Light as Air which Set the Con-
ventiOn in a Roar.


ventiOn in a Roar.
CHICAGO, July 11.-Gen. Butler last
night, in addressing the convention in sup
port of his minority report on the plat
form, said in substance:
He agreed to most of the points presented
in the majority report. but there was one
thing on which there was most radical dill
ference between the two platforms. Both
agreed that there was no constitutional power
to raise revenue beyond the necessary wants
of the government, that II should be raised
according to the doctrines OF the fathers, and
that no tax should be laid on the neces-
sarIes of life not produced in this
country. He came here as no
mendicant, no beggar. He came here repre-
senting more than l9,OOo.pO9 !aborlng men.
He had brought their condition before the
committee. and had demanded not that 1t
should give them anything but that when
taxing the people the tax should be taken
where it would hurt them least. Was not
that reasonable demand: Did they think
that they could get along without that? He
thought not. He objected to the tariff plank
in the platform in the committee because 1t
took the committee thirty-siX hours
to frame it, and if it took
those able men so long to frame 1t
and to get it in form there must be some reason
for that. If they could not find out IN thirty
six hours what they wanted how were his
laboring men to find out what 1t meant.
Laughter There was radical difference
between the convention anu uiluhti8s 4 lt
very able Chairman Of the committee, Mr..
Morrison, thought that there should be no
such thing, or could be no such thing, as pro
lection to American labor by taxation.
BUFFERS BELIEF IN PROTECTION.
He fButler) believed that there should be
such protection, such fostering, such cherish
ing. Mr.. Morrison could not yield his convic-
tiOn and he tButier) could not yield his, and,
therefore. the committee had to spend all that
time to say something that would mean one
80, ar1A har
way. Laughter He asked the delegates to
read that tariff plank and see if they
could find out exactly what 1t did
mean. 1t did not mean protection.
II it did, Col. Morrison was too honest a man
to bring it here; and yet it was so twisted
that it might mean protection. Laughter. ]
The Democracy had IN its platform in 1850 a
plank of a tariff for revenue only, and 1t broke
the back of the most gallant soldier in the
country laughter, and now they had plank
''for public purposes exclusively" Where
only, and only meant exclusively. Laughter. ]
THE CURRENCY QUESTION.
Passing to the currency question, he said
that he affirmed the doctrine Of Andrew
Jackson that the government alone could is
sue money, and he would rather be wrong
with jackson than be right with the commit
tee. Laughter. He represented many
greenback meD-goOd and true greenback men
like Allan G. Thurman llaughterl-and these
men were willing to come to the Democracy
government if the Democracy would have
them, but how were they receivedl with a
plank in the platform that ~we are in favor
Of honest money" as If the Greenbackers
were not. Who was not in favor Of
honest money! If there was such
a man here, let him be put out. Laughter. !
AS to civil service reform, he ventured to say
that there was not a man IN the convention
in favor Of il. unless he was a schoOlmaster.
Laughter senator Pendleton had been the
author of the original civil service law, and he
has never been heard of since. Laughter. ]
George Washington could not have passed a
civil service examination for ST 200 clerk
ship. Laughter. His early education had
been neglected, and in his WILL written by
his own hand, he spelled clothes 'cloaths."
Laughter
BUTLER WANTS FREQUENT CHANGES.
For himself he wanted frequent changes
in office. in order to counterfeit the great
tendency to have aristocratic life offices. II
Office was a good thing. then he wanted all
the neople to have chance at ii, and ii it
was a bad thing, then it was too hard to put
it on one poor fellow for his whole lifetime.
Laughter In conclusion, he said that if
the convention told the wOrkingmen and
women of the country that they were to be-
he would not say protected-but fOstered
and cherished, then the Democratic
party would sweep the country. Other
workshops on election day and
the Democracy would be again defeated.
Theoretically he was free tracer, but practi-
cally, when 5000, 10000 Of revenue had to be
raised on imports. there could be no such
thing as free trade, and so long as some in
dustry must be fostered, American men and
women should be taken care Of. Applause. !
He would call for a vote by States on his
substitute for the tariff plank in the majority
platform.