The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1886-09-10
Mr.. James PheIan,s YnMs

upon certain public questions.
Meeting Mr.. James Phelan the re-
porter inquired.
do YOU wish to say anything on
the questions of the day."
Il am always willing to answer
any questions as to my position on
the public questions, upon which
there are various differences of opin-
I ion within the Democratic party,
How do you stand on the tariff"
Il stand on the Chicago platf rm.
I want to emphasize this fact, be-
cause / notice an inclination to
criticise me for this. OF the part of
some who do not stand on it and
who yet claim to be mem hers of the
Democratic party. I stand where
Mr.. James NJ. Harris, my Compel
| tor, stood, when we both, in the gu
bernatorial convention of 1884. voted
against such men as Albert McNeal.
Osiah Patterson and others in this
district, who favored a point blank
free trade utterance in the platform.
These gentlemen carried their point.
At the Chicago convention, which
assembled shortly afterwards. the
platform adobted was almost exactly
the platform voted for by Mr.. Har-
ris and myself and voted against
by Col: McNeal and Col. Peterson.
Col, McNeal was on the committee
on platforms and raised no obiec>
tons and made no minority report.
| stand Just where he stood then and
where l suppose he still stands.
That platform calls for REVISION of
the tariff and has no word to say a
bout protection for projections
sake. It says that the amount Of
tariff levied shall be sufficient to
equalize foreign and home labor.
This therefore, is what I mean when
say l stand upon the Chicago
platform. I favor an economical
government and revenue sufficient
t. meet its requirements: Within
the limits of that revenue, l favor
the highest amount of protection for
Southern manufactures and pro-
ducts. The present issue is be-
tweed those who favor revision of
the monopOlistic war-tariff and those
who oppose it. l favor revision.
The question Of free-trade and pro-
lection for protectiGn's sake, is not
a live one. These are abstract gen
eral principles calling for no legisla-
tive solution. But because ] favor
as great an amount Of protection
for our industries as can be gotten
out of the tariff in opposition to the
great monopoly barons of Lowell
and Concord and Waterbury and
Roxburgh and Hartfort, why 1 am
attacked for not standing on the
Chicago platform
Glow about the Blair bill?'
In the four counties of this dis
trict I have been hunted, harried
posted and price set on my head
because / favor the Blair bill. tt
NAV be a matter of surprise when I
say that l am not now, and never
have hecn in favor Of the Blair
bliI."
Such Is not Tie general Impression
certainly."
"You know what it is that travels
with seven league bnots ard what
it is thut walks WITH the snaiiS.
We'll IN opp sci II the Blair hi !
b cause it carried with it federal
supervision and interference in our
school-syslem. But I did favor the
priacIpel Of federal aid to education.
or the distribution Of money among
the states on the basis Of illiteracy,
for public school purposes, without
further conditions annexed. The
gubernatorIal convention declared
against this, not by the 'unconstitu-
t.onal purposes, clause, because it
is in nv mind constitutional, but by
general iutendment. am frank TO say
l think the next national convention
will over rule this decision, as it did
on the tariff two years ago, On the
su biect Of public schools | am more
than a pronounced advocate. If
elected to congress intend to adyo
cate the passage Of the Caldwell bill,
hich arrives at the same result by
an avenue large enough to admit the
portlY persons Of those who see in
the other plan constitutional re-
strictsons. This is to appropriate
the proceeds of the sale of public
lands for educational purposes
81 suppose you favor II ssissippi
river improvements"
II do heartily"
Are you for or against the river
commission"
i am enthusiastically a commits
sion man, and 1 have so put my
self on record. At the Western
water WAYS convention IN New Or
leans last year, represented Tennes-
see on the committee on resolutions.
l made a fight in committee for
direct Endorsement Of the river com
mission Failing in this, submit
ted a minority report, which owing
to the fears of Eads. influence and
through the opposition Of Page Ba>
ker of the Times Democra Eads'
organ, was laid on the table. The
executive committee IF the West
ern water ways convention APP
pointed me to make the argument
for the Mississippi river commits
sion before the river and harbor
committee at W as hington last VIM
ter, which did. was on the COM
mittee on resolutions at the river
convention that met at Kansas
City, and was the spokesman for the
river commission. You can certain
Iy set me down as being em?hatical-
ly for the river commission"
"Youar no doubt confident Of
SUGGEST"
Newspaper men appear to be
prone to ridicule candidates for
their confidence. Like a great
many other smart Alecks. Ihev rid.