Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-05-04
House.

The House adopted the conference report
on the joint resolution accepting, on behalf
of the United States. the invitation to take
part in the International exhibition to be held
in Paris in 1889 The commissioners repre-
scntiny the United States. will receive a sal
airy of $4,000
The House then went into committee of
the Whole on the tariff bill.
Mr. Wilson of West Virginia, a member
of the ways aud means committee, said that
the opponents of the bill represented the is
sue to be between free trade and protection.
1t was rather an effort of the people to recov-
the right to tax themselves.
He declared that there was no statesman
ship in the republican party to deal with the
surplus. Every republican speaker had a
different plan Most any of them would
cheapen the Aunkard's whiskey and cigar
cites to drain the brains and manhood of
young men while increasing the tax on the
clothing of the drunkard's wife and children.
Mr. Kelly called the democrats bourbons
and in the next breath advocated the policy
of Colbert and Napoleon. Protection acted
on the rule of the Ohio politician, to claim
everything. He said that whatever we had
gained by a growing control over the powers
of nature, from science and invention the
rapid settlement of a great continent, its
mineral and other resources, from the enter
prise and industry of the people, all these it
claimed as its fruits although it had no
more to do with them than with the motions
of the planets or the tides, but things for
which it was chiefly or partly responsible,
it stuiously ignores, such the growing
antagonism between capital and labor, the
%, 900 strikes and the $500 lockouts of the
past six years, the long industrial depression,
the building up of great wealth by favoritism
by which to retain its privileges. 1t was
ever ready to corrupt the ballot
box, intimidate the voters, rapidly
centralize the manufactures in few great
corporations and to assist their recent fusing
into formidable truststs. He argued at length
against the claim that the tariff made or
maintained wages. He discussed trusts in
their bearing on the consumer, the laborer
and the people in general In discussing
the question of wages. Mr.. Wilson referred
TO the remarks of Mr.. Allen of Massacbu-
setts as to the prosperity of the wage earn
ers of Lowell. He compared the condition
of the Lowell operatives under the Walker
tariff and the present tariff, to the disadvant-
age of the latter. Quite tilt followed be-
tween the speaker and Lodge of Massachu-
sets. Wilson contrasted the prices pail in
the same line of employment to show that
the tariff doesn't r gulate the price of labor,
and stated As a result of the contrast that a
man in Maine was only worth two-thirds as
much as man in Connecticut.
| Mr. Boutele inquired how high wages the
| farm laborers in Western Virginia received.
| Mr. Wilson replied Not as high as they
would be If they had protection off. ZAP
| plause-)
| Mr. Boutelle-I want candid reply or
want the gentleman TO retreat ignominiously
| from the question.
/ Mr. wilson, cannot yield for a speech,
| but accept the gentleman as full explanation
whv Il man in Maine is worth but 2-3 of a
man in Connecticut.
| Mr.. Boutelle reiterated the question.
Mr.. Wilson declined to answer, but con-
tinued and said The fight will go on
There will be no industrial peace in the coun-
/ try until the tax laws are established upon a
basis fair to all. We will keep the country
rocking from ocean to ocean until We secure
Justice and fair dealing among all the citi
zens You may strike down that tribune OF
the people at the other end of the avenue
who. putting aside all ideas of prudence,
spoke out tha, ringing summons that rallied
the people as nothing else ever did. You
NAV strike down the leaders of the fight, as
YOU struck them down in the last Congress
and the previous Congress. Those who ha6
the standard may fall but other hands viii
take it up and move forard. The spirit oi
our intelligence is behind Us. The spirit o.
liberty is behind US. All we can hope fo
the destiny and greatness of this country ur
ees US forward and the people of this countr,
mean that its glorious destinies shall be pre-
served and transmitted unimpaired to ou
posterity aud that country shall not beloni
|, to monopolists on the one hand or the com
munists on the other, but shall as designed b.