Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1888-05-24
REFUSM ASTERLY SPEECH
He Closed the Tariff Discussion on the
Side ofthe PrOtectionist5.
The speech Was Loudly Applauded by
the Republicans, And at the Con
clusiOn Mr.. Reed was Con
graduated by His Par
" Friends.

WASHINGTON. May 19.-Long before the
house met this morning every seat in the
galleries was occupied, the only deserts
in the oasis of futttring fans and
bright costumes being few seats in the
diplomatic gallery and the front row Of
the executive gallery, reserved for the
president ana his family. At every door
was q large knot of spectators peering
over shoulde,s aud under arms TO get a
glance at the floor upon which the long
debate on the tariff bill was TO be closed
by Mr. Reed (Me.) and Speaker Carlisle.
The buzz Of expectancy and the hum of
conversation were stilled for a moment,
while the chaplain offered prayer, only to
break ont afresh when the clerk proceed
ed to read the journal. When the read
ing of that dreary document had been
dom pleted the house went iato commit
tee Of the whole. Mr.. Springer (TH) in
the chair, on the tariff bill.
aR. REEDS ADDRESS.
Mr.. Reed said that he purposed to dis
cuss some of the general principles which
underly the two modes OF national action
which were confessedly in dispute in con
yress and in the country. He would treat
the bill az in their hearts the leaders on
the other aide treated II, as q step only in
a pprticular direction. How important
the propositions at issue we're the intense
interest already excited by the pending
measures on two continents bore the
strongest wi ness that could be borne by
men, Those who, living On this side of
the ocean grew articles which were ueces-
sary tor the comfort aud happiness Of
the people Ot the United States were on
one AIDE of the question, while the for
eigu manufacturers, foreign political
economists and foreign statesmen were
al on the other.
This, however, should not prejudice
tho question. If 1t be true that by hay
ing their goods manufactured abroad the
people of the United States as a whole
would become richer and more prosper
Gus, would have their houses better fur
uished, their tables spread with finer
linen aud covered with more healthful
food; if their bodies would be protected
by warmer wOOleus from the cold of
Maine and by finer clothing from the
burning sun of Texas; if they would on
the whole, and from generation 10 gene
ration enjoy more ct the comforts and
Injuries of life and would Themselves be
moro Intelligent, more Independent and
be better fitted 90 be the citizens OF %
republic already great and destined to
be mighty beyond all former dreams
OF empire, then by all means
sink national prejudice, burst the barriers
of provincial uarrowne-s, and with one
record ndopt not merely the present bill,
but SUCH legislation as would treble the
spindles Of Europe and destroy our own
such measures as would put ont our
furnaces and iuumine those beyond the
sea. If of every 81 in our pockets, one
alone was sufficient if spent in England
TO give us all we had now and we were
sure of still having ia our pockets the
Same So which we now had, surely the
problem was too easy for dispute, too
simple for discussion. We had only to
pass bill which gave free course TO
what the free trade professors, with glib
secularizstion of the Deity called the
international law of the Almighty;
and 1t the learned economists of the
uthcr SIDE were true to their logic and
did not patter with both thor
language and convictions, they could
propose no other course. Tariff for
revenue only went down before the same
arguments which we're used against pro
lection. If protection be q TAX for manu-
facturers' benefit then IL was the same tax
il il be the result of even "a revenue
tariff Incidental protection was of all
tie most iuexcusable. 1t was au accident
which ought to be avoided like a railway
di-astor.
The president was