National Republican., 1888-04-29
TARSNEY A "FAIR TRADER. /"
TARIFF DISCUSSION CONTINUED
IN TIE HOUSE.
Representative o'NenD Suggests an
Object Lessonas TO the value of Pro-
lection TO the workingman-An In
tcresting Debate.


bers present, but that did not interfere with
the tariff debate. The House Immediately
went into committee Of the whole, Mr..
Springer, Of Illinois, in the chair on the
tanf.
Mr.. Kerr, OF Iowa, argued that the
changes made by the bill were ill-consid-
cred and had for their object the Dencfiting
of the local interests Of the majority mem.
bers Of the House. He opposed the rcduc-
tIon Of the revenue by the abolition of the
internal revenue tax. The time had come,
he thought, IN the history of the American
government for the nation to declare that
hcnceforth IL would take no share In the
profits Of the sale Of alcoholic liquor
Mr.. Tarsney, Of Michigan stated that he
did not believe in the doctrine OF protcc-
tion for protection's sake.
Mr.. +. b.. Taylor, of Ohio, said that the
New York Tribune published this morning
what purported to be an interview with the
gentleman, In which that gentleman OPP
posed putting lumber and salt on the free
list.
Mr. Tarsney replied that he was not the
editor of the Tribune. The gentleman
would see what his (Mr Tarsncy's) position
was before he got through.wth his speech.
Mr.. Taylor suggested that the gentleman
had said In the interview that he proposed
to offer nn amendment touching the ques-
tion of protecting salt and lumber.
Mr.. Tarsnoy replied that when the bill
was under consideration by sections he
would take such action as his duty TO his
constituents and his country impelled him.
Continuing, Mr. Tarsncy said that he be-
longcd 20 that school Of politics which be-
levcd In the collection from the pockets Of
the American people Of 50 much money rs
was necessary for the proper and cconoml-
cal administration Of the government, and
Of not one dollar beyond. lie and gentle
men ON his side Of the House were not free
traders: they were fair traders.
Mr.. O'Neill, OF Pennsylvania, was sorry
that Mr. Tarsncy had not been present at
the launch of the Yorktown and seen the
commencement Of the new navy If he had
been there he would, have seen the product
Of thousands of men who were engaged at
good wages. If the eXcursionists watched
they would see Roach's yard ut Chester and
Cramps yard at Philadelphia. These yards
would be closed by the passage Of the
Mills bill. Those great hives of industry
would be stopped and the families
of the workmen would be sufferers. He
wanted to say fore. the Information
of the members present that there were
100000 people In Philadelphia engaged in
the notwithstanding industries who bought
their farm products from farmers who
brought II TO their doors. BY industry aud
economy these 100000 people were enabled
to live in houses of their own, and yet the
gentleman from Michigan said that pro.ec-
tion had not been benefit 10 the individual
man, If the gentleman had been present at
the launching he believed he would have
come back with his mind changed, and he
thought he would be convinced that the
tendency of free trade was TO destroy, while
that of protection was to build up and
foster.
The discussion then took n cOlloquiul
turn, the conversational method of debate
being inaugurated by Mr.. Russell, Of Massa-
chusctts, with the suggestion that Cramp
Il Sons were now engaged in the construc-
ton of cruisers for the American navy; and
he inquired whether Mr.. O'Neill meant to
say that the passage of the Mills bill would
result in the closing Of their yard.
Air. O'Nelll replied tnat the construction
of these cruisers only furnished temporary
employment. Cramp e Sons had the con
tracts because they were the lowest bidders
and because il was well known that Phila-
delphia's iron shipbuildcrs were the best In
the country. But II Congress passed the
free trade bill now before 1t, and supple
mented II with the free ship bill, which had
been favorably reported by the committee
on merchant marine and fisheries, the ship
building industry would be destroyed.
Mr.. McMillin. Do you oppose all tax re-
duction.
Mr.. O'Nell. | propose the repeating of
the internal revenue law 10 great extent.
Mr.. McAlillin. That system would leave
us deficiency of $50, 100000. How does the
gentlemen propose to procure that.
Mr.. O'Neill. propose that we get, by n
tariff FOR protection, sufficient money to
carry ON the government and to protect
American industries.
Mr., Baync. My colleagues position is
that the Mills tariff bill coupled with the
free ship bill would result IN the discharge
of workmen in the shipbuilding establish
mcnts at Philadelphia.
Mr.. Byuum, of Indiana. How would the
tariff bin destroy the industry of construct
'"Sy Would 1t not benefit the ship
4 no~ ing cheaper material?
| hmiIJin;o hy ha, would be benefited II
Mr.. 8 Neill They theory of giving
they would build ON til, Sorkmen, -,
cheaper wages to American Mr. U Neill
Mr.. Bynum inquired whether IN.
was In favor of tariff revision. Vhe
Mr.. O'Neill replied that he wantcu
| tariff revised when there was Republical
| President, He wanted IL revised in til,
| House of its friends. Laughter
Mr.. Whiting, of Massachusetts, said thai
| lie lived In q city where there was grea
| variety Of manufactures, and statistics
| showed that wages there were from 65 to Il
| per cent higher than In Great Britain, ant
that the cost of living was no higher. More
than half the working people were deposi
tors In the savings banks. What was true
of that city was true of every city in Massa.
cltisctts, aud he believed that the effect OF
the Mills tariff bill would be to reduce the
wages of labor.
Mr.. Breckenridge inquired what wages the
workmeu at the Thompson works had been
receiving.
Mr. Baync replied that they had been re-
ceiving 50 u day.
Mr.. Breckinrilge said that the average
wages of the Pinlierton detectives was SS Il
day. They received that rate of wages to
prevent breach of the peace by men who
received SO a day.
Mr.. Reed, of Maine, said that the gentle.
man from kentucky had drawn picture
which left the American workmen In the
cold, and showed the Hungarian workmen
protected by Pinkerton detectives, The
gentleman had pictured that as the final
incident In the great dispute which went on
either under protection or free trade. The
gentleman wanted TO contrast the wages of
men temporarily employed with those re-
celycd by permanent employees,
lie (Mr. Reed) thought that II ought to
ho pointed out that such methods Of argu-
ing this question of free trade or protection
were somewhat petty in their nature, The
question was what system secured the
greater wealth TO the country and the
higher wages to the workingmen.
One of these workingmen had appeared
before the ways and means committee-a
ways and means committee better consti
tuted than the one In this House, because 1t
had heard the workingmen-and he had
been asked; "Do you get the benefit of the
tariny DO not your employers try to get
the benefit from youyn lie had replied,
with perfect frankness; There is quar-
rel between ourselves just give us mar
ket and we will try to get our work.
And lie (Mr. Reed believed that they
would. Applause on the Republican side. ]
The committee rose at . o'clock
On motion of Mr. Bryce, of New York,