The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-06-07
MASON ON cox.
A PAssAge-at-Arms in the Tariff Debate
How Mr.. Mason of Chicago Turned the
Tables on Sunset Cox.


a In the tariff debate Mr.. Cox's speec
It was long, carefully prepared and full {
the brilliant and convulsive flashes c
e wit for which he is famous. When Nj
v Cox was through, the crowd began t
r disperse. the announcement that Nj
Mason OF Chicago was the next speake
= on the programme having no meanin
e or attraction for them. But as ther
- were wise and foolish virgins in tn
olden time, 80 there were those presen
0 who, either from knowledge or withou
I intention, remained in their seats AM
Q listened to the greatest humorous trea
a of the session from a man whose politi
( cal reputation has hitherto been con
fined to the locality of his own home
and who in the House was unknown a
an orator.
Mr., Mason said it pleased him to hea
Mr.. Cox's description of the DEVILS raj
ment. II the devil was half as patriotic
as he was supposed TO be, he bought hi
garments in the recesses of hell. HI
| could imagine from the acquaintance
the gentleman (Mr. Cox showed with
his satanic majesty, that when his earth
ly career had closed and st. Peter had
turned him away to the other and
pidNtt Nut lOllO"lDR uldlOkuG
would ensue:
Satan-Couldn't you make it up there
The gentleman from New York--No.
Satan-F. T, (Free Trader)?
The gentleman from New York
That's it; couldn't make it.
Satan-Walk in, Samuel Sullivan Cox;
we take everything on this shore. II is
the only free trade corner in the uni.
yerse of God. Laughter on the Repub,
lICan side
Continuing, Mr.. Mason said. "A
farmer once away from home received
the following letter from a T., X: Dear
Mr.. Farmer-I believe your chickens are
not doing WE'LL and l tender you my
services as physician. Please tell your
hired man to leave the hen house open
at night, that l may treat them. Very
respectfully. A. Fox To which the
farmer replied: Dear Mr.. Fox-Your
kind and neighborly letter just received.
Your relations with me and with my
hens IN the past have not been such as
would warrant me in employing you as
their physician. The doctor should be
friend to the patient, and have sus.
picion that you are more interested in
undertaking than in medicine. thank
you for your trouble, l expect to be at
home myself after the 4th of March and
look after my own chickens. Laugh
ter.
"There are some Republicans who are
willing TO allow the Democrats to pre-
scribe tariff reform providing they are
present and see the medicine admins
tered, l believe l represent a district
in favor of tariff reform. / know that
| represent party that is pledged to a
reform of the inequalities of the tariff.
But knowing, as l do, that this bill is in
the hands of the Democracy, and that
they are absolutely in favor of free
trade, as many others, naturally look
with suspicion upon all efforts of the
free trade party to reform the tariff
Mr.. Mason then read from speeches of
MIR. Mills and other Democrats, show
ing, as he said, their desire to purchase
where they could purchase the cheap
est, and proceeded to say: Il therefore
charge that the Democratic party is in
favor of free trade. The Northern Dem.
ocrats, however, say, I'VE are not in
favor of free trade But the tail goes
with the hide" Laughter
He cited the deadlock of few weeks
ago upon the direct tax bill, stating that
Northern Democrats said they would rot
in their seats before they would be
oOssed by the Southern Democracy, but
when King Caucus tapped the bell the
Democrats all scooted.
The brigadlers ring the caucus bell.
The doughface cries, ''For shame;
III not be bossed by grenadiers.'
but he gets there Just the same.
When the Democratic party gained
possession of all parts of the govern
ment, and announced the doctrine of
free trade, the Northern Democrats, who
were but the tail to the great Democratic
dog, would meekly hold itself between
the hind legs of its owner and wait for
instructions from the business end of
the dog, whether to wag for protection
or free trade. Laughter and applause. !
He then described the different classes
OF free traders, who, he said, were occa.
sionally the retired business man, the
college professor who had written ESSAYS
to compete for the Golden Club prize,
the dude who wanted to buy his necktle
and gloves from dear old Paris, and that
class of statesmen who were born under
the baneful influence of the Southern
Confederacy. that adopted as its organic
law the principle that capital should own
it's labor, and that absolutely free trade
should exist between the nations of the
earth.
He attacked the Mills bill, saying that
it was in the interest of trusts and syn
dicates, and cited the sugar trust, which,
he SAID, was one of the largest trusts in
the world that affected the price of any
of the necessities of life.
He said that while the Democrats we're
denouncing the syndicates and trusts,
they had the power to take off the tariff
on refined sugar and thereby compel the
trusts to compete with the markets of
the world. But instead OF that, the
Democratic party had not the courage
to do il, but under the Mills bill had left
the duty and the tax on sugar practical
ly as high as ever, and was therefore
directly in the interest of the Mills bill.
Mr.. Breckinridge of Arkansas inter
rupted the speaker several times on the
question of trusts, but the running
stream of laughter prevented his re-
marks being clearly heard. and Mr.. Ma |
son created great roar by Inclining his |
bead toward the gentleman from Ar
kansas and querying, "What are the |
wild waves sayiDgr' with an upward
tudN W DO
He suggested to the gentleman from |
Mississippi (Mr. Alleu) that the comic |
opera he quoted from was not suited to |
his style OF voice and form, and sug-
gested that instead thereof he should
sing;
Rockaby sugar trust, you're on the tree top.
While we are power you're cradle will rock
Put II the tariff busts the cradle will. fall,
And down will come sugar trust, Mills bill and
all
Or, if he insisted on rising to that
higher realm OF Mother Goose" he
would suggest:
Little boy blue come blow your horn nice;
Blow sheol out Of mutton, but don't touch our
rice.
GGreat applause and laughter on Re
publican side.
He also suggested that the gentleman
hold the infant trust in his arms and
cay: Darling, / threatened to roast you
the other day, but that was a bluff" and |
that he pass the infant sugar trust to
Mr.. Mills, who would foudle it and say
Baby, dear. don't cry. You shall have
all the sugar in the United States. The |
Golden boys can have everything else |
but sugar" And then he would pass it |
to the gentleman from Kentucky, who
would say: "Do not cry, little Popsie
Wopsie. II our poor little Popsie Wop
sic should die, we wouldn't have any
thing left TO throw at the Republican
party"
The gentleman from Mississippi com.
plains bitterly because the cows IN his |
State do not give as much milk as they
do IN New England, and the hens do not |
lay as many eggs. II there was any
thing in the world that would stop |