The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-05-12
ROBBERY AT THE PORTS.
SCOTT RIDDLES RANDALLS ILL
SHAPEN MONSTER

Plea.
WASHINGTON May lin the House to-
1av a resolution was adopted fixing the
hour for the daily meeting of the House at
II o'clock, and the hour of adjournment at
O'Clock p. m. The House then vent into
committee of the whole, with Mr.. Springer
in the chair, on the tariff bill, and was ad-
dressed by MIR. Scott, of Pennsylvania
The pending tariff bill, he said, was
framed in the interest of the people-of the
whole people, 1t was intended in the first
instance to stay the mounting surplus In
the treasury, threatening overwhelming
and possibly immediate disaster. even now
vividly impending; and second, to relieve,
as far as prudence would permit at this
time, the overburdened industries of the
country from excessive taxation, the pro-
ceeds Of which do not pass into the treas
ury, but go directly to the support of
grasping monopoies, which were for the
most part combined in utterly indefensible
and atrociously oppressive trusts. If the
bill did not measurably accomplish these
purposes it was because the majority of the
Ways and Means Committee was incompe-
tent to frame such law, and of that the
country would be the judge.
RANDALL'S BILL RIDDLEO,
A bill had been introduced by a member
of this House (the Randall bin and referred
to the committee, which provided a large
reduction of internal taxes, and dealt very
lightly, indeed, with customs duties. At
the time of its Introduction the Republican
press, though opposed to tariff re-
form, was loud in its praise of it as a
bill on which all could unite, not only the
gentlemen on the other side of the House,
but the gentlemen on this side also, who
were supposed to differ with the majority.
It is fair to presume that those who had in
CONSIDERABLY approved this remarkable bill
did not understand it's provisions. From
whatever point it was looked at it was a
misbegotten, ill-shapen, portentous, un-
justifable monster, with no excuse for eX-
istence and no purpose i'll its life
but to obstrucJ the Democratic
party, and delay the justice which the
country demanded. The majority of the
Committee on Ways and Means realized
and appreciated the condition of affairs
existing in the country to-day, and however
desirous they might be to extend that full
measure of relief to the wageworker and
the great agricultural classes of the country
to which they are so justly entitled,
invested capital had its claims upon them.
WHAT IT SEEKS.
Keeping these objects in view, it had
sought first to relieve these manufacturing
industries by placing on the free list as far
as it possibly could such articles as were
essentially necessary to them to enable them
to compete, not only in their home markets,
but in the markets of the world secondly,
in the revision and readjustment of the
various schedules, under the existing tariff,
to leave ample duties on all merchandise
that could possibly be imported from abroad
in competition with our home products
and protect the home manufac-
turers and the labor employed by
them Since the Secretary of the Treasury
had resumed the purchase of bonds this
month May the amount offered and pur
chased would not equal even the surplus of
paying therefrom the daily expenses of the
government The bill now under consdera-
tlon had been formed for the double pur-
pose of reducing the surplus and relieving
the country of needless taxation.
WILL ACCOMPLISH THE OBJECT.
The changes made, the majority of the
committee believe, will accomplish these
Objects but he wished it to be clearly under
stood that the interests Of labor had been
steadily held in view at every stage Of the
proceedings, and that this bill furnished
that protection to labor which his opponents
proteSsed to give, but to which their policy
had been directly opposed. The effect of the
bill would be, not to reduce his wages, but to
lessen to him the cost of the necessarieS of
life and to decrease his dependence upon bis
employer. In conclusion, he said: 1--WE
are here, sir; we, the majority of the Ways
and Means Committee of this House, IN
defense of American industry. We alone
offer it protection; we seek alone the inde-
pendence and aggrandizement of domestic
labor by liberating it from unnatural re-
Stralnts, and allowing it undisturbed pos
session and complete enjoyment Of its earn
ings.
WHAT THE REPUBLICANS OFFER.
The other side offer it-what2 A mo-
nopolized market in which to buy the neces-
sarles of life on the one hand, and on the
other labor market subject TO the caprice
OF trusts. Win the laboring men accept
that generous tender and vote with the mo-
nopoly party under the coercion of the em-
ployerf If they do the hideous disaster
1oreseen by jefferson as the natural result
OF a restrictive and subsidy policy will
rush down upon us, and the govern
ment OF the Union will pass into the hands
OF those who openly propose to pervert its
Il powers, and employ them to plunder the
u people for their own enrichment. l do not
believe, sir, that American liberty is des.
tlned to be extinguished in this ignomin-
louS fashion. Surviving, as it has, armed
assault, and every form of intrigue, it will
d not perish of the base corruption of subsidy;
II VIII not be throttled by mere greed, or
Smothered by vile monopoly"
lie spoke for more than two hours, and
was loudly applauded as he concluded.
Durlng the delivery Of the speech Speaker
Carllsle, Postmaster General Dickinson and
assistant Postmaster General Stevenson
We're attentive listeners, while Mrs. Cleve-
land was in the gallery for a short time.
Mr. Gear, of Iowa, said the Mills bill
a would destroy American labor, and stated
ILat the most prominent Democrat in his
district had told him that no Iowa Repre-
sentative who voted for the measure could
"A Oe reelected to Congress.
PATRIOTISM NEEDED.
. Mr.. Dibble, of South Carolina, trusted
tnat when the bill was considered by sec
tions, it would be considered, not in a
"a partisan spirit, not for the sake of manu-
iacturlng campaign documents, but in that
broad spirit of statesmanship which be-
81 ntted representatives of the American
Il people, assembled to discuss and
leclde grave issues affecting the
prosperity Of the country from one end TO
inc other. Under the constitution, he
argued, there was ample room for Incl
aental protection under the provision of a
strlctly revenue bill. Neither the President
" " MS message, nor the Ways and Means
SVIiinlttee, i'll its report, proposed to strike
oIoW at American manufactures.
NOT FREE TRADE MEASURE.
The Democratic party in the House did
N.Y. propose TO pass a free trade measure.