Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-05-21
Combat Between the Two Great
Leaders Of the House.
Reed and Carlisle Conclude the Tariff De.
bate With Mastery Speeches.
The Democratic Champion Forced to
Defend Himself and His
Party.
WASHINGTON, May 10.
House,

the whole with Mr.. Springer in the chair
Mr.. Jehu Baker (Ill.) secured the floor q
defend his constituents from what he termed
the gross offence heaped upon them by the
gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Breckin
ridge, in his speech Friday, when he re-
ferred to the deep damnation of the poiitica
taking off of Mr.. Morrison. Mr. Breckin.
ridge replied and at IL o'clock Mr.. Reed
began. He said that he proposed To discuss
some of the general principles which under.
lie the two modes of national action which
were cOnfessedly in dispute in Congress and
in the country. He would treat the bill as
in their hearts the leaders of the other side
treated it, as a step only in a particular di-
rectiOn. How important the propositions at
| issue were the intense interest already ex-
cited by the pending measures on two CONT
nents bore the strongest witness that could
be borne by men. Those who, living on this
side of the ocean, grew articles which were
necessary for the comfort and happiness of
the people of the United States were on one
side of the question, while the foreign manu-
! facturers, foreign political economists and
foreign statesmen were all on the other
This, however, should not prejudice the
question. If it be true that by having their
goods manufactured abroad the people of
the United States as whole would become
richer and more prosperous, would have
their houses better furnished, their tables
spread with finer linen, and covered with
more healthful food, if their bodies would
be protected by warmer woollens from the
cold of Maine, and by finer clothing from
the burning sun of Texas, if they would, on
the whole, and from generation to genera
ton. enjoy more of the comforts and luxu-
I a..f1, So L..
intelligent, more independent and better fit
ted to be citizens Of a republic already great
and destined to be mighty beyond all former
dreams of empire, then by all means sink
national pre- judice, burst the barriers of pro-
vincial narrowness, and with one accord
adopt not merely the present bill, but such
legislation as would treble the spindles of
Europe and destroy our own, such measures
would put out our furnaces and illumine
those beyond the sea. Napoleon was right
when he said that Europe must be Cossack
or republican. Lincoln was right when he
said the United States must be either free
OF slave. The house divided against itself
had to unite or fall The revenue reform
argument was either false pretense or covers
the whole ground. Protection was either, in
its essence, a benefit or curse. You can
not dilute a curse and make it a blessing.
The President was the leader of the democ-
racy. He was also the dispenser of patron
age, and as he was rapidly shaking the dust
of civil service reform OF his feet he was
assuming control over his party. There was
but one free trade and the President was its
prophet. Whoever fell in battle in the ser
vice of this new Allah and its prophet, for
him shall open the shining gates of the heav-
EN- of foreign missions and federal offices.
There are remarkable figures to be deduced
from the Presidents message, figures which
must light up the pathway of Democratic
duty with the electric light of conscience. In
1887, forty millions of woollen goods were
imported, paying S27 100000 of duties, 40
per cent. on costs and duties-this went to
the government. Three hundred and fifty
six millions of domestic woollen manufac-
lures were bought that same year by the i'm
povershed American people. Under the ra-
diant light of the message. and it would be
seen that Sl42 ,000, 900 of that money went
into the gaping pockets of manufacturers,
and was lost forever to the downtrOdden peo-
pie. We imported S3l 100000 worth of
silks, we manufactured $40 200, 900, of
which SIG, 800 900 lined the purses of the
plunderers. The same story could be told
of every protected industry, until the total of
more than 81 000, 100000 of the people s
money goes into the pockets of these Ii
censed robbers Of the poor
If this message from our ruler be true,
every factory is the abode of robber baron
more fell and sure than ever swooped down
European hillside to harry a cavalcade of
honest merchants. In every mine lurked a
more dreadful giant than ever before smelled
the blood of an Englishman.
If the President was right, and gentlemen
did not dare to doubt him, an annual tribute
was paid protected manufacturers out of the
pockets of the people more impOverishing
than ever was exacted by an oriental despot,
In the face of duty to free the people from
this iron yoke you gentlemen stand haggling
about the amount of the tribute. Instead OF
S47 for every hundred, they propose to give
$50 of the peoples money, and throw into
the trade the markets of the world, If it
we're tribute, be bold and sweep it away
I Why did they hesitate? Was it because the
dared not be caught lowering the wages OF
the laboring men who have votes! Have the
courage of your leaders convictions, for has
not the gentleman from Texas, godfather OF
this bill, who has promised to bring it up il
the nurture and admonition of the Lord
loudly proclaimed to the open day that tariff,
have nothing to do with wages? Is it out OF
mercy to the capitalist that you falter? Do
you say there is capital invested under oul
laws and that we must keep faith with thost
invested who have invested it, Whether
faith should be kept with such vampires il
for you to say. But surely no better faiti
need be kept than to pay back every cen
they have invested. 1t had survived the as
saults of all the professors of the ''disma
science" called political economy. On thu
face Of the earth today there were but two
sets of people who believe in free trade
whether pure and simple or disguised as rev
enue refrm, and those two are the masked
majority of the committee of ways ant
means and their followers, and the Cnitet
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland will
Ireland suppressed. Russia the granary o
Europe, had abandoned free trade with tn
striking result that, whereas, in 1876. befor
the duties were raised, she bought 5000 Oo
hundredweight of British metals, and pai'
$50 900, 900 therefor, she got the same quan
tity in 1884, and paid only sl7,ooo,o00 70
it. Austria. Germany, Italy, Mexico an
the Dominion of Canada, that child of Brit
ain herself, had all joined the army of pro
lection. 1t was the instinct of humanit
against the assumptions of the bookmen-
was the wisdom of the race against the wis
dom of the few. Here in the United State
were 0.000, 900 people, with all the varie
characters their numbers indicate Som
had faculties fit for farming, some for tn
management of machinery, some for inveE
ton. The problem before Congress was y ha
system would get from all these creatures, .
!. different from each other, the maximum O
| work and wealth and wisdom. There wa
only one way to get the best work out q
men, and that was to give each the work b
can do best. You can only accomplish th
by diversifying industry. To diversity II
dustry completely in country such as our
there was but one way given under heave
among men. To enable the American PEI
pie themselves to supply all their wants, yo
| must give and assure to the American peop
the American markets.
What did this phrase mean in practic
. life, 1t means that We, the nation. say
capital: Embark yourself in the nan'