New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-10-12
CULLOM AND PLATT SPEAK.
ABLE PLEAS FOR PROTECTION
PREFERABLE DEMOCRATS DESERT THE SENATE
CHAMBER-MR. VEST AND HIS TROUBLESOME

cHAMpER-NR. VEST AND HIS TROUBLESOME
ST. LOUIS LETTER-THE PARTY osTRA-
CIsM OF MR.. RANDALL
rBr TELEGRAPH THE TRIBUNE
Washington, Oct 1.-The free-trade forces IN
She Senate deserted their colors to-day, ana lett
Che field in possession Of Senators Cullom ana Platt
both of whom spoke with great force and gave
conclusive reasons why the British free-trade
policy urged by Grover Cleveland and his sup
porters in and out of Congress ought not to DC
adopted. When Mr. Culiom was IN the middle
of his rather unnecessary task OF showing That
the Democratic party is working for free trade
under the name of revenue reform" be referred
70 the letter written by Senator Vest to officer
of the club In ST. Louis which bears bis name.
This brought the Missouri Senator to his feet with
q rcouest that he be allowed TO make an cxplana-
hon. The original draft of the letter, he said,
was written by him at his desk in the Senate and
copied afterward by his secretary. The letter
vas not designed for publication If he had sup
posed il would reach the public, he would have
been more careful in his use Of words; but he be-
ieved that every fair-minded person would agree
with him that the letter, construed by himself,
was not so bad as it had been painted lie tnen
sent the original to the desk, and 1t was rcad.
1t contains these passages:
We are entering Old most fearful Presidential contest
tho important since that OF iSC0
Mr.. Cleveland, by HIS message tfor which sincerely
honor HIM. has challenged the protective industries Oh the
country to q fight OF determination The men who are
accumulsng fortunes under the present tam
laws determined to defeat Cleveland IL money Emu
industry win accomplish It,
II IS useless to disguise the fact that the fight is to
the DEATH and we would be idiots to Ignore that fact
Now Senator Vest understands the meaning
and force of words and yet he rose to-day ana
begged Senators TO believe that the sentences
the issre was between the principle Of abso-
lutte and unlimited Protection" (which he I'M
aerstood the Republican party to advocate) and
tho position of the Democratic party (which was
the raising of revenue from taxes properly ad-
iustcd), and that on that issue the hSht was
to the death" lie looked sad because Kepub,
hcan Senators appeared incredulous aud SnOWeu
an unwillingness to accept as satisfactory bis be-
lated attempt TO explain away the plain mean
ing of expressions deliberately written with his
own hand, and afterward deliberately read,
revised and corrected by him; When Mr.; vest
was through with his task Of construlng' anu
explaining, he rather worse OH than when
he began. lie admitted in terms tnat ne laVors
u tariff for revenue only" and ii was sell
evident that his demonstration OF today was IN
spired by desperate hope that ne might
braVely wrote black" he meant white, ana
that fairly construed his language meant no.h-
ms else. The close attention WIN when senator
Brown, of Georgia, listened to Mr., Cuoms power
:ul argument and TO that of MIR. iati. when
relieved was subject Of comment. Some OF
his PARTY friends express hope that he med tates
a reply TO the friends of the substitute while the
best that others dare hope for Is that ne VIII
refrain from attacking the " Dark Lantern Dill
at least until after the election
Senator Cullom said. in substance:
The Republican party had away believed IN me
dS OF t eSiSe"0n in ins ppolectSe ar
although, since the issue had heen made IL, is
amount Of protection which their banne, The Mills
hn gave to the various industries OF ,ne county, ii
would not for a time reduce the revenues. bEt Noua
put moro money into the Treasury from m poi
dutcs and would finally reduce the revenues by BANK
rupting the people. that they could not buy eiIher
Imported dcmestc goods Ihe surplus woua Sno ~
bors1wing money the business in which ne is s,
late war when il sold lis bonds discount in order
TO pay the current expenses of the Government me a
parties in 1854 and 1885 he declared that The Demo
craic party vas freetrade party 4 ii was seyhi,g ne
sa 9ss of ofe r V cass and Mr. Thurman complain
Ing that taxes were too high ana he aSneo Mn1s9
The Democratic party had hsd control Of t he HS %S
for sixteen yes and was e PspTbdan party
however, would revise the tarit would reduce ,ho
ss eb5r and am udrs Ggss Of he country
he referred to the House of representatives as
nS man isr shseH OF most Of hc important committees
and said he did not believe In Texas SUBSEQUENTLY,
hf 's sns Eai 4 by ixas sos were to
vail it would result In ruin to the business OF uio
Mr. Cunom went to illustrate The eject t Ct the
eaning nroducts and insianccd. among many other
eases that Of watches II was not many years, ~ ~
said since the manufacture Of watches was begun IN
the United States. There had been small duty
levied on Imported watches and then the efforts mace
When the duty was increased. the manufacture Of
watches was established, and nov ne!e , ~eIe m1s5
or sixty establishments In the United saIes ensasru
In thai business, giving employment to many tlog l
sands Of skilled TCTen sT nd Sm mas " Wachs as
good as watches made anywhere, were so cheaP r'a
sysybCdy had one a 9qT Ths cSun KITTY coS G
MIR Plat began his speech by saying that uhe con,
tpa Re Whole volume Of American history II had
Sften seemed on Tho eve Of vctoy had often seemed
had been beaten down and baffed ard ovcrtnown--
now by the ballots OF laboring men, ana Seaih ~
tplracy against labor had early obtained control OF
the Democratic party 'rSog1 r1 Of us pur-
pose and It seemingly awaited but no reeIeGnon
II was and always had been. sectional con-
spracy and lis name was Free Trade. us chcI con-
rnrators had always had their lone IN Tie sane
saciion of the country. 1t mad started in South
tarolna with Calhoun rs deslIe nau IeHn lsbor
Should be unpaid and ignorant; and secondly 10 CIR
rumscribe the Northern systcm-s system which en-
respeefed labor What he meant BY fIes trade was
DOT the closing Of Custom Houses, bur what an com
mcrcla nations meant by ita system opposed 10 FRO"
lection. There not a leading Democrat IL ne
United states t9daS n full q, abo Sn
Who dared 10 say that he was PrOteciionlsi; "hal
ever OF Protection sentment ana c9ulSs5 bcd oot
undcr the Iron heel Of the Administration.
The speaker went on 10 argue that IN te tiv ar
The real controversy between protection ana
Tree trade and support Of that idea, he road various
extracts from editorials IN " The New York Herald.
Ia 1861 That war. Le said, conspiracy against
Northern labor; and II was the Northern labor sys-
TEN which, IN defending itself, had preserved the
Nation intac II might have been supposed that
bee trade surrendered at Appomattox; but II had
pot The freetrade doctrine bad two classes OF sup
the professors of colleges, who knew nothing what
evcr of practical saesnanstp. OF practical business
Of practical political economy and the spolsmen who
fought by adhesion to the freorade fortunes OF the
Bold South 10 get Office for themselves and their
friends.
he mentioned as one Of the saddest incidents IN
American history the party ostracIsm OF
Nr. Randall, and has defeat for the
speshership because he was ,rc prois ecu