The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-04-06
Fridays Senatorial Work in
the National Legislature.
AN INTERESTING SESSION
Senator Wilson Addresses the Senate
on tho Presidents Message
Miscellaneous.
SENATE,

from the DOMINION Oh CaDaua 1Or
direct and immediate interchange Of
parliamentary publications, which was
transmitted to the Senate by the Secre-
tary of State, was referred to the COM
mites on printing.
Wilson, Iowa, then addressed the
Senate on the Presidents message. He
quoted figures contained in the last
annual report Of the Secretary of the
Treasury, showing the receipts and ex-
penditures of government for the last
three years, the aggregate OF receipts
over expenditures b eng Si78 900 900, or
an average of $50 100000 year. Thu
result this disclosed, he said, presented
the limit within which Congress should
move in the matter of reducing revenue.
All Senators will doubtless agree that
the rsveaue should be reduced. He
alluded TO the great achievements of
the Republican party, and spoke par
ticularly of the practical capacity
which could evolve boundiesS credit for
q government that was bankrupt when
1t took charge of its affairs. He re-
ferred to the land grant policy, some
thing in which the Repu blicau party
had without due consideration followed
the presidents of the Democratic party.
The Republican party should be ex-
cused for not at once detecting the
dangerous possibilities of that Demo-
cratic land grant policy. 1t was not
responsible for the war, but it
tenance of Am erican institutions.
enforcement of laws aud the unity Of
the Republic This responsibility it
had met and discharged faithfully and
fully.
Referring to the growth and
prosperity of the country he con-
trasted the figures of 1860 and 1880 as
to agriculture and manufactures, and
said tina, the true polling was one
which would plant manufacturing
establishments in every part of every
agricultural State. II reduction of
prices for manufactured articles was
what was wanted, there was no sdrer
road TO its realization than the one
which would lead to the distribution
OF manufacturing plants in all localities
Vhere6a griculture produces cheap food,
and where forests and mines and
quarrles supply raw materials to be
used. There should be an end OF the
policy which tends to centralize
manufacturing plants in great cities,
and policy should be adopted which
would distribute them in all parts of
the country. If, however, they were TO
follow the Presidents suggestions, they
would not multiply the distribution of
manufacturing plants, but they would
embarrass those now in operation and
repress the tendency to invest capital
in them.
AS to the annual surplus of
about $50, 900 900 be asKed what was the
right thing to do about it? CouId that
right thing be found in any of the va
rious schemes urged npon our atteu-
ton by the President and other OPP
ponents of protection2 Was there any
thing in those schemes that could pro-
pened in the cotton manufacturing in
duslries If the Southern States
within the last seven years? Toe
country was doing well under the
policy which the President assailed.
Whatever of danger was now menscing
the country came from sources other
&han those embraced in protective
policy. That policy had given the
country strength and prosperity.
Proceeding to the discussion OF the
question of duty on sugar and molasses,
he quoted figures to show that in spite
of the tariff, the prices OF articles had
fallen considerably for several years
past, and suggested the removal of she
duty on sugar aud molasses, amounting
to about s5S 900 900. as a means of
guarding against the annual surplus of
100000 000 He quoted some sentences
from the Presidents message, and
asked whether any better response
could be given to them than
by placing sugar and molasses
on the free list? He would admit free
all sugar and molasses coming from
countries which did not impose import
duties on those commodities and which
reciprocated by admitting American
products free of duty into their ports,
and then why not adopt the practical
businessIplan which had worked so well
in European countries, and provide for
paying q reasonable bounty to the
producers of sugar in the United
States?
He criticized the Presidents sugges-
tions on the subject of wool. and said
no one would infer from them that.
under tariff tinkering, the wool
product of the country had
fallen off 100000 pounds in
thres years. After discussing
the wool and fax questions as
affecting farmers, Mr.. Wilson said
farmers should demand that all articles
produced by them should be taken from
the free list, and that tleasta moderate
rate OF duty should be imposed upon
them. be asked whether there was no
way of getting rid of the annual surplus
revenue disturbing our industrial
interest. He would make the reduction
on Intoxicating liquors. TIE true
interests of the people demanded that
the revenue system should be SO ad-
justed as TO prevent the tax on in
toxicating liquors from becoming
fixed and necessary part of it. He
should deeply regret the passage of any
bill looking to reduction of revenue
which cid not make pronounced start
toward the ultimate elimination of the
liquor tax from the law.
at the close of Wilson'S speech, con-
sideration of the House bill for the
purchase Of United States bonds
Was resumed.