The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-01-31
WASHINGTON.
Senator Fry on the President s
Message.
BUTLER ON DAKoTA'S ADMISSION.

message, III Wnlch ne SAID, the president had
clearly thrown down the gauntlet of free
trade.
England, he said, heard the president of the
United States declare in his annual message,
that tariff (the only obstacle to English pos
session of the American market) was vicious
illogical inequitable, and what wonder that
the English people defended Americans with
their cries of 'hear hear!'' They saw him
adopt. as the slogan of the democratic party
for the presidential battle of 1888 the old
Fundamental doctrine of free trade, that duty
as tax paid by the consumer" What won
der that they hailed Mr.. Cleveland as their
champion? They saw him promise to open to
them participation i'll the American market,
ANA they knew that that participation would
start their hating looms and feed their
hungry, unemployed men and women. What
wonder that their approval of the presidents
message went ringing over the world. But
OF one a ths oo SI the qom0or'tic party
Importance, practically, than the attitude of
Great Britain. Would the democratic party
OF the United States, he asked, lndorse their
new CHIEF? He was strongly inclined to think
that 1t would He knew that members of that
party had been masquerading for years as re-
formers, iavoring tariff for revenue only
with Incidental protection or tariff for
revenue exclusively. and that in the manu-
featuring districts of New jersey, and else
where. they masqueraded as mld-mannered
protectionists. In the south they had had
more bodness and less diversity of industry
put even there, within the last year or two,
blinded, probably by the smoke of newly
built furnaces, or disturbed by the hum OF
looms, there was to be found here and there q
Sriend of protection. The senator
from Missouri (Vest) had declared the
othoT day that he Endorsed every line. word
and letter in the presidents message. The
senator from Indiana (Voorhees) had in an
elaborately prepared speech, in perfect cool
ness, with no excitement whatever, declared
lhat the doctrines uttered by the president in
h had hoo,
democratic party for eighty-seven years. and
that he Endorsed them. The senator from
Tennessee QHarris) had also in speech made
elsewhere declared that his voice or his vote
would never be for protection OF the encour-
agement of any American industry. SO that
he (Ffye) was inclined to think that the demo-
cratic party really shared in the presidents
convictions, and really believed that the tariff
was vicious illogical and inequitable, and that
duty was tax paid by the consumer, and why
Should not the party so think? The controli-
Sng element of the democratic party had been
always in the south, and the southern
wing OF the democratic party controlled it to-
day, as powerfully and completely as it did be-
fore the rebellion, when it compelled the party
into the championship of slavery There was
not the slightest doubt as to the attitude of the
south Oh this question. When the south went
into the rebellion it declared in the confedcr-
ate constitution that no bounty should ever be
granted from the treasury, nor any law be
enacted TO foster or encourage any branch of
tudustiy whatever. That had been the SOL
emni declaration of southern democrats. and
they believed now as they had believed then.
These southern gentlemen learned very slowly
and forgot as slowly and they We're blind to-
day to the marvels which We're being wrought
in their midst under the protective tariff. The
democratic party had come into power in the
house OF representatives i'll the orty-fourth
congress and held power in that house ever
since, except in the 47th congress: and it had
illustrated its promotion to power by demand
ing that the tariff be revised and the whole
business of the country be disturbed. The
democratic chalrmen OF the committee Of the
ways and means since then had been Fernando
Wood with Randolph Tucker as an assistant
and William r. Morrison. Today all three of
Them are out and out democratic
free traders; and today Mr.. Mills, OF
Texas was chairman of that committee and
Mills was even crank i'll his devotion to the
PRINCIPLES Of free trade, and Endorsed the mes
sage of the president.
The distinguished speaker of the house (for
whom he had profound esteem) in his devotion
60 the principles of free trade had dared III
the last congress, to arrogate to himself almost
deSpotic powers and to declare from his hirh
place that he would recognize no member of
the house to make any motion to cut down the
surplus unless it was first submitted So q
democratic caucus. The democratic secretary
of the treasury had also joined in the song of
free traders, apparently with all his hea t. In
fine lac was surprised that all democratic lead
erS agreed with the president except that they
had not the presidents boldness or honesty
Republicans took up the presidents gauntlet
oil free trade with great pleasure, and Joined
issue with the democrats. Republicans de-
clared that instead of the tariff being vicious
illogical and inequitable, it increased marvel
ously the prosperity OF this country; and that
instead of duty being tax paid by the con-
sumner no instance could be found in which
the duty had not decreased to the consumes
the cost of the article consumed. AS to the
surplus. it was democratic incapacity, he said
which caused it; and now the country had to
look out to see that the same democratic i'll
capacity, in administering the medicine did
not give poison and kill the patient. He was
as much against the surplus as the president
was but he was not frightened at it. lie
would rather have a surplus than deficit.
II there was an honest purpose to get rid of
the surplus, it could be done without the
slightest difficulty. In the first place, some of
1t ought to be expended wisely III coast defen-
6eS, in increasing the navy, in building ND tho
merchant marine and in educating the people
as proposed in the Blair bill. The senator
from North Carolina (Vance) had indicated Il
way 20 prevent the surplus; and the senator
from Georgia Brown had proposed way
which would do it beyond all manner Of queS-
lion. That was to repeal all the internal rev
enue laws But his democratic friends ana
their alies-the distillers and brewers. and
saloon akeepers-had recently developed q
wonderful regard for temperance and had be-
come great temperance champions, protesting
against whisky being made cheaper.
But lie told them that the temperance senti-
ment OF the country was rapidly crystalline
into the opinion that the sooner the tax on
whisky was repealed the better and quicker the
principles of temperance would be subserved.
He could see, however, one or two objections to
its repeal: and one of them was that so much
revenue could not be spared He Frye ia
vored abolishing the duty on sugar and paying
American sugar producers a bounty equal to
the tax taken off. But if the purpose of the
democratic party was to destroy the tariff and
to cripple and absolutely destroy some Of the
industries of the country the presidents method
could. Of course, do that.
Mr.. Brumm, of Pennsylvania, rising to ques-
ton OF privilege sent TO clerks desk to have
read pprported interview with Mr. Crisp,
published in yesterdays Washington Post,
which he stated reflected on large minority
Of the house.
Mr. ONeill, of Missouri, suggested that
there was no question of privilege presented
as the country had already reflected upon the
minority party of the house.
The interview was read at length. In it Mr.
Crisp cIiticises the action of the republicans
for refusing to vote on the Carisle'case
Mr.. DiDble, OF South Carolina, rising 10 a
point of order. contended that the matter wa,
not a privileged one. Besides this, there was
now pending before the house a question Of
high privilege, affecting the right OF a member
ia his and until that arpstiCp u,as ..4