Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1888-05-31
A RepublIcan rariu Rerormer.

| aTRuUleuls tilul BttllieIllci ndu dlTeduy
fully presented or to review the Gus
toms figures so carefully prepared by
members on both sides. He did not
propose to debate the question whether
or not there should be a tariff or
whether that tariff should be one for
protection or not. He represented q
district in the upper part of New York
which was mainly resident district.
The people there were not protected. r.
They were Eot over paid. The money
which they received at the end of each
week was not more than was required
for their necessities, and at the same
time they were obliged to buy the taxed
doll to fill the taxed Christmas stock
ing, or the taxed medicine for an in
valid member of their family. Their
wishes might be as important 10 the
Republican party as those of the farm
ers and manufacturers.
If the Republican party was to get
votes from New York City they must
get them from those people. They had
elected him, Republican, to Congress
mainly because the Democratic candi-
date refused to support any measure of
tariff reform and had voted against
consideration of the Morrison bill. ZAP
plause on the Democratic side.)
In the interest of the Republican
party, and in the interest of common
fairness, he asked gentlemen on his
side to consider for moment how the
present tariff, which they had promised
| to revise, affected the people of his dis
trict. They paid tax on everything
they ate-on beef, pork, ham, butter,
| l. II oh Y,onloccoc rian onh hnrlnU
The list was substantially an in
ventory of the stock of the grocery
store.
1t was on such Republican doctrine
as was laid down by Mr.. Arthur that
he (Fitch) was satisfied to rest. Upon
such Republican doctrine as that, the
Republican party could ask for votes in
New York City and not be forced to
defend before the people of that city
tariff which imposed a tax of 25 per
cent. on rubber boots and shoes and 10
per cent. on precious stones.
When gentlemen ask for a fulfill
ment of the Republican promises to
remedy the admitted Irregularities of
the tariff, the answer of the manufact-
urers was that if on article on the duti-
able list was touched the whole pro-
lection scheme was in danger. The
high protective manufacturers had end
less objections. They had a monopoly
of objections. If cheap vegetables were
asked for the farmer objected. If
cheaper clothing was asked for the wool
grower objected. If cheaper carpets
were asked for the manufacturer OBJ
jected. If cheaper coal was asked for
the miner objected. If cheaper rice
and sugar were asked for the planter
objected. He, for his district of con-
sumers, objected to this chorus of OBJ
jections. Laughter
Ifevery interest in this country which
was protected was to cry out any pro-
posed reduction of the tariff in the in
terest of the great principle of protec-
ton, the people of his district might
ask that their monthly wages and the
limited incomes on which they live
should have the protection promised
them by both political parties, and that
not by and by, but in the fiftieth Con-
gress. Applause.] They would ask
courteously and modestly, but if they
were met with refusal the request
would have to be made more emphat-
ically.
The gentlemen on his side of the
House said that it was true that the
tariff ought to be revised; that the
party platform promised the revision,
but that it must be done only by the
Republican party, in House in which
that party should have q majority.
There were no objections to that ans
wer. ua.
First it was a postponement and an
indefinite postponement of something
promised four years ago, and which
ought to have been done before now
Whatever hopes gentlemen might have
in the future nobody could say. Ifthey
were to read out of the party every
body who reminded them of their
promises or who INDUCED in the Re-
publican habit of free speech and can
did criticism, perhaps they would never
be strong enough to control the House.
[ Applause on the Democratic side.
Even if the fall elections should re-
turn majority of Republicans to the
House two years must elapse before the |
present tariff could be changed, and
even then highly protected industries
would find some reason for further post
ponement. 1t was more than likely |
that gentlemen interested in preserv-
ing intact the present tariff would claim
that the election of a Republican House
was a verdict of the people against any
revision. [Applause and laughter.
His second objection to the answer
was that it made the success of the Re-
publican party condition precedent to
the revision. If the revision was right |
and in the interest of the development |
of the country he, for one, was willing
to make it, whether there was political
capital in it or not. 1t was a business
question more than political, and it was
a business question on which the Re
publican party was committed. He
was disappointed that as yet no Repub-
lican bill to reform the tariff had been
presented. He had hoped that before
this bill would have been brought for
ward by authority-a bill in regard to
which all Republican members would
have been consulted and their varying
vices compromised.
To such bill giving to the people of
New York City some of the benefits to
which they thought they were entitled,
even if it did not give them all they de-
sired, he would have given his most
earnest support. Instead of such a bill
being brought forward those Republi-
cans who thought a reform Of the
tariff was a business question had heard
only eloquent denunciations of the
manner in which the pending bill was
framed. He did not care particularly
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