Huntsville gazette., 1888-01-28

HI A@zT I/<courage which never
A K #S@falled, although for a
aHX@\-/ K7Squarter of a century
tHftaHSFsEnY% IS she had seen her ag
HiItitinfNSsI ly@S%F gressions met by strong
Senator Elrus defenses But now the
President of the United States declared
that these defenses were to be raised. The
British press had at once proceeded to self
congratulations, and to strip off merclessly the
Presidents disguise. These congratulations
would have continued if a voice Of warning had
not been heard The warning that such
English expression of opinion had to
be curbed, the full fruition
OF English hopes would never be
enjoyed. The whole history of Great Britain,
Mr.. Frye said, might be hunted from the begin
ming, and there would not be found one single
instance where England had ever permitted
the rights Of any nation to impede or hinder
her magnificent career in commerce and in
manufactures. England had never in one single
instance evinced any sympathy for the United
States, and she never had permitted oppor-
tunlty TO lnjure this country to pass unimproved
He declared that the counsel, the advice the
friendship of Great Britain to any nation in
commercial matters had invariably and inev
itably resulted in injury to the nation which
had accepted it. Ireland was an instance
quoted from a speech made by Thomas
Francis Meagher in Dublin in 1S47 And yet.
Great Bri ain hoped for, and the Democratic
party expected the Irish votes next fall for
Mr.. Cleveland, as the Democratic candidate
for the presidency. One Of the leading Free
Trade speakers in England had declared years
ago that the greatest triumph of Great Britain
would be the subjugation of the mar
kets Of the United States In the prom
ica pf ba
could see that subjugation nigh at hand. Great
Britain to-day has her markets open to the
world, while other countries had their markets
partially closed to her She found now within
her own borders the fiercest kind Of competi-
ton and her industries were falling Off Her
cotton manufactures were crippled, and Ger
many and Belgium were sezing her
iron and steel industries, and were
already controlling one-half of her
foreign trade in that line. Her agricultural
lands were decreasing in value. and from one
third to one-half of her agricultural laborers
were out of employment, while those who had
employment only earned from q shilling to one
and sixpence day But England heard the
President of the United States declare in his
annual message that the tariff (the only OBJ
stacle to English possession Of
the American markeD was vicious
illogical, inequitable, and what wonder
that the English people deafened American
ears with their cries of 'Hear hear" They saw
him adopt as the choice of the Democratic
party for the presidential battle of 1888, the old
fundamental doctrine of free trade, that ''duty
is tax paid by the con
sumer." What wonder they hailed
Mr. Cleveland as their champion. They
saw him promise to open to them participation
in the American market, and they knew that
that participation would start their halting
looms and feed their unemployed men and
women. What wonder that the approval of
the Presidents message went ringing over the
world, but the attitude of the Dem
ocratic party of this country was Of
more Importance practically than the
attitude of Great Britain. Would the
Democratic party of the United States indorse
their new chief? He was strongly inclined to
think it would. He knew that members Of that
party had been masquerading for years as re-
formers, favoring tariff for revenue only, with
Incidental protection or tariff for revenue
exclusively" and that in the manufacturing dis
tricts of New Jerseyand elsewhere they masque-
raded as mild-mannered Protectionists. The
Democratic party of the country really shared
in the Presidents convictions and really be-
lieved that the tariff was vicious, illogical and in
equitable, and that duty was a tax paid by
the consumer, and why should not the party 50
think. The controlling element Of the Demo
cratic party had always been in the South, and
the Southern wing of the Democratic party con-
troed it to-day as powerfully and completely
as it did before the rebellion, when it com
peeled the party into the championship of slavery
There was not the slightest doubt as TO the
attitude of the South on this question. The
distinguished Speaker of the House, in his de-
votion to the principles of free trade, had
dared, IN the last Congress, to arrogate t. him
self almost despotic powers, and to declare
from his high place that he would recognize no
member of the House to make any motion to
cut down the surplus unless first sub
mitted to q Democratic caucus. The Dem
ocratic Secretary of the Treasury had also
joined in the choral song of the Free-Traders.
apparently with all his heart In fine he was
satisfied that all the Democratic lead rs agreed
with the President except that they had not
the Presidents boldness or honesty II, how
ever by cheating the people in the next cleo
tion as to their position they could get new
lease of power and obtain control of the
United States Senate, then the people might
bid farewell to every principle Of protection.
1.-The Republicans" said Mr.. Frye, "took
up the Presidents gauntlet of free trade with
great pleasure, and joined issue with the
Democrats ami declared that, instead Of the
tariff being vicious, illogical and inequitable, it
increased marvelously the prosperity OF this
country, and that instead of duty being tax
paid by the consumer no instance could be
the consumer the cost of the article con
sumed."
"As to the surplus" said Senator Frye, ''it
was Democratic incapacity which caused it,
and now the country had to look out to see
that the same Democratic incapacity in ad-
ministering 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, He would rather
have surplus than deficit.
If there was any honest purpose to get rid OF
the surplus, it could be done without the
slightest difficulty. In the first place some Of
it ought TO be expended wisely in coast de-
fenses increasing the navy, in building up the
merchant marine, and in educating the people
as proposed by Senator Blair bill
When Mr.. Frye concluded his speech there
was great deal of applause from the spec
tatofs in the well-flled galleries and the SEN
ator vas congratulated by number Of Sen
ators on the floor.