The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-02-03
PROCEEDINGS OF CONGRESS-.
Mr.. Kenua speaks on the Presidents
Message-Nork tu the House.

president OF the johnson and Fuller Manu-
featuring company, Of Madison, Wis, for
the abolition of all import duties on agn-
cultural machinery such as plows, har-
row and hay and harvesting machinery,
on the ground that such duties were
superiluous and useless, and that no agri-
cultural machinery would he imported II
the duties were wholly discontinued,
Among the bills reported from COM
mittees and placed on the calendar were
the following;
House bill TO facilitate the prosecution OF
works projected for the improvement Of
rivers and harboH.
Authorizing the construction of bridges
across the Red River of the North; and
across the Mississippi nj or near Natchez.
Among the bills introduced and referred
were the following;
BY Mr.. Butler To provide for justices
Of the supreme court for New Mexico,
authorized to determine the validity Of the
Spanish and Mexican land grants.
Mr.. rlatt gave notice that he would next
Monday submit some remarks on the
Presidents message.
Mr., Dolph gave notice that he would
next Tuesday call up the bill for the pay
mcnt OF the unpaid balance Of the Oregon
and Washington Indian war claims Of 1850
and 1856, and address the Senate on the
subject.
Tho resolution offered by Mr. Plumb
some days since as 10 the ineiliciency Of
postal service Ia the west aud south, was
taken up, and Mr.. Plumb spoke at some
length upon the subject. lie said that
the mails of senators and representatives
were burdcncd with complaints ~ 10 the
bad mail services In the regions indicated
In the resolution. lie was In favor OF
proper economy, but the first considcm-
ton as to the mail service was speed and
safety; economy came in afterward.
The bill To increase the pension oi the
totally helpless TO s72 per month was
passed.
The presiding officer announced that he
had appointed as the select committee Ia
which had been referred the Presidents =
message ON the Pacific railroads, Messn.
Frye, Dawes, lliscock, Davis, Morgan,
Butler and Hearst.
Mr.. kcnna then proceeded 20 address the
Senate ON the subject Of the Presidents
message ON the surplus revenue aud tarif
matters, and oi Mr.. shorman's speech II
reply thereto.
lie said that Senator sherman was con
spicuous in the council Of his party, ano
had much 90 do with the shaping of II,
policy, 20 that his assault on the Prcsi
dents position In favor Of revenue reform
aud reduction Of taxation was 10 be ~.
glrded as significant. Time and thought
had been devoted TO the preparation OF
that speech and the assault had been de.
| libcmto.
IL might therefore be fairly assumed
that the senator's "rcply" WIS exhaustive
Of his own and his party's resources on
that important subject. In the light Ol
that fact, the speech might Justly I've re-.
garlcd ~ a challenge. II presented the
sqnarc issue as 10 whether tho senator's
party should stand In that assault or fnll
In the defense. The speech, taken In con.
ncction with the senator's former utter.
anccs ON the same and similar subjects,
presented a contrast ~ astounding M Il
was unexpectcd-a conflict ~ irrecon.
cilable M II was positive and absolute an
enigma which he would proceed briefly "a
analyzc. After quoting some extracts FROM
Mr.. Shcrman's speech, and also extracts
from the works OF jefferson bearing on the
| question Of public improvements, FROM
messages of Presidents jackson and Arthur,
from the reports Of Secretary Folgcr, secru.
tary McCulloch and Secretary Manning, lac
summed up by saying that four successive
Secretaries Of the Treasury, two Rcpub,
licans and two Democrats, and two sue,
ccssiye Presidents, one Republican and
the other Democrat, had united In their
condemnation of n surplus revenue aud IN
their demand for q reduction In the public
burdens. And NO Il had been, be said,
throughout the history Of the government.
There never had been q time when the
unnecessary withdrawal from circulation oI
the currency OF the country and IN hoard.
ing In the treasury was justified or calmly
contemplated. The senator from Ohio wa
the only person whoscomcd 10 regard such
q condition ~ ''gool fortune" such q
condition had always sCrcaicd apprehension
aud had sometimes contributed panic
and financial disaster. And yet, when thC
President, inspired by the teaching Of hi,
counlry's history, dared 10 mise his yoics
10 arrest impending calamity, the scnaiol
from Ohio would laugh 10 scorn the faith
iul admonition, and would hold up Ia
author 10 the ridicule OF the public. The
senator had forgotten his own anxictiei
when, surrounded In both houses Of Con
grcss by a majority Of his own party
friends, In 1882, he exclaimed In the SEN
ate that there was no sentiment In th,
country stronger than that Congress hat
neglected lis duty In not repeating taxci
that were obnoxious aud unnecessary, ant
that lac was determined that that sir
shouldn't lie at his door. The senator fron
Ohio had nssailcd the President because o.
the statement In tho message that iher'
appeared 10 be no lust complaint oi th,
taxes ON spirits, tobacco and beer, and hao
argued that ''tbc traditions and policy O
our people are against internal taxes
When, lac asked, had the honorable
senator undergone change Of hear
ON that important subject, for h'
had declared, In 1857, that spirits
wine and tobacco were undoubtedly Tia
iint objects that should be taxed" III
should not follow the senator In all that h
had H,id ~ 10 the surplus In the treasury
but two instances would suffice. The ven
ator had denounced Congress for H. fail
urc 10 provide subsidies for postal com
muncailon with the South America
States, and had denounced tho Prcadcn
for his failure 10 approve the river an
harbor bill But the question Of sub
sides was familiar 20 tho whole people
The antagonism Of the President and hi
party 10 the subsidixing Of special inter
eats OF classes needed no defense at hi
hands. That invention Of the Rcpublica
. marty hal never lound favor with the ID,