Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-04-13
THE NATIONS SCAPITAL.
Mr.. Coke Discusses the Tariff,
And PrOnOunCeS President CleVe-
land a Wise and Bold
Man.
The Admission Of Dakota Under COnSid-
GRAFTON.
The Great Deadlock in the House Brok-
en- After Nine Days
WAsHINGToN, Apr. II.
Senate.

/ " Il
Senate
A resolution was adopted, calling on the
Secretary of State for information. as 20 the
case of John Prussia, a naturalized American
citizen, who has been impressed into the
military service of France aud as to other
like cases. The motion TO refer the Presi-
dents annual message was taken up, and Mr..
| Coke proceeded to address the Senate.
| Mr.. Coke began by speaking of the sur
| plus in the treasury, and said that causes
which took that money needlessly from pock
cts of people, and channels of trade Ito the
enfee eblement of ever, branch of industry
were continuing and produced more aggray-
ated results each successive year.
| 1t was easy to see that unless the causes
| were removed or greatly modified it was only
Il question of time when a calamity fatally
involving all industrial interests of the eoun-
| try must follow.
| In view of this emergency, so full of evil
portent to the country, the President had, in
wise and bold message, urgently recon-
mended such revision of the tariff and re-
dueIion of duties, on imports as would re-
duce revenues to the limit required for the
support of the government In that the
President was SIMPLY voicing a demand that
| came from the people of the whole conntry.
No people ON earth have ever been SO de-
frauded and humbugged by delusion and
false pretenses as the American people have
been by the manufacturing monopoiies, who
in an unbroken chorus for one hundred years
have been demanding high tariff and taxation
for the benefit of the workingman, anl have
been putting the profits IN their own pockets
The condition of the laboring people and
| ,b for
have been making for living wages, as
evnced by the labor strikes, proved most
clearly that they were not the recipients of
the benefits of the tariff. The manufacture
ers, not the laborers, were the beneiiciares.
The vast wealth concentrated in nine manu-
featuring States and the immense dispropor-
ton between their wealth and that of the
agricultural States of the Union, indicated
with unerring certainty who received, where
they were located, the vast subsidies which
had been wrung from the people, not for
any public purpose but to build up and make
greater private fortunes for the few manu-
tacturers. Reduction of the tariff, to a
strictly revenue standard, would cheaper the
cost of manufactured products and to that
extent diminish the cost of living, and would
open the markets of the world to the Amerl-
can manufacturer and American laborer,
who would in common with the whole people
have the full benefit thereof. But it was on
the farmers of the country who lived harder,
wore palmer clothing, practiced more rigid
economy and had fewer of the luxuries of
life than any other class, that the protective
tariff fell with most crushing weight. As
to the Presidents recommendation that wool
he placed on the free list, Coke stated that
wool ought to go on the free list just as all
the basis of the manufacturer and all the
machinery used in manufacturing should.
But when wool was placed on the free list
it ought to be done in the interest of the
consumer and not of the manufacturer. A
duty of s l-2 per cent would pay back to the
manufacturer the difference between English
add American wages in wooden manufactures,
and duty of 10 per cent would be highly
protective of the manufacturer who used un-
taxed wool. But to allow the manufacturer
free untaxed wool and 30 or 40 or 50 per
cent. protection for the manufactured article
would be an outrage. He regarded sugar as
the best revenue paying item on the tariff
list and one carrying along with it less of
incidental burden than any other and thought
it would therefore be wise to leave the duty
on sugar as it was, but would accept and
support any reduction of duty found neces-
sary to the success of bill to reduce the
tariff He proposed to subordinate every
thing to one paramount idea controlling the pun
pose of striking down at least as far as could
be done the moustrous injustice of the ex-
sting tariff. The issue between the republi-
can and democratic parties, made before the
country by the Presidents message was.
should the system of taxation be that which
took from the people only enough of their
earnings to support the government economl-
callv, administered; or should it continue
the system that wruug from the people
81 900, 900 900 annually more than went into
the national treasury? That was the issue
and no amount of misrepresentation could
conceal it, nor could the attention of the
people he diverted from it by a sectional
'bloody shirt" canvas already COM
menced by the republican party, and to be
vigorously prosecuted for the express
purpose of binding the people with passion,
SO they might not see how and by whom
they were being plundered. His faith in the
intelligence of the people in their attachment
TO honest constitutional government banisb-
ed from his mind all fear for the result of
the impending contest.
At the close of Cokes speech the Senate
resumed the consideration of the bill to pro-
vide for the admission as State of South
l
ry of North Dakota. Mr. Turpie spoke in
opposition to the majority report and in sup
I port of the minority. Mr.. Cullum followed
in favor of the majority bill. He said he
| believed the whole opposition to the admis-
sion of Dakota, was based on the fact that
1 the democrats didn't want any further poljt-
cal complications thrust upon the country
until after the next presidential election.
/ Mr. Spooner obtained the floor in favor of
( the bill but the Senate proceeded to execu-
tive business and adjourned till Monday.
House
The House met Thursday morning in
| continuation of the session of Wednesday
| April llth. Mr.. Reed of Maine instantly
demanded the regular order. Mr. Randall
of Pennsylvania asked unanimous consent to
make a statement but was shut off by shouts
of regular order from the republican side.
1 Mr., Cox of New York moved to adjourn.
At the demand of Mr.. Reed, the yeas and
nays were ordered on this motion. The mo
/ ton was defeated by vote of yeas, 1870
NAYS 1873. The announcement was received
with loud cheers from the republicans. Fol
the m ment the democrats were taken aback
but Mr.. McMillen of Tennessee moved d
call of the House 10 compel the attendance
of absentees. Mr.. Reed attempted to make
a point of order against the motion, but tht
speaker decided against him. On viys
voce vote. the demand for call was defeat
ed. and on a standing vote the democrats
suddenly changed their tactics and voted
against their own motion, in order TO ALLOW
another vote on adjournment, which wa
moved by Mr.. Cox of New York, in the hop,
thst stragglers enough had come into the
House since the first vote to change the resul
of the yea and nay vote on this motion. Tn
vote resulted, yeas, l46. nays, 1877, and tn
House wasdeclared apjourned.
The democrats in their turn made eehoe
: in the hall with applause, celebrating th
) breaking of the great deadlock on its mint