Omaha daily bee., 1888-04-19
The openine of the Debate.

The Opening of the Debate.
The country will not derive any great
encouragement from what was said in
the house OF representatives Tuesday
for and against tariff reduction by the
champions Of the opposing forces put
forward to open the debate on this sub
jeet. So far as the spirit Of the speeches
Of Mr.. Mills and Mr.. Kelly is concerned,
it is simply in accord with the political
affiliations OF those gentlemen, and to
this extent may perhaps be accepted as
foreshadowing the character of the de-
bate throughout. 1t cannot be regarded
as a wise or fortunate fact for the demo-
cratic leader to have occupied so much
of his speech in the effort to depreci-
ate what had been done by the repub-
licans in reducing taxation. There was
in this portion of what he said toe much
of that sort Of political diatribe
which, while admissible on the
stump, is not well suited to the hall Of
the house Of representatives in inaugu-
rating the discussion on a measure of
great practical and national import
ance. If it be unwise TO debate this
issue on purely political or party
grounds, it is still more unwise to make
it in any degree a subject for antagoniz-
ing classes. Judicious men will not
think we'll Of an argument in support of
tariff reform that might have this
effect. In another respect Mr.. Mills
appears to have gone too far for the
good Of his cause, and that was in max
ing too apparent the free trade senti-
ments which he is known to cherish.
1t was an imprudent statement, to say
the least, that 'not more than ten per
cent of the goods consumed in the
United States would be imported if all
the custom houses were torn down
and the government supported by
direct taxes" 1t was an assumption
which the necessities of the open
ing debate did not warrant, and which
gave no strength to his argument. 1t
simply showed that the force Of Mr..
Mills real sentiments regarding the
tariff was too strong to be kept entirely
in allegiance.
The speech Of Mr.. Kelly followed the
lines which he has made familiar for
twenty-five years. II somewhat less
political and partisan than that Of the
democratic leader of the house, it was
characterized by a much closer adher-
ence to the old ruts of argument. Per-
haps nothing different was to be ex-
pected of Mr.. Kelly, whose life work
has been the advocacy of h~igh-tariff
protection, and who has grown too old
in this service to be influenced by the
changed conditions. On this ground
his selection to open the debate against
tariff revision and reduction was per-
haps not a mistake, but in so far as he
may be regarded as representing
the general attitude of republicans
the selection was unfortunate. 1t very
likely would have made little differ
ence, however, if any other of the re-
publican members of the ways and
means committee had been put forward
to open the debate, since their report
shows them to be in full accord.
The course of the debate will un-
doubtedly develop an ADLER and more
judicious treatment of the tariff ques'
ton, from both points of view, than is
shown in the speeches of Mr.. Mills and
Mr.. Kelly, but these may be regarded
as foreshadowing the line Of argument
that will be presented for and against
tariff revision and reduction. There is
nothing in this promise that is reassur.
ing. 1t will simply be fighting over
the old battle, with every probability
OF a like termination AS in the past.