Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1888-02-10
SENATOR KENNa'S SPEECH.

already brilliant reputation as an e1iec-
tive orator He gave the Ohio Sena-
tor some straight and strong hits and
demolished the argument of that gen
tleman pretty completely.
Mr.. Kenna began by saying that all
the circumstances justified the belief
that Mr.. Sherman's speech was ex-
haustive of the resources of the Sena-
tor from Ohio and the party of which
he was a leading representative,
which could be invoked in criticism OF
the Presidents message. The Senator
from Ohio had dismissed the solemn
warning of the President with wave
of the hand. He had treated a large
and growing Treasury surplus as
matter neither requiring attention
nor justifying apprehension. The
great statesmen whom Mr.. Sherman
had quoted did not share such an
opinion. Mr.. Sherman had garbled
the words which he quoted from Pres
ident Jefferson SO as TO justify his own
opinion.
Mr.. jefferson had solemnly invoked
a change in the organic law of the
land to avert the danger of a surplus.
General Jackson, Daniel Webster,
and a succession of Republican Presi-
dents and Secretaries of the Treasury
had shared the apprehension eX
pressed by President Cleveland. Re
publican statesmen, voicing such opin
ions, had not been denounced as free
traders. The voices of responsible
officials of the Government were
united in the expression of apprehen-
sion of the dangers which President
Cleveland has called upon Congress
to avert.
No patriotic American, excepting
possibly Sherman himself, calmly
contemplates the unnecessary with
drawal and boarding of money. Sen
ator Sherman had protested most Wig
orously against the Presidents decla-
ration that the internal revenue
should not be done away with. In
1867 Senator Sherman himself had eX-
pressed much the same opinion that
he now so severely criticised. In 1880
and 1882 he had eloquently and forci-
bly, maintained mucn the same views.
Senator Sherman had charged that
the Treasury surplus was due to the
Presidents failure to exercise his legal
functions. The charge was based
mainly upon the fact that the Presi
dent had opposed shipping subsidies.
Upon such criticism the President
could we'll afford to meet the issue.
The Senators policy would be to con
tinue to drive American ships from
the ocean, while subsidized the few
that were able to continue in service;
to put sugar on the free list in the
interest of the ''pampas and helotS'
and subsidize the memory OF its Amer
lean producers. The refusal TO sign
the River and Harbor bill had been
criticised, although no other course
was open to the President.
Senator kenna then proceeded to a
discussion in detail of the effect upon
the revenue and upon domestic in
terests of judicious revision of the
tariff, disputing almost every economic
proposition advanced by Mr.. Sher-
man and maintaining that the Presi-
dents suggestions pointed the way,
not only 10 relief from burdensome
raxations and the dangers of excessive
revenue, but also TO increased pros
perity and the correction OF lnnumer-
able evils without disregard for anyof
the established interests OF this coJln-
try.
Mr. Kenna argued that it was true
we have no ships; they are prohibited,
together with obscene literature,
counterfeit coins and contagious dis
eases. These constitute the excluded
class, yet obscene literature finds adj
mission and so does counterfeit coins
and contagious disease. Republican
protection succeeded only i'll eXclud-
ing ships.
The Senator from Ohio, who viewed
with compiacency the surplus in the
Treasury, perhaps, congratulated
himself that rnere is no surplus III
ships. The policy Of subsidies which
he advocated could not correct the
evils of the pretended policy which
drives our commerce from the sea and
60 fines our producers to the nome
market and prevents them from
carving the fruits of their industries
TO the markets OF the world.
The Senator from OHIO had COM
planned of the failure OF Democrat:
loase to pass the Blair Educational
bill. When he invoked the Blair bill
in opposition to the relief of the bur
dens of taxation and held up as
menace to the demand of the country
for reform and reduction of taxation,
he adopted the most practical and
sure way TO defeat the passage OF that
bill. When he asserted that it shall
interfere with the taxation Of the
country and contribute to the per-
petuation of intoerable burdens, he
compelled many of its friends to
abandon 1t.
Mr.. Kenna denied the assertion
that reducing duties increase impor-
tation and increases the revenue. Pro-
lection might be so high as toprevent
importation and yield no revenue.
The other extreme is eetrade, which
nobody asks The true solution IL
fair and just medium, producip~
the necessary revenue in :. Just
fairness to all interests. spirit Oh
Senator Sherman BE-
proposed degradat' ID referred 10
man. The Pr" ;s .on OF tne WorklnE-
to lift his b. -sident proposed only
The Lities in the struggle for life.
b. freedom, intelligence and man
.Jod of American labor eXerted at the
polls would not allow present condi-
stands squarely by the platform upon
wished to express his hearty co-opera
ton. He expected from the House a
bill framed in spirit of conservative
fairness to all sections and interests.
The system which the Senator from
Ohio championed has caused more
distress, discomfort, starvation and
death than any other system the
country has ever seen. 1t is time for
a change and the President gravely
confronts the requirements There
was nothing in his recommendation
to alarm the country. A spirit of fair
ness and business to all would prevail,
and both the benefits and the burdens
Of our system of taxation, internal
and external. would be fairly distrib-
uted. He had no doubt the tobacco
81 l. 1oI