The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-05-18
RIG GUNS ON THE TARIFF
erNsET COX SHOOTS OFF A LOT
OF BRIGHT WITTICIsMS.

Mr. BreCkInrluSe rlreS OA d NoIAey
- Cold Facts That Knock Over the
Enemies of Reform Like Ninepins-
Mr. Mason Runs Up the Bloody
shirt and Makes Bitter Attack on
the Southerners.
WASHINGTON, May 1.-THE House went
;,+o committee of the whole to-day, with
Mr Springer, of Illinois, in the chair, on
+bo tariff BILL Mr.. Breckenridge, of
Arkansas. opened his speech with a
rofArence to, and a eulogy of
+ho Presidents annual message,
and declared that it had met with great
nonular favor, that the political
odversaries of the Democratic party
had sought some point of attack
along the Democratic line and
that the chief of the opposing forces, who
had rushed valiautly into the fight, had
sent letter which was practically letter
Of resignation, withdrawing entirely from
the contest In the course of events the
Presidents message was referred to the
Committee on Ways and Means, and that
committee reported bill to the House,
nroposing a reduction of taxation.
VIOLENT ASSAULTS.
This had been made an occasion of violent
assaults and most extravagant assertions,
Init since the people had had an opportunity
TO examine the bill and to mediate upon it,
they had found that it was bill that fell
far short of even the conservative recon-
mepdatons of the President. The people
were beginning to approve the bill.
To-day, all over the country,
county after county, district after
district, and State after State, they united
in an enthusiastic demand that there should
he reduction of taxes. After a brief
reference to the proceedings of the Ways
AID Means Committee, in which he denied
that the majority had ever refused the
right of petition, and criticized the major
ity for having made extravagant state
ments in regard thereto, he passed to an ex-
haustive analysis of the provisions of the
bill. contendlng that the conservative re-
ductions proposed could result in the Grip
ping OF none of the industries affected by
the measure.
FREE WOOL.
In discussing the question of free wool,
be replied to and denied the charge brought
bV the gentlemen ON the other side that the
placing of wool on the free list was a sec
tional measure, designed to injure the wool
growers of the North and West. In support
Ot his denial he stated that from 1875 to
1857 the sheep in the Southern
States had increased from 100000
to 100000 while during the same
period the sheep in New England, New Y York
Ohio and Pennsylvania had fallen off from
100000 to 8,000,000 The future of the
sheep industry would be in the South, and
the proposition to make wool free, instead
Of being sectional, was a generous offer,
because sheep were more a product of the
South than of the States that were clamor-
ing against this feature of the bill. In con-
clusion he said that the bill PROPOSE ing to
remedy the existing evils of tie tariff was
amoderate and conservative measure, and
that 1t was not a sectional bill
WITTY MR.. cox.
Mr.. Cox, of New York, next took the
noor, and for an hour kept the House in
terested and amused by one of his charac-
teristc, alternately witty, satiricaI and
serious speeches, provoking abundant
laughter and applause. He held
that the, prime question was to
reduce the surplus. He had been
and was ready to vote to take off almost
any taxes. be would vote to do away with
Tue entire internal revenue system if there
was no other way to reiuce the surplus. He
IeCounted the various propositions for a re-
auctlon OF the surplus, showing the obiec-
tons to them all until he
came to that of tariff reduction,
winch he considered the one direct and
proper way to prevent a surplus. He
tnought that taxes should stay in the tax
PAYERS pocket as long as possible. Taxa
wv. eou was sacrifice required of the citizens
.gr ~. Ine good Of the whole community, and
VueIe should be an equal distribution of the
s, saclllce, and no more sacrifice should be
''4u'eu Vhah was absolutely necessary.
REPUBLICAN BURGLARY.
:. ne Sald that he would not characterize
.uT TcAISvlng system of taxation as robbery
si4D a. ha1 o5en done. 1t did not fulfill the def
,i.iGI, ;a.!l Inc theft was done while the
roo 1iu,ii u was of his guard; while he slept-it
,,a,. woo oui gary. A surplus, he said, was the
,,o.'IS o.9' 'niiiS the government could have. 1t
IaT 's wen 10 try to run powder mill in
nsl as an honest government with a
rot rS'Follc f treasury, Applause, ] Eut he would
the surplus. - 1'''' INC " 10 rlu VI
ACoUPLE OF ANECDOTES.
thy bStuoIlng m Mr.. Butterworth's expression,
wero OuoVllllS tRo duties were not tax, but
tbe volli, usue regulation, Mr.. Cox illustrated
an arlGGI!B OF this trade regulation with
met yvitS aoout a Catholic priest who
fbo fa'0l IN his hand, but who said TO
i priest; Venerable Elder Brother.
ma 70, cold in the mountains. lend
an ;;rlI iOuI coat, venerable elder brother. |
and ,,vu snCtSl ul walking, lend me your horse;"
Fran .e about n tallow chandler of
Of an '.lAo "Ao peutioned for the suppression
wanfad 'I9 dW gaS-producing machines and
cbnks oa5 on l1e window curtains, openings.
cmIG IGS ana ana clefts closed so that the snn
dlers my, MY euJer, and 80 that tallow chan
wml5 5pte1y y az nave all the advantages which
~ ~" The closing out Of the sun.
". MASoNs HUMOROUS CHARGE.
bin .o,,iloh' IauSoh' OF Illinois, attacked the Mills
tpsg mat 1t was in the interests of
trust ,.ii t 1yHolcates, and cited the sugar
Il Dot ~ ~ ne said, was one of the largest
afgc,si ~ iorgest trust i'll the world, chat
dlne IIo H priCe of any of the necessities
were M ne SAID that while the Democrats
they b,5 al eng trusts and syndicates,
trF ~, the power to take off the
onpel VI renned sugar, and thereby
tha manI. trust to compete with
put insteoJ 'S ms or the world
bal not tEo vi mat the Democratic party
d-s bill LaI JIJ,ussage TO do it, but under the
atlcaI1,, a.. uuo uuJy ana tax on sugar
ntntalr.5i as S high as ever. Mr.. Mason
roipc, i That the bill was unfair 10 the
gNand br,il br nia rs district, such as hemp, soap,
ile WITH m WITH THE BLOODY SHIRT.
sonittSeooo'e was thata majority of the
AStetsS1L,lK out Of eigbt-came from
Rhen bsea bs laJely in the Confederacv. and
fAieron"s' "'ut through his district and saw
sO there o,'5 manufacturing and business