Montgomery County sentinel., 1888-05-25

lutlOnB auOplcu Dy tnenl. lneir lueu VI d
Ways and Means Committee was one, he
said, composed of gentlemen who repre-
scented such associations, which belief seems
to be shared by Representatives on this floor,
whose Indignation at the spectacle OF com.
mittee framed TO represent the taxpayers ana
the consumers struggles with the prophecies
OF life to find utterance. He (Breckinrldge)
was possessed with the idea that the people
who pay taxes and purchase goods, who
raise wheat and. cotton, who live on farms
and till the soil, really ought to have some
voice in the legislation concerning the
weight Of the burden Of taxation which
they are TO bear, and some representation sn
the committee whose duty it is to report
bills for raising revenue The idea may be
absurd, but, gentlemen, it is growing III
popularity, and we are ready to join issue
with you in your clamorous plea that the
tariff must not be revised except by the
friends of the industries protected by 1t; and
| assert that it must be revised by the repre-
sentatives of all the people taxed by it.
After showing that we raise only about
265 100000 pounds of wool and that we i'm
port more than 300,000,0O0, most Of which
cannot be produced in America and is alb
soutely needed to be mixed with our woods
to produce the fabrics required, he said:
The camor against free wool, which has
fication. The proportion that the wool in
terest bears to the agricultural interests OF
America is so small, and the difference
even if all our opponents say could be true
between its value now and its value under
free wool is so unapprecable when com.
pared to the aggregate of the wealth OF
America, and of all the investments which
the farmer holds, that the clamor of its protec-
tion demonstrates that skillful organization
is backed with the aggressiveness OF private
gain and urged with conscenceless fidelity.
If this bill goes into operation one of its
beneticent results, and not the least, will be
the emancipation of American politics from
the domination of the so-called wool growers
and the freedom Of the representatives of the
people from the control of those who pro
fess to speak in the name of the million
tlockmasters.
Several times since this debate began the
true argument against this bill, the only
really effective appeal, has been uttered. 1t
may be condensed into "united We stand,
and divided we fall" 1t is the argument OF
combination, Of threat. Each protected
| syndicate says to all others in this greatest
of all American trusts, the tariff combine
"We must stand together, four squared like
infantry in battle resisting Il charge, for re-
vision anywhere is defeat everywhere" So
sugar, because they believe the surrender of
the sugar duty will take from the Treasury
so many millions OF dollars that thereby all
the other duties may be saved. The promise
to give bounties is as purely illusory rs were
the offers made on the Mount of Tempta
ton. The present tariff is the result OF
combination; it is to be maintained by com
bnation. The interests which secured its
passage are to retain its benefts the means
received by it, so far as necessary, are to be
used to perpetuate it.
The boast has been made on this floor that
the Chairman of the Committee on Way
and Means in the Forty eighth and Forty
ninth Congresses-that gallant and pure
gentleman, brave of heart, clean of lie, 10y
al to friend, frank to foe, with conscience
void Of offence, and love for truth tina,
nothing could daunt--has been stricken
down because he opposed this combine.
Greatly as l depore his defeat, and as much
as miss his presence, it may be that hi:
defeat, compassed as itWas, will be OF great
er benefit than his presence His very ab
sence arrests the attention of the republic
and all the people ask: "Are such elections
necessary TO the maintenance OF this sys
tenn" Gentlemen protect0nists, L warn
you that the vacant seat of Morrison cries
louder than the virtues OF Duncan "agains
multuuus applause on the Democratic side
In conclusion Mr.. Breckenridge said:
If one, standing here in this hall to day
and looking into the future, could be ablt
To see what the years would bring us unde
u system where the untrammeled activities
of free Christian people find fruition, un
der climate SO salubrious and with sol
SO fertile, all burdens to progress thrown
aside, all the passions OF the past removed
and every one engaged in generous and un
selfish rivalry to make for and out Of The
opportunities TO which he is called all tha
is possible no hand could pant aud no ora
tor picture what would be the result Ther
we, the children of exiles and emigrants
could welcome our kinsmen of all lands Il
cast their lot with us for willing hand
would find waiting work to yield livei
hood. The silence of rivers, now broker
only by the occasional boat, would be turn
ed into the sweet hum of profitable com
merce. The secret lodges Of anxiods anC
discontented operatives would become The
open assemblies of happy and contentet
families, from whose hearthstone the shad
ow OF want had given place to the mild ra
dance of permanent comfort. The hus
bandman no longer sowing in tears, woud
reap in joy-that joy which springs iron
content and is founded in the certainty O
The legislation of the country, having FOL
its object the public good, and freed from
the domination of private greed, would sue
cessfully grapple with the problems which
progress will present, and Tree people bt
represented by free representatives, neither
owned, seduced, nor terroriZed by organized
interests. Slowly will this future come. w,
have had our backs to it, to day let us turn
our faces to its rising sun. If we can do ut
more, We can lift our eyes toward this east
of new hopes, aud resolve from this hour
our steps shall be in that direction.
The applause, which had been Literally
interspersed throughout Mr.. breckenridge
speech, grew into storm when that gentle
man concluded and took his seat. Cheer
followed cheer, the ladies in the galleries
waved their handkerchlets, and Mr.. Breck
inridge's colleagues rushed forward enthu
siasiically To grasp his hand.
MR. CARLIsLE's SPEECH
Mr.. Carlisle began by replying to the
statement of Mr.. Reed that supporters o
the bill believed in free trade. This, he said
was no more logical than to argue that al
protectionists believed in prohibitive tariff
Continuing, he said: "But the gentleman
from Maine, in his long discourse, made NJ
reference whatever to the actual situation
which now cOntrontS uS-a situation which
makes it the imperative duty Of the repre-
sentatives of the people to reduce the rcve
nue. before this Congress shall adjourn.
appears from the last official statement tina
ON the first day of the present month there
was in the treasury, including subsidiary
and minor coins, the sum of $l36, $4,000 il
: excess of all the current liabilities of tn,
government. There was 500 $4,000 NOR
than the surplus in the treasury ON the frs
of December, thus showing that there ha
been, since that date, an average monthly
accumulation Of more than $l1 100000
Every dollar of this enormous sum ha
been taken by law from the commercial pur
suits Of the people at a time when it wa
sorely needed in the prosecution of thei
business, and under circumstances which
afford no justification whatever for the ex
actment. There is not a monarchical gov
ernment in the world, however absolute it
form or however arbitrary its power, tha
wOuld dare to eXtOrt such a tributt. from il,