Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1888-05-23
CLOSE OF THE DEBATE,
Congressman Reeds Telling Speech on
the Tariff Question.

the Tariff Question.
| WASHINGTON, d. c., May 19.-Long
before the House met this morning
every seat in the galleries was occupied,
the only deserts in the oasis of tiutter-
ing fans and bright costumes being few
seats in the diplomatic gallery and the
front row of the executive gallery, re-
served for the President and
his family. At every door was
a large knot of spectators peerlng
over shoulders and under arms to
get glance at the floor upon which the
long debate on the tariff bill was to be
closed by Mr.. Reed (Me.) and Speaker
Carlisle. The buzz of expectancy and
the hum of conversation were stilled for
moment, while the chaplain offered
prayer, only to break out afresh when
the clerk proceeded to read the journal
When the reading of that dreary dOcu-
ment had been completed the House
went into committee of the whole, Mr..
Springer (ll.) in the chair, on the tariff
bill.
Mr.. Reed said that he purposed to
discuss some of the general principles
which underIy the two modes of ma
tiona1 action which were confessedly in
dispute in Congress and in the coun-
their hearts the leaders on the
other side treated it, as a step
only in particular direction.
How important the propositions at issue
were the intense interest already ex-
cited by the pending measures on two
continents bore the strongest witness
that could be borne by men. Those
who, living on this side of the ocean
grew articles which were necessary for
the comfort and happiness of the peo-
pie of the United States were on one
side of the question, while the foreign
manufacturers, foreign political econo-
mlstS and foreign statesmen were all on
the other.
This, however, should not prejudice
the question. fit be true that by hav
ing their goods manufactured abroad
the people of the United States as q
whole would become richer and more
prosperous, would have their houses
better furnished, their tables spread
with finer linen and covered with more
heathful food if their bodies would be
protected by warmer woolens from the
cold of Maine and by finer cloth
ing from the burning sun of
Texas; if they would on the
whole, and from generation to
generation enjoy more of the comforts
and luxuries of life and would them
selves be more intelligent, more indie
pendent and better fitted to be the citi-
zens of a republic already great and des-
tined to be mighty beyond all former
dreams of empire, then by all means
sink national prejudice, burst the bar
riers of provincial narrowness, and with
one accord adopt not merely the
present bill, but such legisla-
ton as would treble the SPIN
dies of Europe and destroy our own
such measures as would put out our
furnaces and illumine those beyond the
sea. If of every 81 in our pockets, one
alone was sufficient, if spent in England,
to give us all We had now and we were
sure of still having in our pockets the
same 50 which we now had, surely
the problem was too easy for dispute,
too simple for discussion. We had
only to pass a bill which gave free
course to what the free trade professors,
with glib secularization of the Deity,
called the international law of the Al
mighty; and if the learned economists
on the other side were true to their log
ic and did not palter with both their
language and convictions, they could
propose no other course.
Napoleon was right when be said that
Europe must be Cossack or Republican;
Lincoln was right when he said the
United States must be either free or
slave. The house divided against itself
had to unite Or fall. The revenue re-
form argument was either false pre-
tense or covers the whole ground. Pro-
lection was either in its essence a bene-
tit or curse.
You cannot dilute curse and make
it blessing. Ratsbane and water are
no more food than ratsbane pure. In
cidental protection was a sham. Tariff
for revenue only went down before the
| same arguments which were used
against protection. If protection be
tax for manufacturers benefit then it
was the same tax if it be the result of
even a revenue tariff. Incidental pro-
lection was of all the most ineXcusable
It was an accident which ought to be
avoided like a railway disaster.
The President was the leader of the
Democracy. He was also the dispenser
of patronage, and as he was rapidly
shaking the dust Of civil service reform
off his feet, he was assuming control
over his party. There was but one free
trade and the President was its prophet
Whoever fell in battle in the service of
this new Allah and it's prophet for him
shall open the shining gates of the
heaven of foreign missions and federal
Offices.
There are remarkable figures to be
de duced from the Presidents message;
figures which must light up the path
way of the Democratic duty with the
electric light of conscience. In 1887,
$40,0oO,0O0 of wooden goods were
imported paying $27,O0,OUO Of
duties, 40 per cent. on cost
and dutiesl This went to the govern
ment. Three hundred and ffty-six
millions Of domestic wooden manufac-
lures were bought that same year by
the impoverished American people.
Under the radiant light of the message
it would be seen that one hundred and
forty-two millions of that money went
into the gaping pockets Of manufacture
ers and were lost forever to the down
trodden people.
We imported $31 100000 worth of
silks; we manufactured $46,000,OO0.
Of which SIC, 100000 lined the purses Of
the plunderers. The same story could
be told of every protected industry, I'M