National Republican., 1888-04-27
THE HOUSE.

Mr.. Breckenridge, of Kentucky, from the
committee on ways and means, reported a
resolution calling on the Secretary of the
Treasury for information as to the number
of persons in the United States engaged in
manufacturing and agricultural pursuits,
who are subject to competition from for
eign countries, Adopted.
The House then went into committee Of
the whole (Mr. Springer, of Illinois, in the
chair) on the tariff bill.
Mr.. Buchanan, of New Jersey, pictured
the free trade procession marching over the
country destroying American industries and
annihilating American enterprise. In the
wake of that procession (he said the light
of forgcs went out, the hum of industry
ceased, and hungry men sought in vain for
work But lie saw another procession, in
which the shades of Washington, jefferson,
and jackson led the van. In that process
sion marched sturdy men with hands hard
with toll, with manhood uncrushed, with
with united cry, ''American workshops for
American consumers" and with them came
the wisdom Of the past, the craftsmanship
of the present, and the hopes of the future.
Joining in their ranks from the iron fields
of Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee, from
the sheep-covered hills of Texas, and from
the market gardens Of the southern seaboard
come the enterprising sons of the new in
dustral south, resistcss rs Niagara and
relentless as fate; and over them all, in all
its beauty, lloated the flag of common
country.
He then proceeded to crticise the COM
position Of the majority of the ways and
means committee and the method on which
1t had formulated the pending measure in
secret after much consultation with the
speeches of Frank lIurd and the tracts Of
the Golden Club. lie arraigncd the COM
mittee for its refusal to grant hearings to
the industries of the country and to con-
slider the petitions against the measure
which poured into the committee room from
all parts of the country. Quoting from n
message of Thomas jefferson, in which he
took ground against internal taxation,
Mr.. Buchanan declared that II that states
man had come and knocked at the door of
the committee room he would have been de-
MED hearing. Referring to the Presidents
message he said that unlike Jefferson, the
President did not advocate the repeal OF the
internal system Of taxation; unlike Jackson,
he manifested no deep concern that this
country should feed 1t laborers rather than
a foreign country but he advised that i'm
port duties should be reduced, and In some
instances abolished altogether. The Scotch
mans advice "see what your opponent
wants you to do, and then don't do it, was
good advice to follow
England aspircd to be the workshop of
the world and to make goods for sale in
other nations This was necessary to her
existence as n flrst-class power. How had
she received the Presidents message? Her
newspapers had sent up one united chorus
of ''ghoulish glee."
Passing to a consideration of the bill he
asserted that instead of removing the in
equalities of the tariff IL increased the num-
Der Of such inequalities. 1t was not care
ful, consistent business-lillc effort to correct
and revise the tariff; it only increased or cut
down duties here and there on no discover
able logical basis.
The bill would not aid the manufacturer
by giving him cheaper material because it
DINERS the reduction OF the rate on the
manufactured product was greater than the
reduction on the raw material.
lie earnestly protested against the reduc-
tion of duty on earthenware, and read petit
tions from workingmen IA his district
against the principles embodied in the bill.
The working people could not be hood,
winkcd. They did their own thinking and
they rejected with unanimity the plea OF
the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Mills) that
| this measure was for their benefit
1t struck blow at almost every industry
| in his district. IL was opposed by the
teachings of Washington and the fathers Of
republic. 1t was in its details vicious, in
| equitable, and illogical, II would increase
lut surplus ny hlllllllullllS lHpultutlOns ~
| would carry gain to other nations and bring
| loss to our own. lie denounced In general
and in detail the provisions of the bill, and
| declared that in the contest between free
| trade and protection he would be found on
| the side of that policy which for many years
had brought prosperity and happiness to his
native land, [Applause,l
Mr.. lIemphill, of South Carolina, con.
tended that as the constitution conferred
upon Congress the right to tax the people
for public purposes only, every time 1t
went beyond that limitation 1t violated IN a
fragrant manner the exalted privileges with
which II had been clad.
A tariff for protection was illogical and
unjust Under it the entire people were
subjected to monopolies. The only differ
! ence between home monopoly and foreign
monopoly (admitting that there could exist
such thing as foreign monopoly was that
the people had to pay heavy additional
percentage for the poor privilege Of having
| their masters on this side the water.
Mr. Hemphill held that the government