Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1888-10-25

strikes me that we heard all these suggestions
before. only put in stronger terms, In President
Clevelands message OF December last. Jap
plause.1 insist that this position taken by
the Senate comm ttee, and upon which they
have now at the eleventh hour framed bill to
meet this imperative demand, is an entire
charge of front on the part of the Republican
party. lApplause.] insist to you that this
statement of the majority OF the committee,
followed y the presentation of their bill, is in
sum and substance confession OF judgment
upon the whole question in this campaign.
fApplause.l
Perm me to branch of from this SUBJECT for
single moment. The Senate of the United
State does not to-day represent a majority OF
the people OF this country tApplause.l de-
sire to state that the Republican party main
tafns its ascendency in the Senate by reason OF
means that will not bear honest investigation
in three States of this Union. The State OF
New York has been Democratic for several
years. We have carried that State by MAORI
ties of from ], l0o to $4,000 and 10000. lap
plause.1 Notwithstanding that fact our OPP
ponents keep control of the Legislature of that
State. Let me tell you how they do it. The
constitution of our State requires that every
ten years there shall be an enumeration of the
inhabitants OF the State, and that enumeration
shall be followed by a reapportionment of the
Senate and Assembly districts. And in de-
hance OF those plain provisions OF the constitu-
ton the Republicans. to retain control OF the
Senate and Assembly of our State refused
to carry out this constitutional obligation, re-
fused to order an enumeration, and refused to
reapportion the Senate and Assembly districts
of that State For that reason and that reason
alone, the great Empire State of the
Union is misrepresented by two Re-
publicans in the United States Senate.
fApplause] They don't reflect the
honest sentiments Of the majority Of the
people of that State. [Applausel In the State
of Connecticut-how do they keep control and
W nj
opposite partys By system OF retaining
borough representation. Little towns having
only from three to five hundred voters have as
many representatives in the Senate and AS
sembly of that State as have the large cities Of
New Haven and Hartford By that system Of
representation they keep control of the State
and keep two United States Senators to mis-
represent the people. GApplause.l There is
another State in which a similar state of things
exist. refer to Rhode Island (New England).
1t is in that section OF the country where the
distinguished gentleman who yesterday ad-
dressed the citizens of this city resides. In
that State they keep control Of the Legis-
lature and the Government OF that State by
doing-what' By insisting upon a property
qualification for every foreign-born citizen
residing in that State. lApplause.1 BY
means such these "a blot upon the
fair name of that State-they have man
aged TO keep Republicans in the SEN
ate. The real estate is owned largely by a
few large landholders, who refuse to sell to
honest foreigners desiring to live with them,
and thus they have kept control 1t is an out
rage. 1t is the only State in the Union where
such outrage has been perpetuated. I am
aware that some OF the gentlemen who hail
from that section of the country are very fond
of coming West and to New York to tell our
iorelgn-born citizens how they ought to vote
but think that if Mr.. Blaine had wanted to do
something for foreign-born citizens he might a
year or two ago have stopped in that State and
%o1,i L. ID
justice there before coming West to tell
foreign-born citizens here how they ought to
vote. [Great applausel
For these reasons, my friends, have
expectation that the Mills bill will pass the
Senate of the United States do not propose
this evening to discuss the merits of the bill
which the Senate majority proposes as sub
stttute. simply say they have presented this
issue too late. Whatever merit there may be
in that bill, or whether there is any, do not
propose now to discuss. But whatever merit
there may be in their bill the people and the
taxpayers of this country indebted to the
Democratic party. which has forced the fight
ing upon this question. [Applause.1 But for
the position assumed by the President and the
party he represents there would have been
nothing accomplished upon this matter. We
arc willing that our opponents shall define
their position; we are willing they shall inter-
pref their own platform, and we claim the
same privilege upon our part. The Democrat
ic party is not free-trade party deny that
there is any thing in the Democratic platform
that can be construed as favorlng free
trade. But, my friends, it does not follow
from that that the Democratic party
does not favor tariff revision. 1t is altogether
a different thing. We are opposed to excessive
taxation, opposed to an unnecessarily high
tariff~we believe the time has come when,
without injury to any interest in the country,
ta1Rs can be reduced. That is the Democratic
pos, ton and all the clamor of Republican poll
t;cians simply to snbserve party purposes can
not change the honest fair, square, manly
position of the Democratic party. [Applause.1
We believe that there should be tariff duties
sufficient to meet the expenses OF the Govern
ment &c nomically administered. We do not
believe that under constitution the Gov
eminent has the right to impose taxes for any
other express purpose. We bel eve, further,
that the adjustment of the tariff should be
such that, as far as possible and as nay be
necessary, every interest of labor should be
protected and every reasonable protection
afforded to our industries. [Applause.]
This ch-abused Mills bill, it has been
stated, will destroy the industries of our coun-
try apd reduce the wages OF our labor!ng men.
/ decay both propositions emphatically. I am
speaking now of the articles manufactured and
brought into this country upon which the duties
are reduced. There is not single manu-
facture-l article upon which the duty is
reduced whereon there is not left by this much
abused Mills II a sufficient revenue to repro
sent the whole cost of the labor involved in
its production anywhere. [Applausel There
fore. the first position that take is that the
Democratic party favors thereby the protec-
ton of labor. But We don't believe when a
sufficient tariff is still left to represent the cost
of the labor involved in the production, that it
is necessary to still burden the people simply
to We excessive profit to monopolists and
manufacturers. This position is clear, plain
and rea.lily understood. Our opponents for
party purposes may msrepresent it. That is
to be expected but the reductions which we pro-
pose can be effected w.thout injury to a single
industry of the country, and without reduc-
tion of tSe wages OF a single laborer in the
land [Applause.] But, taking advantage of
the desire of the Amer can people to be just
taking advantage OF their desire also to be
generous, there are selfish interests clamoring
for higher tariff clamoring that a tax shall
be put upon goods unnecessary for the pnr-
pose of the Government and unnecessary for
protection of the laborer. We say the time
has come when the Ines should be drawn,
when some legislation should be made in the
interest of the people, and when the 1egisla-
ton of the past in the interest OF classes and
in the interest of monopolies should cease.
The trainers of this tariff bill endeavored, As
far as possible, to arrange schedules tFat
the necessaries OF life should he made Free
Who can object to this? How will this inture
the industries Of your country? The cry os the
other side is false cry. It is a misleading
cry; there is nothing upon which to base It,
For instance, let me take the item OF salt.
Tell me why any laboring man should object
to tn being put upon the free 4isty Will 1t
injure any industry in this country to any ex
tent? Net at all. Some OF the very
men ensaged in the salt industry Of this
country favor the putting OF salt on the
free hist Once in while you find an honest
manufacturer who will concede the propriety
of the action taken on the Mills bill, and every
where go find honest manufacturers coming