The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1888-02-01

all lSSIL 4 r. -zl .the pSrtt
into the cham lonship Of slavery. There
IVES not the slightest doubt ~ 10 the attitude
Of the South on this question. When the
South went into rebellion Il declared In the
Confederate Constitution that no bounty
should ever be granted from the Treasury,
nor any law be enacted to foster or encour-
age any branch Of industry whatever.
That had been the solemn declaration OF
Southern Democrats; and they believed
now as they believed then. These South.
ern gentlemen learned very slowly, and
forgot as slowly, aud they were blind to-
day to the marvels which were being
wrought in their midst under protective
tariff. The Democratic party had come
into power in the House Of Representa-
tives In the Forty-fourth Congress, and
had held power in that House ever since,
except In the Forty-seventh Congress-; and
1t had illustrated its promotion to power
by demanding that the tariff be revised and
the whole business of the country disturb
ed. The Democratic Chairman Of the Com
mittee of Ways and Means since then had
been Fe rnando Wood with Randolph
Tucker as an assistant) and William X.
Morrison-all three of them out-and-ou
free-traders; and to-day Mr.. Mills, OF
Texas, was Chairman OF that Committee
~
votion to the principles of free trade, and
Endorsed the message of the President
The distinguished Speaker of the House
for whom he had a profound esteem), in
his devotion to the principles of free trade,
had dared in the last Congress TO arrogate
to himself almost despotic powers, and to
declare, from his high place, that he
would recognize no member of the House
to make any motion to cut down the sur
plus unless it was first submitted to the
Democratic caucus.
The Democratic Secretary Of the Treas
ury had also joined in the choral song of
the free-traders, apparently, with all his
heart. In fine, he was satisfied that all
the Democratic leaders agreed with the
President, except that they had not the
Presidents DO 'dness or honesty. IL, how
ever, by cheating the people in the next
elections as to their position, they could get
a new lease of power and obtain control of
the United States Senate, then the people
might bid farewell to every principle of
protection. The Republicans took mp the
Presidents gauntlet OF free trade, with
great pleasure and joined issue with the
Democrats. The Republicans declared
that instead of the tariff being vicious, il
logical, and inequitable, it increased mar
velously the prosperity of this country; and
the consumer, no instance could be found
in which the duty had not decreased to the
consumer the cost of the article consumed.
Tho Republicans further declared that the
future prosperity of this country, for twen-
ty-fve years, at any rate, depended abso-
lutely on the benign influences of pro-
tective tariff. He admitted that this coun-
try possessed many advantages over COM
peting nations. but he declared that, with
all those advantages, 1t could not compete
in manufactures with the European nations,
because it was handicapped in the matter
Of wages. On this point, and on the addi-
tional point that the price of all manufac-
tured articles had diminished under the
protective system Mr.. Frye supported his
argument with numerous illustrations,
many of them drawn from his own observa-
tons in Europe.
AS to the surplus il was Democratic inca
pacity, he said, which caused it; and now
the country had TO look out to see that the
same Democratic incapacity, in admins
tering medicine, did not give poison and
kill the patient. He was as much against
the surplus as the President, but he was
not frightened at it. He would rather have
a surplus than deficit. If there was any
honest purpose to get rid OF the surplus. 1t
could be done without the slightest diff
to be expended wisely in coast defenses, in
increasing the navy, in building up the
merchant mar. me, and in educating the peo-
pie as proposed in the bill of the Senator
from New Hampshire (Blair).
The Senator from North Carolina (Vance)
had indicated q way TO prevent a surplus,
and the Senator from Georgia BROWN had
proposed way which would do it beyond
all manner of question. That was re-
peal of all internal revenue laws. But his
Democratic friends and their allies, the
distillers and brewers and saloon keepers,
had recently developed wonderful regard
for temperance, and had become great
temperance champions, protesting against
whisky being made cheaper. But he told
them that the temperance sentiment of the
country was rapidly crystallizing into the
opinion that the sooner the tax on whisky
was repealed the better and quicker the
prin ciples of temperance would be sub
served. He could see, however, one or
two objections to its repeal, and one Of
them was that SO much revenue could not
be spared.
As TO the duty on sugar he declared him
self in favor of taking it off; but he would
not kill the sugar industry Of this country,
feeble as it WIS. He would give bounty
equal to the present duty on sugar. But,
IL the purpose of the Democratic party was
to destroy the tariff and to cripple many,
and absolutely destroy some, of the in
dustries of the country, the Presidents
method could, of course, do that. American
workingmen could be reduced to the degra-
dation almost of the workingmen and
women Of Europe. But here was splen.
did country, perfectly marvellous in its
possibilities. Why, he asked, should not
this country lead the whole world in pure,
lovely civilization, in religion, in educa-
ton, in temperance, in the arts, in litera-
ture, and in material progress? Who doubt
ed that it would do so, il men only re-
membered that they were Americans?
Who doubted that it would do 80 If, in the
administration of its affairs and in its leg
islation, they undertook, in honest pur-
pose, to provide in the best possible man
ner for their own people?
Voorhees, and Sherman.
Senator Voorhees, is a politician whose
heart is in the right place, and whose head