New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-02-03
SENATOR KEyNNs GREATEST EFFORT
srr ,SG ADDITION TO THE LirrRATrRE on THE
MrssAGE nv SENATOR SHERMAN.
fry IELEGRArH TO TKiJyNs.l

fry TsLEoRArH TO TIE Tki3ySs.1
WASHINGTON, Feb 2.-1his is grounding
day. According to Tradition, the ground-hoS
comes from its hole to-day to determine what
kind of weather is to prevail for the next few
weeks. II the sun shines, the grounding retircs
10 its hole to escape the rigors Of late winter,
but IL it sees snow it knows that the backbone
of the winter is broken. To-day the sun was
shining brightly, scarcely trace Of snow could
he seen anywhere in the streets, and Senator
Kenna delivered his much-hemlded speech in re-
,lv 70 Senator Shcrman's mastery analysis OF
the Presidents freetrade message. Mr. sherman
thought il worth while TO answer some OF MI
Kcnna's ludicrous assertions, and after he got
through there wasn't much left of Mr.: kenmh
lie crawled back into his burrow. recognizing the
fact, perhaps that it will be "a cold day. for
some time to come yet. not only for him. but for
the President his free;trade notions, and the
Democratic rarity as well. -,
Mr.. Kcnna read his speech from notes. FuIl
OF sophistres and Quibbling it was delivered with
an arrogance, not TO say ofcnsivcncss when
made it doubly lndcrous on the part OF man
who was a baby in long clothes when Mr. Slcr-
man was a leader in his party. Ills catcchlSm
OF the Ohio statesman was delivered in a manner
which may command admiration among the lilthy
from a gang OF lawlcss =" moonshncrs' In the
baclxwoods Of West Virginia, but which is hardly
adopted or indeed customary in the Senate OF
the United States. Thus, after pointedly asking
n question Of Mr. Sherman and rausing for a re-
ply, he would shout don't yield. don't yield,
put him right. To show Mr. Kcnnas manner it
is necessary to refer to q statement I've made TO
the effect that the President had only few hours
in which TO examine the River and llarbor bill OF
last session. Mr. sherman. If will be remem-
bered had criticised Mr.. Clcycland for his fail
urc to sign that measure. Mr.; kcnna dramati-
caIly exclaimed: "Ilc uhc President was in
the act of examining that bill when ne hammer
announcing the close of the session iriI. FL.
statement, but Mr. Kenna, will an effrontrry
and an air bordering almost on insolcncc c9nsd-
c cTng nv? "E cypcrience and wcnow rcputa-
ton for exactness cried OUT: ~ ,..
a don't yield for speech: ! know W. wl rnom
am talking about. ! present IN that rooln
ipointing to the Presidents room, IN inc rear VI
the Senate chambcrl when the, gavel fell ana IL
know that the President was then examining '"'
This Of course. rs an extcnuation or excuse for
the Presidents failure To sign the hlll was rlalcu
had finished his spcech me p 5aci r %o
ceived the bill four days before Int, Int cI haG
kept track of legislation as it was being enacted
in both houses Of Congress- a. every PRESIDENT DC
fore him has he would have had no occasion 10
aeyamne- as Mr. Kenna claims lac did the MI
an hour before the close OF the session. MT Nh'r-
man might have pointed out moreoxet tnHt
Democratic House and Democratic NhHiflnah oi
the Appropriations Committee were primarily re.
sponsible for the hill not reaching the PRESIDENT
until four days before the close Of tine session.
In the course Of his speech. too Mr. kcnnn sccmeh
TO Law great stress upon Mr.. Shcrman's change or
mind which that gentleman underwent WITHIN 'u
last ten fifteen years regarding the H'N VI.
tobacco Like most small men Mr. kenna cannot
conceive OF a man changing his mind f1rscl,lnS
apparently to apply in his own case thr OLD ada"e
Which saws " it's only fools that necvr change
Their minds
Mr.. Sborman's rcnlv was crushing and evoked
rounds of applausn from the galleries Mr.. kenna,
on the other hand, was being congIatuIated ny
his party associates ana tton on l hS " GS dor dr
Ivercd speech upon the subject of the Prrsl-
dents refusal to furnish the Senate WIN the
papcrs filed against removed officers or the Gov
eminent which received some praise from Demo,
cratic organs. Mr.. kenna seems to have WalKru
with his head in the clouds and to be suffering
from what is vulearly known as swelicd hcad
If to-davs experience has left any impression upon
his mind he may yet come To recognize the lAcI
that it is not safe for the farIin pot TO sym
Following are thc main points of Senator
kenna's speech:
The Senator from Ohio had assacd the President
s Ssssi'0 that u there appeared to be no
just complaint Of the taxes o1 spirits tobacco cS
PSos nn Hui hal he honorable senator undergone
change OF heart that imfo tant subject for h. had
declared 1867 that spirits wine ahd tobacco were
undoubtedly the INST objects HAT should be taxed.
lie should not follow the senator In all that he had
said to he surplus In the treasury Out Two In
| stances would suffice. Tho senator hah dchOuhceu
Congress for It's failure to provide suSide, for postal
communication with the south American states ana
The River aud farbor bill. The antJgoniSm OF the
Present and Of his party to the subsdzng OF ccla
interests classes needed no defence al MS hahuS
This country had no ships. Tho pretended policy of
protection had driven them from the h gh seas. ihey
could moi bc built to compete with tho clyde ships
and tbe Republican Obstructive policy would not allow
them to be sailed under the American nag AS 10 me
River and Iarbor bill. the President had already APP
nroved ono appropr.ang moro than ten millions The
preceding year: and the President had been c1Io1 on
10 sign thai of last session (apprOpratng Sid OOO0oo
without the opportunity to read it to know line
OF It's provisions He had been engaged IN tle HS ~
act Of reading 1t, In the Capitol when the hammer le
| nd (fol
ator sherman 1ad advocated D ao~,s for,gn
tiOn under contract, and had thus nfouuceu Ioci5"
serfdom in,O thc United States.
II was undoubtedly true. he said, that While excess
OF impost duties had tendency to fosIer monopoles
and enrich the few at he expense OF the many II hau
like tendency to invoke free competition 10 IaooF
compensation. 1t had drawn vast army from Europe
| who entered into competition with the labor here
and who entered into like competition among them
selves. 1t might well be understood now as here.
AFTER that this movement for reform and tho relief OK
public burdens I'm which the President had gaan,iN
and manfully taken the lead, meant practical result
! Both the benefits and the burdens of or system OF
taxation would be distributed fairly. That system
both internal and external would be treated as whole
! Tho tax on tobacco would Tho had no donbt be re-
and other products OF labor would be sacrificed in
the revision They would stand subject to their fair
share In the benefits Of whatever the system mi GIT
! be las revised and bearing their iair STARE Oh INC
burdens OF the common lot
The leading points of Senator ShermanS re-
marks are given below:
Afer congratuating his friend from West Virginia
at having proclaimed that a iii. tinc Issue to be
presented to the people he declared hi mat party ha
been in possession of power In the House OF hcpe
sentatlves fol- moro than ten years dnd not single
affirmative proposition or meas uie as to the talIu had
Lr,u pre,cnI,d III judgment Of IN" American people
NJ he did not love tina the Issue would b. pr
IIt the proposition to reduce taxation be presentes
and the Republican party wOnld be found with us OLD
rarks unboken ready to accept the issue ana let IL
GO the people IN H., f.. Lo,.,ur a.
orccscd views ten or twenty years ago. which ap-
feared TO be d erop from those he expressed To-Day
Ins g rather small hole to creep ont Of" 1t was
,,o that since the tariff discussion OF thirty years ago
~, mfr Sbermanl might have changed his mind; but If M
ia not done 40 under CT angd conditions and cir
cnmst ances he would not be worthy of scat In the
Senate $500 - .-..., o..,o .~,o,
4, s67 that he had made the remark that the taxes
most Willingly paid were those on spirits; beer ana
! t.nbocco So they were then and to-day. But within
tbe last few years complaint had come, mainly nom
The southern States, against the tax on tobacco II
sn Inc from the farmers He needed It. and obeycd H.
.a In hnnc so. he only did what the Senators from