The Portland daily press., 1888-05-14
THE TARIFF DEBATE
Gives Rise to a Lively Discussion In
the House.

| WASHINGTON, d. c., May r. After the
transaction of some unimportant business,
| the House went into committee of the whole
| on the tariff bill.
Mr.. Townshend of Illinois, spoke in sup
| port of the bill. The issue presented by it
| he said, had often been misststed in the de-
bate. The issue was not between protection
and free trade. The pending bill only pro-
| duced a reduction Of less than $4,000, 900,
and would still leave tariff tax aggregating
| $16S,000,0OO. 1t would only reduce the pres
ent rate from AZ to sc per cent. The bill
| did not go far enough.
| Mr.. Kelley of Pennsylvania, said that the
| bill did, in roundabout, but efectual way,
| put coal and iron ore on the free list. Coal
and iron ore were crude minerals, ,unwrought
and the bill put crude minerals unwrought
| ON the free list.
Mr.. Townshend replied that he had been
| informed that if the bill was equivocal on
that point, it would be amended. But even
| if the bill did not put coal ON the free list
was that a crime, when gentlemen who were
among the most potent of the Republican
leaders had demanded that coal should go on
the tree list at time when the rate of taxa
tion was less than it was today? Gen. Gar
filed had voted to put coal and salt on the
free list and so had Messrs. Frye. Hale and
Dawes.
Mr.. Kelley desired to say ward in regard
to Mr.. Garfield. He (Kelley) had refused to
voted for Garfield for speaker when he was
nominated by the Republican caucus on ac-
count OF his lack of faith in Garfield's pro-
| lection doctrine. But after the visiting
statesmen (of whom he was one and Garfield
another) went to New Orleans and visited
Mr.. Lawrence's sugar plantation, he never
| doubted Garfeld's complete regeneration
| from the sins of the Golden Club doctrines.
| After the visit to the sugar plantation, Gar
| field and he were dining together with 20 or
80 other gentlemen When 1t came to Gar
fields turn to respond to sentiment, he
said: 81 know one who will be greatly sur
prised at what l am about to say, for l am
prepared to ay0w myself as humble disci-
pie of the leading advocate OF the protection
system"
Mr.. Townshend inquired the date of that
speech of Gartield's
Mr.. Kelley replied that it was in the fall of
1876.
Mr.. Townshend said that the gentleman's
memory mustIbe treacherous, he stated that
he voted against Garfield for speaker because
he believed Garfield to be free trader. and
now he said that Garfield had changed his
opinion a year before he was nominated for
speaker A year after Garfield had convinced
the gentleman that he was no longer a free
trader the gentleman had refused to obey the
dictates of the caucus and vote for Garfield
for speaker.
Mr.. Kelley remarked that, whatever might
have been his deviation from party discipline
the fact remained that in 1876 he had seen
the avowed and absolute conversion of James
A. Garfield.
Mr.. Townshend nd--What was your reason
for disobeying the action OF the Republican
caucus year after Garfield'S conversion.
Mr.. KelIey-What right have you to inter-
rogate me as to my personal relations and
personal reasons? There are other questions
than the tariff in the world.
Mr. TOWnshend disclaimed any intention
of desiring to probe into Mr.kelley'S person.
al sentiments. Passing to a consideration of
the bill. Mr.. Townshend declared that no
representative from the West could vote
against it without betraying his constituents.
Mr.. Milliken of Maine, alluding to re
mark of Mr.. Townshend as to Blaine having
been repudiated by the people, thought it
was very wonderful that gentleman in
foreign land, pursuing his own business, in
his own way, troubling nobody, taking no
part in American politics, except to be inter-
ested as every patriotic American must be,
should be such source of anxiety as he was.
The gentleman had said that Blaine had been
repudiated by the people, but the statement
was not true He had been repudiated by
sections of the country prevented the people
from speaking their voice. he (Milliken)
would Saw to the gentleman that neither
he nor his party had dared to accept the
honest verdict of the people. If an honest
verdict was to be accepted, the gentleman
Would have no more hope for the election
of his candidate than he would have of