Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-05-14
THE NATIONS CAPITOL
TOVnshend Speaks in Support
Of the Mills Bill.
He States that He Voted for Garfield for
Speaker, Believing Him a
Free Trader.
Milliken- Kelley and Cannon Call the
Gentleman to Account, for Ger
tain Personal Allusions.
WAsHISGroN, May l3.
House.

issue, except some desperate western repub
licans. who were forced by the party lash I,
betray their constituents by opposing meas
ure which would bring relief to the peopl,
from the curse of unjust and excessive taxa
ton. There were no advocates of free trade
IN Congress Even those who, in theory
believed free. trade preferable 10 protec
ton, realized that the amount of the public
debt and necessary appropriations for pen.
slons rendered free trade lmpracticable The
only issue raised by the bill was whether
Congress would reduce the high tariff Great
| ed during the war, which was wholly unnec.
essary now and produced distress among the
masses of the people. The pending bill only
| produced reduction of less than S54 900,
900, and would still leave tariff tax aggre-
eating Sl63 100000. Ii would only reduce
the present rate from ~ to 80 per cent. The
Dill did not 90 far enough 1t di not 20 so
far as the President had indicated il should
go, nor SO far as Senator Sherman had de-
clared it might safely go; yet il gave relief
To an overtaxed people, and would have his
cordial support. Ii was a conservative and
judicious modification of the tariff on fair
business basis. 1t did no injustice to any
interest and if enacted into law would prove
beneficial to law. Protectonists should be
thankful that more radical measure had
not been demanded, and he warned them that
If this fair and reasonable proposition was
rejected, the people would send representa-
tives here who would adopt far more radi-
zeal measure. He denied the assertion that
the bill was sectional one, drafted for the
benefit of the southern States, and he
declared that that assertion would have
no weight with the people whom it was in
tended to deceive. He argued that the bill
went no further than had been demanded by
the republican party i'll its party platforms,
or than had been recommended by prominent
Republicans in speeches and by republican
secretaries of the treasury Every breath of
slander and viliticaton which had been
hurled against the President and the ways
and means committee must recoil against the
trusted leaders of the republican party. The
The gentlemen from Pennsy ylyania and Mary
land (kelley and McCJmas) had been wild
with the fear that coal aud iron ore were put
upon the free list by the bill.
Mr.. Kelley of Pennsylvania said that the
bill did, in roundabout but etiectual way,
put coal and iron ore on the free list. Coal
and iron ore were crude minerals, unwrought
and the blll 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 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 90 on
the free list at a time when the rate of taxa
ton was less than it was today? In 1871
Gen. Garfield had voted to Put coal and salt
on the free list, and so had Messrs. Frye,
Hale and Dawes.
Mr.. Kelley desired to say word in regard
t. Garfch. He (A,ll, y: ::nad refused t. oIvote
fer Gartiel, for speaker VI hen he was nomi-
mated by the republican party on account of
his lack of faith in Garfiel's protection doc
trine. But after the visiting statesmen (of
shom he was one and Garfield another
went to New Orleans, and visited Mr.. Law
rence< sugar plantation, he never doubted
Gartelds complete regeneration from the
sins of the Golden Club doctrines. After
the visit TO the sugar plantation, Garfield and
he were dining together with twenty or thirty
other gentlemen. When il came to Gartield's
turn to respond to a sentiment, he said: Il
know one who will be greatly surprised at
what am about to say, for | am prepared
to avow myself humble disciple of the
leading advocate of the protection system"
Mr.. Townshend inquired the date of that
speech of Garfleld's.
Mr.. Kelley replied that it was in the fall
of 1876.
Mr.. Townshend said that the genteman's
memory must be tres cherous, for he stated
hat he voted against Garfield for speaker
because he believed Garfield to be free
trader and now he said that Garfield bad
changed his opinion year before he was
nominated for speaker A year after Gar
acld had convinced the gentleman that he
no longer a free trader the gentleman
had refused to obey the dictates of the
caucus and vote 70 CARTEL for speaker.
Mr.. kelle, remarked that, whatever might
have been his deviation from party discipline,
the fact remained that in 1876 he had seen
the avowed and absolute conversation of
James Garfield.
Mr.. Townshend-Wh was your reason
for disobeying the action of the Republican
caucus year after Garfeld's conversionf
Mr.. KelIey-What right have you to
interrogate me as to my personal relations
and personal reasons. There are other
questions than the tariff in the world.
Mr.. Townshend dsclaimed any intention
of desiring to probe into Mr. Kelley's per
sonal 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.
He did not charge any improper motives.
The gentlemen might be deluded, but i they
were sincere in their advocacy of protection,
they were deluded to such an extent as to
obstruct what was for the best interests of
the people The time for action was al
hand. The democratic party must redeem
the pledge it had given the people. The line
of demarcaton between the two great ma
tional parties was clearly defined in the bill.
The policy enunciated in the Presidents
message was the only political issue before
the country. The President stood on the
principles of the democratic party. If there
vas any democrat who was inclined to disa-
gree with the democratic party on this issue,
he commended to his consideration the pa
triotic course of J. NJ. Dallas, who was the
pre- siding officer of the Senate when the
Walker tariff bill came to a final vote. His
State then, now, regarded protection of
permanent importance to local interests, but
he was not a mere local politician. He was
a statesman of broad views. When he found
that the voice of the majority was in favor
of a revision of the tariff, he surrendered hi,
local prejudices and local considerations anC
gave his vote to his party and his country
By his act on that OCCASION he set an exam
pie worthy of imitation by all democrats sim.
ilarly situated today.
MIR. Cannon of Illinois said that it Away
occurred to him when his colleague (Town.
sbend) spoke that his colleagues highes
ambition was not to discuss the question oil
/ the broad ground OF prii ciple, but to delvt
| back in the past and try to establish his case
/ by showing that somebody who disagreed
with him now agreed with him some time
/ ago. Saul Of Tarsus. who was born at ths
/ foot OF Baal, was stricken down and became
christian. His colleague had said that hs
| (Cannon) misrepresented his constituents il
the interests of Massachusetts. Illinois to
I day had more wealth than Massachusetts
aud had a. many manufactures as Massa
chusetts, and some of these days the Ri
Van Wrinkle sleep which overspread the dis
trict his colleague represented would be bro