Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1888-05-28
SHIN GTON LITTER

Washington, May 2Ist
The past few days in congress hye |
been notable for what will be knotn |
in political history as the great taft |
debate of 1888. 1t began more TIM
month ago, and has continued /
most uninterruptedly with a steady
| growing interest. 1t is a great NH
take to say that the people are no
interested in tariff talk or that thew
pay no attention to the discussion. !
Protracted debates may be often wea-l
risome to professional politicians, but
such discussion as this, on a ques-
ton that touches every interest of
every citizen, has great attractions
for the voting masses.
There has been no time since tn;
fiery debates of the reconstructed
period when the demand for copies f
speeches has been so great as thF
calls for tariff speeches within theI
| past few weeks.
The appearance of the minor par
Elephants in the great debate has at
tracted comparatively little attention
here, increased only when an eX-
change of bitter personalities or al
exciting, interesting bit of repartee
has broken the monotonous progress
of the strife. But ON Friday last, al
this was changed. 1t was a day OF
great oratory. The tariff issue YVES
presented from its three sides.
As in the olden times when the
bravest and fiercest fighters were re-
served until the last, so the two par
ties in the House of Representative
have held back their recognized lead
ers, in order that only the worthiest
of the foemen should meet face to
face. SO Mr.. Randall spoke for the
protection democrats, Mr.. Mckinley
for the republicans, and Mr.. Brock
inridge for the democrats who would
reform the present tariff system. And
from the crowded galleries of the
House, with their rising tiers of seats
like the old Coliseum at Rome, an
immense throng of people looked
down upon the floor as if into an
arena.
At the close of Mr.. McKinley's
brilliant effort the House went wild
cheered with all their might and even
many of the democrats joined in con-
graduating him at its close. 1t was
conceded to be the great speech of
the debate on the protection side of
the question.
The greatest democratic speech
followed Immediately, and was by
Mr.. Breckenridge of Kentucky. His
speech had been looked forward to in
and out of congress. 1t came fully
up to the expectations of the public,
and at its close three cheers went up
from the floor and from the galleries,
every member arose from his seat
and there was a general rush to seize
the orators hand.
Saturday was another great day in
the House. The tariff talk was not
so brilliant probably as on the pre-
ceding day, but long before the hour
for the House to convene the CALLER
les were densely packed with people
who had come to hear speeches by |
the two acknowledged leaders of their |
respective parties, Speaker Carlisle
and Mr.. Reed of Maine, and proba-
bly, no single session since 1876 has |
furnished more to entertain and in
terest spectators in the galleries than
the hours of Saturdays closing de-
bate on the tariff.
Mr.. Reed kept his party friends
pretty constantly occupied for two
hours with laughter and applause, land
made what was admitted to be a
great speech against the Mills tariff
bill. He used the story of the dog
who dropped his bone in the water
when he saw his own image reflected
by the surface and so lost his supper
in the hope of getting more when he
already had enough, to describe what
he considered the folly of giving up
the control of our own markets to
obtain the markets of the world, and
the illustration as he produced it
compelled even his opponents to
laugh.
| believe this is the first speech
Mr.. Carlisle has made on the floor of
congress since he became speaker of
the House. He had been closely con-
fined at home for several days previ-
Gus girding his loins for the part he
was destined to take in the combat
Consequently he looked a little pale
and as if he had been i'll. Yet he
spoke clearly, effectively and very ac-
ceptably to his party friend. His
cool, passionless marshaling Of facts
and figures for the bill, were in mark
ed contrast with Mr.. Reeds vigorous
and rather comical attacks upon it.
The greatest tariff debate since
1916 closed in the House of Repre-
sentatives with the speeches of
Messrs. Reed and Carlisle, and it
should be said that the conduct of
the debate and the speeches, pro and
con, on the Mills bill have been wor-