Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-04-28
FOURTEEN DAYS MORE OF 1T.


| Three Days Consumed In Tarth Talk DeVel-
| ops Dreary Monotony.
| WASHINGTON CITY, April 28.-With only
| three of the seventeen days agreed upon for
| discussion consumed, the tariff debate is
| growing monotonous The subject is an old
one and 1t is difficult to say anything new
about it, SO that each speech on either side is
a good deal of repetition of what has been
said by previous speakers. Still the members
are going to be heard to put themselves upon
record, and it is not at all likely that an hour
| of the time agreed upon will be abated.
| Whatever may be the effect upon the people
| there Is no probability that vote in congress
will be changed by all the oratory, and SO
| far as that is concerned the roll on the pas
sage Of the bill might as well have been called
the day it was introduced. But this is presi-
Dental year, and congress Is engaged just
now in the manufacture of campaign am
munition, and there Is hardly doubt that
upon the tariff subject at least, the supply
| will be fully equal to the demand-if there is
not decided over production.
Yesterday Brewer of Michigan opened the
engagement He said the protective system
was one which tended to increase the wages
of labor, and quoted from statistics to show
that the rates of wages in this country ex-
ceeded those Of England He denied the asser
tion that the tariff on imports was burden
upon the people. The people were not COM
planning that what they had to buy was too
dear, but what they had to sell was too cheap
He earnestly opposed the free wool clause of
the bill, and declared it would ruin an indus
try which was Of national Importance. He
admitted that there was danger in a large
surplus, but not so great danger the
president seemed to suppose. The Republican
party had disposed of its surplus by paying
off government bonds; the Democratic party
boarded its surplus in the treasury. Speak
ing for himself, he was ready to cooperate
with any party in further reducing the rev.
enue, but it must be done in the continuance
of the policy laid down by the Republican
party.
Ford of Michigan said the question present
ed was one of tariff reduction-not alb
clifton. A tariff which gavea comparatively
small number Of men the right and oppor-
tunity to tax the millions of our citizens AZ
per cent. more than their goods would sell
for in open market could not fail to have the
result Of building up and maintaining vast
monopolies and trusts whose enormous profits
were swelled and increased by the tribute
which the tariff authorizes them to levy
from the pockets Of the people. Our war tariff
declared for high prices of manufactured
goods, and low prices for wheat The tend
ency of the times was to cheaper prices, not
by reason of the war tariff, but owing to i'm
proved means of transportation and produc-
tion but the prices of agricultural produc
lions had declined out of all proportion to
those of manufactured commodities and as
usual, the farmers got the worst of it. Ford
attributed the existence Of pools to the con
tinuancs Of a high tariff The trusts and
combines had got monopoly of the market,
and they had such a grip on the pockets of
the people under the guise of protection to
American labor that it is a difficult task to |
force them to relax it. and they had hereto
fore been powerful enough to defeat every |
effort in that direction.
Golf Of West Virginia opposed the bill A |
reduction of the tariff should be made by the !
friends of the protective system and not by |
its avowed enemies.
Landes of Illinois submitted an argument
in support of the bill and in opposition to the
protective theory. While heartily advocat /
ing the bill he regretted that it touched the
whisky and tobacco taxes, which instead of
being reduced should be increased.