Bismarck weekly tribune., 1888-02-03
Senators Kenna and Sherman Agree
to Disagree on the Matter of
the Tariff Reduction.
A Bill Passed by the House Chang.
ing the Rate of Postage on
Cheap Literature.
The Lowry-White Contested Seat
Case Given an Airing-Gen-
eras News Notes.
CONGRESSIONAL.
The Senate.

The Senate. ~
WASHINGTON, Feb. 2.-In the senate the
offered by Mr.. Plumb same days
since as to the inefficiency of the postal
service in the west and south was taken up
and Mr.. Plumb spoke at some length upon
the subject. He said the mails of senators
and representatives were burdened with
complaints as to the bad mail service in
the regions indicated in the resolution.
He was in favor of proper economy, but
the first consideration as to the mail serv-
ice was speed and safety. Economy came
in afterwards.
The bill to increase the pension of the
totally helpless to $72 per month was
passed.
A DRAW.
Mr.. Kenna then proceeded to address the
senate on the subject of the presidents
message on the surplus revenue and tariff
matters and of Mr.. Sherman's speech in re-
ply thereto. The senator had forgotten
his own anxieties when surrounded in both
houses of congress by a majority of his own
party friends in 1882 he exclaimed in the
senate that there was no sentiment in the
country stronger than that congress had
neglected its duty in not repeating taxes
that were obnoxious and unnecessary, and
that he was determined that that sin
should not lie at his door. Nobody asks
for free trade. The true solution is the
fair and just medium which shall produce
the revenues needed-no more and no
less-according to the plain dictates of
common honesty as declared by the last
democratic platform in "a spirit of fairness
to all interests" Mr.IKenna compared the
present attitude of Senator Sherman with
his former utterances on the subject of the
tariff and asked who would believe that
the same honorable senator who gave ut
terance to these sentiments upon the adop-
ton Of the laws which have remained sub
stantially in force ever since could ac-
knowledge the authorship Of the speech
which was recently addressed to the SEN
ate and to the country. There was ample
room for reduction of the existing taxes
without violence to any interest. No ex-
tremes need be resorted to. The measure
of duty which filled the difference between
the cost of production in the United States
and abroad, with cost of transportation,
was protection to the labor and fair COM
petition to the employer. The measure
that went beyond that was monopoly to
the employer and unfair competition to the
labor. The democratic party had never
been the enemy of labor. Maintaining the
ancient doctrine of home rule, special
privilege to none and equality before the
law, it had ever had been as it ever will be
the safest guardian of thepoor and humble.
The country has been long preparing for
this conflict. 1t is now ready for the fray.
at is my candid judgement that the masses
of the people will endorse and support this
brave struggle for their rights and favor
the relief of their bondage"
Mr.. Sherman congratulated his friend
from West Virginia at having proclaimed
the fact that the ranks of the democratic
party were closed and that q distinct issue
was to be presented to tie people. That
party had been in possession of power in
the house of representatives for more than
ten years and not single affirmative mea-
sure as to the tariff question had been
presented to the judgement of the Amer
ican people. If the democratic party had
closed up its ranks and if there was TO be
fair and manly contest between the two
parties on this great public question he
would be delighted, but he did not believe
that the issue would be presented. 1t was
true that since the tariff discussion of thirty
years ago he .(Sherman) might have
changed his mind, but if he had not done
so under the changed conditions and cir
cumstances he would not be worthy of
seat in the senate. [Applause in the gal
leries.] He congratulated congress that
the country was now to have fair, square,
manly position presented on the industrial
question: question which affected the
life, property and interests of every cit
izens; a question between protected labor
in this country and the pauper labor of
Europe; a question between diversified in
dustries and that of single agricultural
interest with few blacksmith and car
penter shops scattered throughout the
country.
Amid the hum of applause which fol-
lowed the close of Mr.. Sherman's remarks
Mr.. Reagan rose and BRIEFLY defended the
democratic party from the charge that it