Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1888-05-04
Pig-IrOn Kelly Roaring for Free
Whisky.
Chicago Tribune.

| to read the accounts OF the opening
| speeches on the tariff question in the
house without modification and cha
| gin. Chairman Mills of the way and
means committee was Of course put for
ward as the spokesman for the demo
Gratis, and he made fair general state
ment Of the reason why the present
opportunity should be seized to reduce
! tariff taxation on necessaries of life and
lessen the cost of living TO the people,
without depTiving the government of
any needed revenues to taking away
the tariff projections necessary for
home industry. Mr.. Mills did not ex-
plain or discuss in detail the bill
reported by his committee, and made
no attempt to explain or Justify its
glazing sectional and partisan dis
examinations. His silence in this re-
Spect can only be regarded as an ad-
mission that the bill is imperfect and
an invitation for amendment and cor
rections. There was little in Mills
speech that could be regarded as
bellicose or calculated to provoke a
party fight He seems rather to
invite all republicans who would con
sent to a moderate, needed, and care
fully guarded revision of the tariff to
Join him in amending and perfecting
the bill of the committee with these
ends in view How was this reason
able proposition met by the republican
leaders? simply by putting Pig Iron''
Kelly forward to roar free whiSkey, to
oppose reduction on the sugar tax, and
inSanely to denOunce any and all re-
form of the tariff rs meaning absolute
free trade, blight, and ruin" No
wonder many western republican
members hung their heads III shame,
and others hurried off in disgust to the
cloak room before Kelley concluded
his imbecile TRADE
Pig Iron KelIey's entire harangue,
covering such folly as his beet sugar
farming scheme and his demand for
free liquor to break up the liquor trust,
while opposing every interference with
tariff protected monopoly, suggests
that the old man has sunk into his
dotage, although still cunning enough
to serve the interests of the eastern
mill bosses, and factory lords who
keep him in congress.
The only excuse offered for permit
ting him, this subsidized, bigoted
chattering old crank, to appear as the
spokesman of the republican party III
congress was that he is " the father of
the house." having outliyed all the
others, as if that was due to merit or
talent, and entitled by reason of his
longevity to the courtesy of making
the first speech on the republican side.
The quality of the speech shows, how
ever, that while his jabber must be
heard, no rule of courtesy required
that old Pig-Iron should appear as
the authorized representative of the
republican party. kClley's tariff crank
cry is SO great that even among the
bounty monopolists in the house there
are not ten men who would agree with
him in demanding free whisky, oppOs-
ing any and all reductions of duties on
sugar and other necessaries, and adVis-
ing farmers to get under the shelter of
high proteCtionism by reSOrting to
beetsugar farming.
The Tribune warns the republicans
of the house that they are getting
themselves into position that is Civ
ing their constituents in the west
great deal of anxiety. None of the
prairie agricultural states have any
representatives on ways and means
committee. 1t was sneakingly and
treacherously packed against them.
Still the democratic majority reported
a bill which, while faulty in several
details, embraced Il general policy that
would be highly advantageous and
beneficial to western farmers and
western people generally. Ifjudicious-
ly amended the bill could be made Il
great blessing to the country and no
hardship would be inflicted on any
honest class or any section.
The republican minority. instead of
suggesting such amendments or pre-
pairing substitute bill. cOntented
themSelver with growing and snarling
and performing the dog -the-manger
act Maj. Mckinley, after having the
wool pulled over his own eyes, tried to
pull over the eve of others and make
the country believe that the payment
of tariff bounties to the big ranch wool
syndicates Of the Southwest was more
important than cheapening the prices
of WOODEN goods and clothing to so
millions of consumers! Making this
indefensible report and absolutely re-
fusing to aid or assist in any reduction
of tariff taxation, blunder was added
to blunder when Pig Iron Kelley was
allowed to open the debate in the
house on behalf of the republicans
by roaring and ranting free whiSkey
and 50 per cent sugar duties and
denounciug all tariff reform as " free
trade" which lie should have been
rebuked on the spot.
What do the republican congress
men from the Northwest suppose the
farmers sent them to congress forS
They have an enviable and unusually
fine opportunity to reduce taxation on
the essentials of life and secure sub
Stantial benefits to their constituents.
and yet they seem helpless and blinded
with McKinleyism and Kelleyism,
WIN none among them act and speak
on behalf of the millions Of Western
farmers and make an honest, earnest
effort to protect them by reducing
tariff taxation to reasonable limits?
We are glad TO notice that our friend,
W. H. Peck, of The Platteville Dem
ocrat. was selected as one of the del