Wichita eagle., 1888-01-24
Cleveland's Free Trade Platform
Split to Flinders by the
Senator from Maine.
The Stiffness of Tariff for Revenue Only
Proven Beyond all Chance of
Doubt OF Mistake.
Numerous Bills Introduced Into the House
and Senate-Speaker Carlisle Much
lmprOved-0ther Wash
ingtOn Notes.
SENATE e

day Mr.. Frye called up the motion to refer
to the committee OH finance the president 5
annual message and proceeded to discuss
the message.
He dwelt upon the views of the president
rs expressed in his message, and laid par
ticular stress on the enthusiasm which
that document occasioned in England, and
the increased popularity of the president
in that country since his recent declara-
tion in favor of reducing the tariff. He knew
that members of that party had been
masquerading for four years as reformers,
favoring tariff for revenue only, with in
cidental protection" or tariff for
revenue exclusively" and that in the man
ufacturing districts of New Jersey, and
elsewhere, they masqueraded as mild
hammered protectionists. In the south
they had had more boldness and less di-
versity of industry: but even there, within
the last year or two. blinded, probably, by
the smoke of the newly built furnaces, or
disturbed by the hum-of looms, there was
to be found here and there friend
of protection. The senator from Mis-
day that he endorsed every line, word and
letter in the presidents message. The
senator from Indiana Voorhees, had. in
an elaborately prepared speech, in perfect
coolness, with no excitement whatever, de-
clared that the doctrines enunciated by the
president in his recent message had been
the doctrine OF the Democratic party for
eighty-Seven wears, and that lie endorsed
them. The senator from Tennessee tflar
riS) had. also, in speech made elsewhere
declared that his voice or his vote would
never be for the protection or encourage
ment of any American industry. So that
he tFryeD was inclined TO think that the
Democratic party of the country
really shared in the presidents con
victions, and really believed that the
tariff was vicious, illogical and inequit-
able, and that a duty was a tax paid by
the consumer, and why should not the
party so think? The controlling element
of the Democratic party had been always
in the south: and the southern wing of the
Democratic party controlled 1t today, rs
powerfully and completely as it did before
the rebellion, when it compelled the party
into the championship of slavery. There
was not the slightest doubt as to the atti-
tude of the south on this question. When
the south went into rebellion. it declared
in the confederate constitution, that no
bounty should ever be granted from the
treasury. nor any law be enacted to foster
or encourage any branch of industry, what
ever That had been the selenn declar-
alton of the southern Democrats, and they
believed now as they believed then. These
southern gentlemen learned very slowly
and forgot slowly, and they We're blind to-
day to the marvels which Were being
wrought in their midst under a protective
tariff The Democratic party had come
rrff, in hn nt RON aSnr1f 1fufil
in the Fourth congress, and held the power
in that house ever since, except in the
Forty-seventh congress, and it has illus
trated its promotion to power by demand
ing that the tariff be revised and the whole
business of the country disturbed.
The Democratic chairman of the com
mittee of ways and means since then had
been free, and would, with Randolph
Tucker, as an assistant, and William
X. Morrison-all three of them out
and out free traders, and today
Mr.. Mills, of Texas, was chairman of
that committee and Mr.. Mills WAS ever u
crank in his devotion to the principles of
free trade and endorsed the message of the
president The distinguished speaker OF
the house for whom he had profound
esteem) in his devotion TO the principles of
free trade, had dared in the last congress
to arrogate tahimSelf almost despotic pow
ers, and to declare from his high place
tllaU he WOulu TecpShlBt 10 lueHlDef OF tue
house to make any motion to cut down the
surplus unless it was first submitted to IA
Democratic caucus
The Democratic secretary of the treasury
had, also, Joined in the choral song of the
free traders, apparently with all his heart.
In fine he was satisfied that all the Demo
cratic leaders agreed with the president.
except that they had not the Presidents
boldness or honesty If, however, by
cheating the people in the next election as
to their position, they could get new
lease of power and obtain control OF the
United States senate, then the people
might bid farewell to every principle of
protection.
The Republicans took up the presidents
gauntlet OF free trade, with great pleasure.
and joined issue With the Democrats The
Republicans declared that, instead of the
tariff being vicious, Illogical and ineauit-
able, it increased marvelously, the pros
perity of this country; and that instead of
the duty being a tax paid by the consumer,
no instance could be found in which the
duty had not decreased to the consumer
the cost of the article consumed.
The Republicans further declared that
the future prosperity OF this country, for
twenty-five years, at any rate, depended
absolutely on the benign influence OF a
protective tariff.
He admitted that this country possessed
many advantages over competing nations,
but he declared that, with all those ad-
vantages, it could not compete III manu-
facture with the European nations. be-
cause it was Handicapped in the matter OF
wages. On this point, and or the addi-
tional point, that the price of all manufac-
protective system. Mr.. Frye supported
his argument with numerous illustra-
tionS, many of them drawn from his own
observations In Europe.
As to the surplus, it was q Democratic
incapacity, he said, which caused it, and
now the country had TO look out 10 see
that the same Democratic incapacity in
administering medicine did not give poison
and kill the patient. He was as much 1
against the surplus as the president was
but he was not frightened at ii. He |
would rather have surplus than deficit (
Ii there was any honest purpose To get
rid of the surplus ii could be done without
the slightest difficulty In the first place.
some oft ought TO be expended wisely I
in coast defences. in increasing the navy, I
in building up the merchant. marine aud I
IN educating them as proposed in he hill of 4
the senator from New Hampshire Bsair). ]
The senator from North Carolina Vance,
had indicated way TO prevent a surplus. f
and the senator from Georgia (Brown) /
had proposed way which would do il be- (
yond all manner OF questions Tast was
a repeal OF all he internal revenue laws.
But his Democratic friendsand his allies, !
the diStiilerS and brewers and saloon
keepers. bad recently developed a wonder
full regard for temperance and had become
great Temperance champions. prost tsi nag
against whisky being made cheaper but
he told them that the temperance sen;i
lnent Of the country WAS Iap,!
idly crystaliZing into the opiu
ION that the sooner the tax ON whisky was
repealed the better and quicker The princi-
Pies of temperance would he subserved