St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-02-03
SHERNfAN'S REPLY.
ThereWas TimeWhen He Would
Have Voted for Any Law to De-
feat the Democrats


Have Voted for ANY Law to De-
feat the Democrats.
Mr.. Sherman congratulated his friend
from West Virginia at having pro-
claimed the fact that the ranks of the
Democratic party were closed, and that
a distinct issue was to be presented to
the people. That party had been in
possession of power in the house of rep
resentativeS for mere than ten years,
and not q single affirmative proposition
or measure as to the tariff question had
been presented to the Judgment of the
American people. If the Democratic
party had Gas Mr.. McKenna declaredD
closed up its ranks, and if there was
to be a fair and manly con-
test between the two parties on this
great public question. he would be de-
lighted; but he did not believe that the
issue would be presented. Let the
Democratic ranks be closed. Let the
proposition to reduce taxation be pre-
scented and the Republican party would
be found with its old ranks unbroken,
ready to accept the issue and let it go to
the people. But for the senator from
West Virginia to aSSail him for having
expressed views ten or twenty years
ago, which appeared to be different
from those he expressed to-day was
''rather small hole to creep out Of"
1t was true that since the tariff discus
sions of thirty years ago he (Sherman)
might have changed his mind; but if he
had not done so, under the changed con-
ditiOnS OF circumstances, he would net
be worthy of a seat in the senate. APP
plauSe in the galleries. 1t was on
bill to repeal the internal revenue law,
taxes Gin 1867 that he had made the re-
mark that the taxes most willingly paid
were those on spirits, beer and tobacco.
So they were then. So they are to-day
But within the last few years complaint
states, against the tax on tobacco. 1t
came from the farmers. He needed it;
he obeyed it; he regarded it. And in
doing so he only did what the senators
from Virginia, West Virginia, TenneS-
see, North Carolina and Kentucky ought
to do. The Republican party said that
it would not strike down any protected
! industry of the country; that when
manufactures had sprung up by the aid
| of protection, it would not strike them
| down, derange their conduct, derange
their plans, lower the prices of their
labor. The Republican party
would join with the Democratic
party in reducing such taxation as bore
preserve the system of protection by
the tariff duties just so long as it was
necessary to give to Americans a fair
chance in the trade and commerce of
the cOuntry-So as not to invite foreign
erS to compete with home industry.
| The law referred to by the senator from
West Virginia Gin regard to immigration
under contracD was passed in the midst
of the war when 100000 Northern men
were down South. 1t was law inviting
| foreigners to help to make good the alb
| Sence of brave Union soldiers. He
would have voted then for any kind of
| law to defeat the Democratic party of
| that day. But he was sure that he had
| voted for its repeal whenever that mat
ter was presented. He congratulated
| congress that the country was
now to have fair, square,
manly issue presented on the indus
| trial question: question which affected
the life, property and interests of every
| citizen; question between protected
labor in this country and the pauper
| labor of Europe; question between
! diversified industries and that of sin
| gle (agriculturaD interest, with few
| blacksmith and carpenter shops scat
| tered throughout the country.
Amid the hum of applause which fol-
lowed the close OF Mr.. Sherman's re-
marks. Mr.. Reagan rose and briefly de-
Tended the Democratic party from the
charge that it had presented no affirma-
ative tariff proposition during the ten
years that that party had a majority in
the house. The motion to refer the
presidents message then went over
without action. Mr.. Stewart addressed
the senate briefly in support of the edu-
cational bill. After an executive session
| the senate adjourned until Monday,