The Portland daily press., 1888-07-26
Mr.. REED ON THE TARIFF.
The Issue of the Contest Between
Protection and Free Trade.
How the Surplus might Have Been
Disposed Of.
a Telling Speech tolan Enthusiastic
Audience.

- 'O"H5 opeeCn toian EntnuSldSuC
Audience.
Among the speakers at the Republican
ratification meeting in Boston Tuesday
night was the Hon. Thomas b. Reed. Great
and long continued enthusiasm greeted his
appearance, and his speech was closely fol-
lowed and frequently interrupted with ap-
plause. He said:
Fellow citizens, ladies and gentlemen:
The subjects on which / am going TO talk 10
you this evening has been great wearlness
to me for more than three months Ilaughterl.
and If anything could put life into what /
have to say, II is the very generous reception
which you have given me here tonight, but
am very far from,taking 1t as personal COM
pliment merely. for know that it indicates
that your souls are astlr with the great issues
and the great purposes Of this campaign.
Applause and cries Of good.
There are those who believe that there is
no good in partisanship. There are those
who think that party ties are of little account
Those same gentlemen believe that the truly
Independent man Is one who is in a state Of
perpetual vibration between two or three
different parties. Laughter and applause.l
Partisanship IS one OF the things which help
us govern the world. 1t Is one Of the great
conservative powers, and II we could imag-
inc nation framed on the conditions de-
HiduuCQ Ny tLC luuCptuutut newspaper Ud-
tlon that reformed its opinions every year
laughter we should have nation TO which
the French Revolution would be state Of
perpetual calm. [Great laughter and ap-
plause.J But while believe in the strength
of party ties and partianship history Is here
TO show me that at least three times in a cen
tury upon an average, II is the duty of every
honest man to consider the situation and TO
find whether his party means what he means
Laughter and applause.l
NV first rQQ0ilpQfion Of sAcIftfoo
one Of those periods 80 years ago. Thirty
two years ago man Of my State-great In
personal honesty, great In his fidelity TO
princiDal, great in saving common sense
Hon. Hannibal Hamlin of Maine Itremen-
dous applausel marched across the State OF
Maine, then Demo cratic, ayowing his deter
minatlon TO lead whomsOever he could in the
direction OF freedom, and his march was one
triumphal procession from one end Of the
State to the other. Applause. 1t was be-
cause great crisis In public affairs had come
Those great crises are never the whim Of the
moment; all the signs in heaven presage
their coming. For years men had stood by
the Democratic. party. because they hoped
almost against hope, that that party which
seemed to be determined to be in the interest
Of slavery might be brought on the side Of
freedom. But when 1t became manifest from
the decision of their national convention that
that could never be, those honest men re-
considered their party conditions and boldly
took the side of the right. [Applause.l /
believe that one OF those times is upon us
now.
For wears every man who has known anv-
thing about public life has known that there
has existed division in the Democratic party
on the question whether England or Amerf-
ca should rule the domestic policy of this ma
ton lapplausel; and believe that before
this campaign Is over you will see that line
OF cleavage manifest itself fFem one end Vt
the Union to the other. and that men wy,
come q, out from that party and stand firm for
cne cne great doctrine OF preserving the Ameri-
mendous applause.l And the situation Is
parallel all along the line. There was then.
as there will be pretty soon, and Is now,
denial on the part Of the men who make the
majority OF the Democratic party of what was
the real ISSUE Freedom and slavery p"
they said. "Oh no; God has made line be-
yond which the slave cannot go, and this act
means nothing; therefore, stay with u.s."
But men with intellect knew better. They
could watch mems actions and find out more
from that than they could by watching their
mouths.
The tongue is easy to move; the heart is
hard to turn. | have listened during the
past elght months TO 20 Democratic speeches
In the house OF frepresentives, and defy any
man to produce any one of them that failed
to enunciate principles which are utterly
irreconcilable with anything but the doc
trlne Of Tree trade pure and simple. And
have listened to 200 ldve-minute arguments in
favor OF tie Mills bill and there has been
never one Of them that has not had its kick
and its push against the doctrine Of protec-
ton. This Is what aroused the people Of the
United States, and already the men who have
avowed their purposes are beginning to try
to hedge on their position. Why they have |
sent congressman over to the city Of New
York in patches [laughterl to assure the pe0-
PIE there That notwithstanding everything |
they have said and everything they have
done that really they did not mean anything
by it for all that. lLaughter.l
And you will remember Mr.. Chairman, the
struggle OF member Of the committee, from
Indiana, to get himself to the forefront to
proclaim that the figures would show that
they were really more protectionists than
anybodyelse there was. Now, the Question
Is, are men going to allow themselves to be
lulled into slumber while this wrong is per-
petrated? Are the people not-(and this
meeting tonight here shows it) all these
eager faces and these determined men, that
they appreciate the nature of the struggle
into which we have entered. Why, Mr..
Henry George goes over to Washington and
has an interview with Mr.. Mills and returns,
and In one sentence says Of him that he Is
free trade from the base. Well, as the pyra-
mid stands on its head, the base is small but
free trade is immense. Laughter and ap-
plause.l why" they say, I'VE have Only
taken OIL seven per cent Of this; are we not
sufficient protectionists for yOu?" Taken
of seven per cent.
Now, suspect that that iuggle of percent
dbCo 10 W DC tAicu LLlS
There Is no knowledge in those figures as to
the mischief which this system will do to the
people Of the United States. Seven per cent |
average. Does that save lumber? Isn't it |
free trade as TO that? Does 1t gave salt? |
Why, think what the Democratic party has /
done for you in the way of giving you free /
salt. Laughter and applause.l Did you |
ever realize how you are oppressed in that |
article OF salt ?-l Laughter. l-how you have |
been absolutely riyen asunder by that dread |
ful oppression? Why Hon. Timothy Tread |
well Of Michigan, the statesman whose name |
is eminent because he succeeded Mr.. HOrr of
that State, said IN open house that The would
furnish nine pounds and four ounces Of salt
under this infamous tariff for one cent, and
that Included, OF course, the statesman's
commissions-[la terrible OPP
preston from which you have been rescued
by that. But after all that was not what free
salt was wanted for.
Mr.. Mills announced in New York the per-
Sonal purpose for which he wanted il, and
he announced it with grammar which
showed that though he did hail from Texas
he evidently originated In Boston laughter
and applausel, for he said, 1--WE want II 10
salt them devils" meaning, | suppose, the |
unfortunate manufacturers who are guilty of |
the weakness OF reducing salt TO 80 cents a
barrel with the barrel thrown in, or else he |
meant the innocent citizens l see before me- |
might go through long list Of articles |
which they have given absolute free trade |
to. might point out to you that this bill |
mas diItauy IalSeu tne price OF TIMBER limits |
In the Dominion Of Canada, but 1t would be
no use. There is not time tonight to desig-
nate point by point the character and nature
OF this bill; its passage through the House is
an Illustration, with the amendments made
Of 1t, Of the nature and character of this
struggle, and If you, who believe la the prin.
ciples OF protection permit yourselves to be
deceived as to what the result will be, YOU
will find out to your infinite sorrow what it
all means.
The amendments from beginning to end
have had no other purpose than to bestow
political favors upon doubtful Democratic
districts. and they dared make no other pre-
tence, for the assertion l make to you, 800
miles from the scene, Is precisely the same
that made to to them and challenged their
denial, and you know how silent they sat
[Applause.l Here was a bill which involved
the industries of nation greater than any
other that the sun had shone on; and vet
from the time that it was presented to the