The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-06-01
POETRY TARIFF DISGUST ON


Few people would imagine that the
discussion Of the tariff 10 Congress
would afford much opportunity for
LAYING the poets under tribute. But
perusal of tho different speeches as they
qppear in the Congressional Record,
revised by their authors, proves thai
even this pr0sy subject is cmbelllshed
with numerous snatches OF song aRd
story. While few Congressman
tighten up the solid matter of their
speeches with long tables of figures, the
majority prefer to round oil sentence
or conclude the peroration OF an argu-
ment with verse.
The Record of May 14th contained
several instances of how easy ii Is Ter
Congressman to drop into poetry for
lack of some other device to kill time.
When Mr.. Crisp. Of Georgia, arrived
at the point where he knew he ought
TO stop. he produced prolonged APP
nlause on the Democratic side by
quoting from Macbeth these lines /:
And be these juggling fields no more De-
leyed.
That palter with us In a double sense;
That keep llt Motu W liVhtaN w ~NA N"'f
And break II 10 our hopet
Next came Mr.. Cooper OF Indiana.
who, when handed his speech for re-
vision for the Congressional Record.
placed above it as 4 motto the words OF
Herrick:
Moderation keep
Kings ought to shear, not skin. their Sheep
Then followed the literally doctored
body of his address, concluding with
the couplet:
When once n shaking monarchy declines,
| I,acn thing grows bold and To its fall ncllnes
BIT it was reserved for the Hon. Mar
riott Brosius of Pennsylvania to adorn
his study of the tariff question with the
most plentiful cuttings from the poets.
He first confronted the enemies OF the
prohibitory tariff with the reproachful
words of the Yelled Prophet OF
Korassan:
| Look behold and see.
| II hell with all its powers 10 damn,
Could add one curse 10 the foul thing am.
From which he tripped airily to the
graceful couplet;
Fasting may do for saints and sinners.
But workingnen must have their dinners.
After injecting a table, showing a re-
duction in price and cost If labor with
the rising rate OF wages, and increase OF
TIER purchase power, the Hon. Mar
riott Brosius intoned through his nose
full sweetly that good old hymn:
| a., ,,,,,,os - dead that good old man,
We ne'er shall see him more,
He used to wear long black coat
All buttOned down before.
Then having illumined and lightened
the pages of his speech with the persi,,
fjage OF several columns Of taoulated
statistics. he called upon Shakespeare. 70
describe the yelping Of free traders IN
full crv at the heels of protection. III
the words of Edgar, in king Lear,
Act Ill. Scene q.
he thy mouth or black or white,
Tooth that posOns n ~ bite,
Mastiff greyhound, mongrel grim,
Hound or spaniel. bfach or lynn,
or bobtail like. or trundle tall
Iom will make them weep and wall.
Upon the top of this he laid an anony
nous posie.
Worm or beetle, draugbt OF tehpSet'
ON a farmers land may fali;
But for first-class ruination.
Trust mortgage 'sainst them all.
He then warned those who attempted
10 relieve the burden Of the ax-paye
by legislation that it was useless, for
How small, OF all that farmers have to en-
, That pat: that laws can cause or cure.
. Mangling Goldsmith to adorn III
| tariff tale. After which, with a few
t words on Compound Lard, and a
injunction to the House to take car
5 THAT what a canker-worm hath lef'
: the caterpilar shall not take" b
: dropped. satisfied, into his seat, and u
stream Of tariff talk went on.-Americs