The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-05-14
BUTTERWORTH A BOLTER
BE IS A PRoTECTIoNIsr BUT NOT
AN EXTREMIST.


He Protests Against Tariff echedules
Calculated to Produce Inequalities
at Home-He Points Out the Favor
itism Shown Capitalists as Against
Agriculturists - Other Things He
Don't Like.
WASHINGTON, May 13-Bold Ben But
terworth. not having the fear of Speaker
Reed before his eyes, delighted the demo-
Gratis and confounded the republicans to-
day by telling the truth about the McKin-
ley tariff bill. Mr.. Butterworth was shut
out of the general debate by the ways and
means republicans, who used up fourteen
of the sixteen hours allotted to their side,
because they feared that he might make
just such deliverance as he made to-day.
Butthe democrats, having heard that he was
going to make candid and courageous
speech, saw to 1t that he had all the time he
wanted to-day, Mr.. Heard of Missouri
making the motion and none of the repub-
licans daring to object. Mr.. Butterworth
was in fine voice and spirits, and towering
above Mr.. Mckinley, who sat just before
him, made his speech most impressively,
the democrats applauding it vigorously.
M'KINLEY NERVOUS AND SILENT.
Mr.. Mckinley sat pale. nervous and
silent throughout. Some Of the other re-
publcans yentured to interrupt Mr.. Butter
worth, but only succeeded in helping him as
he exposed the Mckinley bill, many of
whose provisions, he said, were not only
indefensible but unusual. Toward the close
of the speech several republicans. notably
Mr.. Anderson of Kansas and Mr.. Hopkins
Of Illinois, when he spoke of the tin-plate
iniquity, ventured to applaud sentiments
which they would not dare to
utter. Mr.. Butterworths Independence
is due to the fact that he is practically out
Of politics, that he has not, as he said with
significant glance at Mr.. Mckinley, a star
of ambition controlling his conscience. Mr..
Butterworth's speech has greatly disturbed
the republicans, whose only consolation
seems to be in saying: W, well, he'll vote
for the bill just the same.
DETAILS OF THE DEBATE.
The House this morning after transacting
some routine business went into committee
| of the whole, with Mr.. Payson in the chair,
| on the tariff bill.
Mr.. McMillin of Tennessee moved to re-
| duce the duty on ammonia. He could see
no reason why this article, of so great bene-
fit to farmers, should be so heavily taxed.
Mr.. Mckinley opposed the amendment,
and stated that since the tariff had en-
| couraged competition in this country, the
price of ammonia had been reduced from
| 20 to 714 cents a pound.
Mr.. Butterworth of Ohio suggested that
while he knew nothing of the case under
| consideration, the price of the article was
not reduced on account of competition
alone. 1t was reduced on account of i'm
proved methods in its manufacture. So far
as he was capable Of doing, he had tried to
understand the tariff question, and he never
| doubted that the protective system was
| wise, humane aud beneficial, and had scat
| tered blessings on the land from shore to
shore.
| TWO EXTREMES.
If there was any danger to the protective
| system it was its oscillation between the
extreme of free trade on one hand and on
| the other the extreme which created in
| equalities among Americans themselves
| The country, in the election of President
Harrison and republican congress, had
| declared unequivocally in favor of sustain
| ing and upholding the protective system.
! The conflict in 1883 had not been between
schedule rates, but between economic
| policies. The democratic policy was well
| known. 1t was that tariff should be
levied for revenue only. The re-
publican policy was that the tariff
whether high or low, should be so adjusted
| as to establish. cherish and protect Ameri-
| can interests and industries in competition
with the rest of the world. Did that policy
mean to remove the inequalities which ex-
listed between industries on this side Of the
| water and industries on the other side, or
did it mean Co shut out all importationss
MUST NOT CREATE INEQUALITIES.
| He insisted that we should not create any
| inequalities here. He insisted that the pro-
| tective system dealt with conditions end
not with national boundary lines, except
when the presence of those national bound
ary lines indicated the presence of those
conditions, against the influence of which
it was necessary to ipterpose the barrier of
a protective tariff. If the tariff did not
deal with conditions then the tariff was
good in the abstract, and if it was, the
fathers of the republic had paid themselves
a poor compliment when they provided
| that there should be no restriction of com
merce. Competition never created a new
industry; they were created by
work of the brain-by inventors. The
it could in framing the bill, but it was not
always safe to rely altogether upon the
testimony of beneficiaries under the law.
| TApplause on the Democratic side.1 He had
indicated his belief respecting the proper
function of the tariff act, and would sooner
| resign his seat than depart one halr'S
breadth from that belief. OF course he
respected the wisdom OF the committee
but why was Paul favored and Peter turned
down? Why increase the profits of certain
| classes9
CAPITALISTS THE GAMERS.
He could nane capitalists whose profits
had exceeded those of all of the agricultur-
lists in any state Of the United States Zap
plause on democratic side.] He was not
disturbed by the applause on the other side.
He was exceedingly gratified that they be-
gan to realize il any sense that our country
men deserved pro5sction. If, when we had
protected equally and lifted up all our in
dustries and the time should teen come
when we could not hold our own, being the
most intelligent, freest and ablest people on
earth, then we had better retire from the
field. democratic applause.l
Mr.. Butterworth then proceeded to ex-
pound his views touching reciprocity with
Canada. He said that we were endeavor-
ing to cultivate friendly relations with
$4,000, 900 people to the southwark. and yet
were afraid of Canada. Abraham Lincoln
and Ulysses S. Grant were not suspected of
lack of patriotism; yet they favored reci.
procity. There were some things in the bill
he did not like He had known
of an industry that had been
able to make S60,000,000 dividends
on a capital of 81, $4,000 Protectionl Why
the country could in such cases better
| aRorJ Door, fhozo man in Hiftl,