Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-08-12

! question?
Mr.. Rsagan-I suppose 1 shall have to
| yield to the senator from New Hamp-
shire.
Mr.. Blair-I wish to ask the senator if
the Southern Confsderaoy was not
| founded upon free trade and human
| slavery?
Mr. Reagan-Mr. President, do not
choose to go into the discussion of the
| subject of the war with the senator. The
| Southern Confederaoy, IL it had a special
| ground for foundation, was the assertion
| of the constitutional rights of the peo-
| pie and of the states, and the preserva-
| ton and protection of the constitution
given to them by the fathers OF the re-
| public, and their revolutionary over
| throw by a majority in this country,
revolutionary party. But 1 will not go
| into that with the gentleman now.
know the spirit of power, the pride
| of successful strength, and 1 know the
senator from New Hampshire like others
Is prepared to charge everything that has
| gone wrong to the defeated and the
weak. That is their privilege. The de-
feated and the weak must accept the
hard conditions sometimes imposed upon
| them. While much may be done TO per-
| vert the public Judgment and to subvert
| the truth of history, to mislead posterity,
| the senator must remember that this
| country has living written history. He
must remember that there will be
future as well as past, and TINT that
| future will have its MacaRlay who IN
after days will probably do justice TO a
| people which they can not expect to be
done by any person at this time.
Now, sir, 1 come back to the view l
was dwelling upon. Gentlemen will
have to learn that they can not answer
the cries of poverty and debt
| and distress by showing how
| rich their com I.unities are and
how prosperous they are. That but ag-
gravates and adds q new sting to the
wrong and the injury. That is the very
thing we are combating. 1t is the law
that has enabled persons to produce this
inequality of condition to a large extent.
OF course, in the case of the two states
that were brought into contrast by the
senator from Connecticut, Connecticut
and Mississippi, while Mississippi was
being denuded of her property and re-
duced to the lowest depths of poverty,
Connecticut was being enriched.
Mississippi, as compared With Conuec-
ticut, is young state, while Connecti-
out is an old and prosperous state, with
an intelligent, enterprising, active popu-
laton, and no one would, certainly ut
least | would not, detract anything
from the enterprise and intelligence and
worth OF that people. l hardly think It is
gracious for her representatives TO teunt
her neighbors differently situated, with
poverty which they have no power to
prevent, with circumstances over which
they had no control. 1t has seemed to
me that there ought to be a feeling of
confraternity, brotherhood of patriot
ism, between the people of the United
States, q pride in the prosperity of every
part of the country, and not a dsposi-
ton to underrate, humiliate and degrade
any state of this Union or any part of the
people of these United States.
Mr.. President, the statements we have
listened to sometimes here about the
condition of the Southern people, their
want of civilization, their want of learn
ing, their want of prosperity, but illus
trates how the domineering bully can
trample upon his fallen foe. If that is
the way to illustrate civilization, l hope
that the country 1 represent will never
reach that height of civilization, which,
Boosting of its prosperity, taunts others
with their adversely and their poverty.
Is that the kind of civilization possessed
by gentlemen who are upbraiding US for
the want of civilization Is that the
courtesy, is that the chivalry, is that the
manhood that should mark aud charac-
terize the brave, the sincere, the earnest
and the patriotic?
But, Mr.. President, 1t Is best not to be
led away from the discussion of the
economic questions which are before us.
The country begins to understand these
matters. Gentlemen may read in the
newspapers of the proceedings of the
conventions being held throughout tn
country, and so ne of the conventions of
the Republican party in the West have
been pronouncing against protection and
the conventions of the Alliances through
out the country, numbering millions of
organized men, are now deuouncing
protection as robbery. The number of
men banding themselves under various
names as independents are seeking relief
from oppression, and senators will find,
perhaps, that there is some reason to
look at the present condition of the coun-
try and see whether they are safe In
meeting such condition of things by
Boosting of their wealth and their pros
perity. Would to God that all were
wealthy; would to God that all were
prosperous.
This, perhaps, may never be expected,
certainly If we could pass law for the |
collection of the revenue simply, levying |
the duties which are necessary for the |
support of the government economically |
administered, and taking away from |
them the quality of excluding imports in |
order to raise the price of domestic pro-
ducts, We should do great deal to re-
lievs the country. We have tried a: this |
session on the question of the coinage of |
silver to take one great step for the pur-
pose of relieving the industries and the |
masses OF the people OF this country.
We obtained a partial success, but still
left silver as commodity to be valued in
gold and did not make it money, as the
people of this country demanded. They
intend to be heard further upon that
question.
We seek now to moaify the tariff
legislation, so as to take from it the
property of transferring unnecessarily,
wickedly and cruelty the property OF the
great masses of the people who consume
he products to the few who manufacture
hem.
The people will be heard upon
this, too, and gentlemen had as well
understand it. The senator from New
|