The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-04-14
crisn is a. Tariff Rstormer.


Several weeks ago the MORNING News
called attention 70 the efforts the st. Louis
Republic was making to create the impress
sion that Representative Charles F. Crisp Of
this state was not in sympathy with his
party o. the tAri6 issue, and stated that
the purpose Of the Republic was not to pro
mote the best interests Of the Democratic
party, but TO secure the election of a candi-
date Of its own for speaker. The Republic
can hardly plead that it was ignorant Of
/ Mr. Crisp's tariff record. A plea Of that
kind would not be creditable to it. And,
besides, II it did not know what Mr.. Crisp's
record was it acted dishonorably in stating
that it was not that of tariff reformer.
As a matter of fact Mr. Crisp is in har-
mony with his party on the tariff question.
He voted for the Mills bill and voted and
spoke against the Mckinley bill In numer-
GUS speeches delivered in the eastern states
and in his own district during the last con-
gressional campaign he spoke strongly for
a reduction Of the tariff.
In a recent interview. speaking OF the
charge brought against him by the Rsptb-
lic he said: ~ hardly thought it necessary
since have received letter from a newly
elected member OF congress, in which he
seems to think some denial is necessary for
those not personally acquainted with me
and not familiar with my record, have no
objection to entering a denial of the
charges. have never been a member Of
the committee on ways and means, but l
have nevertheless been a tariff-reformer
/ have spoken and always voted for bills
looking in that direction"
Unless the Republic can point to acts or
speeches in which Mr.. Crisp favored the
policy of protection rather than that of
tariff reform, it must stand convicted of
having willfully attempted to misrepresent
Mr.. Crisp.
In speech delivered in the House last
May on tho Mckinley bill, Mr.. Crisp
pointed out the evils of the protective sys-
tenn. Among other things he said: THE
republican tariff law, after twenty-five
years of effort. has not created a home
market for the millions Of farmers engaged
in raising corn, and wheat, and cotton.
Two thirds Of the raw cotton raised in this
country finds its market in Liverpool.
There it comes in competition with cotton
made by the cheapest labor in the world,
the coolie labor of India. The Liverpool
market regulates not only the price of cot
ton there, but the price of cotton at home.
The same is true of our surplus wheat and
Of our surplus corn, when we can export it
at all. The tariff law furnishes to these no
home market, and it affords to those en-
gagged in their production no protection
against the competition of the
pauper labor of Europe or of
India. Who, then, reap advantage and
wealth from our present enormously high
protective-tariff laws9 I answer that a
few manufacturers, who may be justly
termed a privileged class. Our present
merciless tariff system does not create
wealth-it only prevents its natural dis
tribution; it takes from the many to enrich
the few; it makes exaotlons, small in
amount from each, from millions of our
people, which goes into the pockets of the
few. Never until recent years have there
been built up in this country such immense
fortunes as exist here now. Gentlemen on
the other side point to our national wealth
as an evidence Of the general prosperity of
the people, The wealth Of this country has
increased marvelously in the last twenty
five years, but unfortunately it is not dis
tributed among the people; the masses grow
poor, the privileged classes grow rich"
What better evidence is needed that Mr..
Crisp is thoroughly in harmony with his
party on the tariff? The Republic may
continue to charge that Mr.. Crisp is not
tariff reformer, but it will only stultify
itself by doing SO. The whole country is
acquainted with his record. The Republic
has right, of course, to support whom it
pleases for speaker, but it has no right to
endeavor to win the prize for its own can
didate by creating false impressions with
respect to another candidate