The Globe-republican., 1891-04-15
MAJOR M'KINLEY
Reviews the Work Accomplished
by the Fifsy-first Congress.
Address of the Champion Of Protection
Before the Tippecanoe Club s&
Cleveland, O., March 3l-A Con.
gress with Convictions and
Courage to Enforcs Them.

Courage to Enforce Them.
Mr.. PRESIDENT AND GENTLEMEN OF THE
TIPPECANOE CLUB-I cannot forbear. before
responding to the toast assigned to me. to ex-
press my gratitude for the honor which comes
TO me this evening as the guest OF the Tippe-
canoe club. am deeply sensible OF this dis
tinction and shall long cherish your expression
OF confidence and regard. l thank you also for
your more cordial welcome and reception, and
beg you will believe that to me, after many
years OF public service and now relieved OF its
cares. your warm greeting is most gratefully
appreciated. and in SO far as II may be inter
'preted in any sense as an approval OF my public
record, 1t has added value. and gentlemen. l
give you all that have-my thanks and graft
tude
gress for brief review. II was to summarize
1t in a single sentence should characterize il
rs a congress with convictions and a courage to
enforce them. A do something ard not q do
nothing congress. II was in session for longer
period than any congress from the beginning OF
che government with a single exception. 1t as
semtled in December. 1889. with a good work
ing majority OF republicans in the senate and q
bare majority Of republicans in the house. The
first great act in the house was the election OF q
speaker. or, to be more accurate in statement,
IN that we made no mistake (as am sure you
WNl all agree) in the selection OF the Hon.
Thomas b. Reed. Of Maine, to preside over its
iient historS viii accord him niaos s aonaside
OF the most illustrious who preceded him. It
thou made a code OF rules TO enable the majority
20 do business. 1t struck down that parliament
airy fiction, that a representative could be pres
ent In his seat and absent from the hall at
the same time could be present participating
In legislation, but IL silent and refusing to an
9wer to roll call he was held to be construct
lively absent Our new rules stopped all that
Senseless performance, and II q representative
wanted to be counted as absent to:break . quo
rum, and interrupt the public bus ness, he had
IN uOf nu0hf hn phvS Gil nR wo1ly In
out Of the hall He had to absent himself In the
only way known to the plain people by getting
out by escaping In full gaze Of the country and
his constituents and turning his back upon his
public duties. sounder rule never was estab
lished in q parliamentary body It made fill
clustering hard which heretofore had been
chosen by the people to do the peoples business.
This parliamentary reform was not accom-
pished without hard struggle. bitter and ma
lignant and long cont nued. But the party Of
the majority moved steadily on with firmness
snd directness, conscious of right undaunted
by the fierce denunciations of the minority, and
the work OF the house with the cooperation o.
the .nate and the president presents . calen-
dsr Of legislation-a record Of great public acts
.eQualed by the fewest OF its predecessors and
>xcelled by no previous congress from Wash
IN gtOn to Harrison.
These rules bring US back to responsible gov
crnment and In the future no party majority
elected by the people - carry Oui its will can
shelter its ignorance or incompetency behind
DDS. The majority hereafter must do
its work or confess its incapacity. It
must act or not act In open daylight
longer shield itself behind factious and IRE.
spOnsible minority. The adoption OF these rules
gave the people an opportunity to register
their DEGREES through its chosen majority. The
house was under the greatest strain from the
beginning to its close, and even with the rules
it required the most active vigilance and the
most constant devotion on the part OF each rep
were a compact body, there were no idlers, or
trifiers, or deserterS in their ranks Never in
the history Of congressional legislation was
there more singleness Of purpose. more Arm
ness and resolution. than we're exhibited BY the
republicans OF the house of the Fifty first con-
gress The public acts OF this congress were al
most unprecedented In numbers and import
ance 1 can in the brief time allotted to me,
call your attention to only few Of the most i'm
portant.
. Here are some Of them:
The immigration law. which will In some
measure protect our citizenship from the vari-
Gus and undesirable populations which seek
our shores with no worthy aim or aspiration
The antitrust law. which strikes q blow at
unlawful combinations to limit production and
control prices against public policy and the
welfare OF the masses. To our distinguished
debted for this timely legislation. for he was
the author and promoter Of the measure.
The ocean postal law, In aid Of the foreign
mail service and for the encouragement Of our
shipping and commerce.
The apportionment of representatives among
the several States under the new census. which
has never been done before by the congress
first following the taking of the census.
The silver law. which purchases all of the
silver product OF the United States and utilities
The copyright law petitioned for by the au.
thors and writer's the publishers and printers
of our country.
The law for refunding the direct tax to the
h,,ho Av Oh 70 ho IN
time OF pressing necessity. Under ii the state
OF Ohio receives one million and quarter OF
dollars.
The law giving aid to our agricultural colleges
and experimental stations throughout the sew
eral states.
The law TO relieve tho supreme and circuit
courts of the United States SO that suitors may
have trial and judgment without delay and have
their causes determined in their lifetmes.
The creation of q land court-a most i'm
portant measure for the speedy settlement Of
The anti-lottery act which stamps out OF ex-
isfence the great gambling corporation whose
fraud and greed had deluded and impoverished
she poor. and whose i'll gotten power had grown
so great as to invade courts and legislatures.
The acts admitting two new states to the
Union, Idaho and Wyoming, and adding two
stars 10 the flag
The disability pension act-the most liberal
pension legislation law enacted by any nation
on earth. which has already carried cheer and
comfort to ten thousand American homes.
and uniformity of valuation and pro-
tect the honest mechanic against the unScrupu-
ious importer and the honest manufacturer at
home against the foreign manufacturer, who
would make false entries and invoices.
The meat inspection law. which will secure
Just and honorable treatment to American
meat products in every market of the world
Tue land forfeiture acts which restore to the
public domain nearly nine millions Of acres of
She public lands. taking this vast territory
from corporations 70 which they had been
Sranted, but which had not complied with the
law Of the grant. These great tracts are now
Opened up for settlement by our citizens under
Che homestead laws. An act to reform the pub
lie land laws in the interest Of the people and
settlers. The worlds fair act which will bring
The products ard handiwork Of all civilized PEG.
pie the skill and genius Of mankind to the city
Of Chicago. which will provo an education and
inspiration TO our people.
The tariff law / must not overlook. 1t made
a complete revision OF tho tariff. not alone OF
rates OF duty, but OF administration. II was
framed upon the principle of protection. TWAS
so rs to secure the needed revenues
for public purposes and yet affording to our own
people the needed protection against other
countries where labor conditions MAKE il I'M
desirable that We should open up our market
without restraint TO their products. The farm
err the laborer. the manufacturer and consumer
were all consulted. 1t decreased dgties when
ever u oSaid be safely done it enlarged the free
list and removed all duties from those articles