Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1891-01-08
WESTERN PERFORMERS.
They Meet at Chicago and Talk
Over the Great Issue.
Wise Words Spoken by Prominent Advo'
Gates of Tariff Revision-The Past and
Future of Revenue Reforn-A
Victory for Education.

peace hath her victories no less re-
| nowned than war" 1t was to celebrate
what they believed was such victory
that something over two hundred tariff
reformers sat down to a banquet at the
| Grand Pacific Hotel. Chicago. on the
| evening of Decem Der 80. The laurels
of victory We're there in the gQise OF
several tariff-reform Congressm en-elect
chosen from districts hitherto kepub-
| lican-
Officially it was dinner given by the
! Illinois Tariff Reform League to cele-
| brate the victories recently achieved in
| the cause of tariff reform. The presi
| dent of the league, Mr.. Franklin Mac
| Neagh. presided, and in his iniInitab bic
way introduced the speakers. The
| toast-list and speakers included these
subjects: Tariff Reform and Free
| Trade Mr.. William T. Baker: The
| Past and Future of Tariff Reform"
General John C. Black; The Awaken
! ing of the Farmer, Ex-Governor j.
! Sterling Morton of Nebraska: Reel
procity,'' Hon. Owen Scott: THE Re
vision of the Tariff by Its Victims"
! Edwin Burritt Smith: The New Polit-
! zeal Era Edward G. Mason: Subsidies
and Bounties.'' Colonel Fl. ". Snow:
The Political Revolution, What Caused
It" William G. Ewing.
The greatest enthusiasm was mani
| Tested throughout the speeches. When
| Mr. Baker. the first speaker, arose he
was unable to proceed for some mo-
ments. Pleasantly accepting the ap-
| plause. as intended for his subject
rather than himself, he proceeded:
Thirty years ago there mingled with
the holiday festivities of the American people,
| there is today. the celebration Of a great
victory for human freedom. Those Of US whose
memories run back to that heroic period can
recall enough that like the things of to-
| day to remind US that history repeats itself
/ The victors in the memorable contest Of 1850
/ disclaimed any intention OF giving freedom to
| the slaves, and yehemently protested against
| being called abolitionists. To many weak
| souls there terror in that appel alton. as
! there is to-day among multitude OF honest re-
! formers when they are called free-traders.
| What is free trade: It may interest some
| of the disciples of the new political subterfuge
| TO learn that Worcester defines it as CONNER
| cial reciprocity But in a broad way think it
| fair to say it consists of unrestricted exchange
! of commodities Commerce is and always has
been nothing but barter. All the acts of all the
! Congresses tn at ever met have been unable to
| make it any thing else. The exchange OF the
| product of MI ans toll for that which satisfies
! the world began, and so We claim il as an in
/ alienable right.
We are unworthy of our liberties if do
| not stand out for the moral principle involved
and fight the doctrine OF protection, because it
| is essentially wicked no matter who may reap
material benefits from it. Free trade is the
high ideal which the rising generation will see
realized. 1t is something worth fighting for be-
cause il appeals to the sympathy as well as to
| the intelligence of men and it will yet be q
shibboleth to win victcSieS.
| But what is revenue reform? The express
| sions Of some frightened editors and statesmen
since election would lead one to think il con
| sists in the prompt repeal of the Mckinley law.
| But why the Mckinley law: II the last thlr-
teen per cent. is outrageous robbery, as con
| fessed by these disappointed ones, how will
| you characterize the previous forty-seven per
| cent? II is not the atrocity of the Mckinley
law that disturbs these gentlemen, but the
fact that the people have found them out.
Revenue reform does not consist in n return
of the last of the tribute extorted from an IN
willing people, but in the definite change OF
| direction in our fiscal policy. There is no mid
die ground of peace between tariff Of prohibit
! ton and tariff for revenue only.
| For thirty years we have been travelling IN
| der Republican control toward prohibition but
is now changed The American
people have never quailed at any burden that
was necessary for the preservation Of our in
stitutions but public tax for private gain
| must cease Millions for public good but not
one cent for private greed may be our watch
word. Tariff reform is the issue Of the day.
| Under our banners enlisted the patriotism
| and intelligence Of the American people. The
4th of November our Gettysburg. We are
marching on to Five Forks and the end of the
| conflict. And when this campaign of educa-
ton shall have done its perfect work there will
! be crown of laurel for our glorious leader, the
| living embodiment of reform, the typical Amer
lean, Grover Cleveland"
GENERAL BLACKS SPEECH.
On the subject, The Past and Future
of Tariff Reform General John G..
| Black said that never in the history of
the country. when the issue between
| high tariff and low tariff was presented
to the people free from war or other
questions. had they failed to declare in
favor of low tariff. Briefly summing
up the history of the question in the
early days of the Republic he said:
In 1876 for the first time after the close Of
| the war, the attention of the people to this
question was challenged. By decisive popu-
lar vote the people declared, as they had al
| WAYS for tariff reform. Disdain1ng this
and succeeding imperial mandates Of the
| people, the Republican party in 1890 passed the
| logical conclusion Of pretended protective
tarif-the Mckinley law. Had 1 been Re
| publican, taught in the doctrines Of that party
| to believe in the rights Of the Government to
NEEDLE in the minutest affairs of the people,
/ could not fail to accept the Mckinley law.
| But the voice of three-fourths of the States has
| declared against this act, and the theory OF
| Government that produced it. They have de-
clarad for tariff for revenue only
CONVENIENT OF CASH, BY CASH, FOR
CASH"
Ex-Governor Morton was introduced
Gs a man who for twenty years had
been fighting the battle of tariff reform.
| He kept the company in a roar with his
apt stories and witty arguments. He
| said:
Up to very lately I believed Rip Van
| Wrinkles sleep was considered the longest nap
| on record. You remember the story told by
| Irving. how he Quafed from the 1agons of old
| Hendrick Hudson-s men till he fell asleep and
| slept for twenty years. When he awoke the
first thing he did was to look for his gun. The
first f1agons of protection were drunk by the
| farmers more than twenty years ago. When
| the farmer began his doze he thought this
county a government Of the people. for
| TIE people and by the people. When he awoke
| he found things had changed; he found gov.
eminent of cash, for cash, by cash
The first ten Presidents were farmers No
one then would dare to suggest that taxation
! should lie used for any other purpose than to
! raise revenue
But there has been an awakening. An
awakening sometimes cmes naturally, as the
| rising sun wakes the farmer. The light that
has awakened the farmer has been economic
light
.-Tbe farmer is pretty well awake on this sub
iecr now Sometimes we are awakened by oar
enemies. Perhaps all are sorry for the re-
suits OF the last Presidential election, and yet
il resulted in the Mckinley law. And TO Nc