The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-03-30
BOUTELLE'S QUESTIONS
Not Relished by the Democratic
Apostles Of Free Trade.
SILVER MEN PREPARING FOR
THEIR LAST APPEARANCE.

THEIR LAST APPEARANCE.
| The Tariff Debate-Mr. Boutelle Helps
Several Democratic Members Enlight-
en- the Country-A Speech by Mr.. Dol
Iiver-Bland Hpoeless, but His Friends
Rallying for a Final Attempt Peo-
ple's Party Men Say Silver's Defeat
Means Victories for Them.
WASHINGTON, March 29.-The battle
| over the free ~ool bill was renewed in
the House today, and Mr.. Harter of
Ohio, delivered free trade speech. Mr..
FL art6r proceeded to denounce the Nc
Kinley bill when he was interrupted by
Mr.. Boutell of Maine, with a question as
to whether the gentleman did not know
that there had never been a time in the
history of the country when the men and
women of the United States were as
prosperous as they were today.
Mr.. Harter replied that the prosperity
of every man, woman and child in the
United States today was not as great as
it was at the close of the Revolutionary
war.
Mr.. Boutelle said that he would not
interrupt the gentleman further.
Mr. Harter replied that the gentleman
was at perfect liberty to do so,
Mr.. Boutelle declined to avail himself
of the permission, saying that man who
planted himself on the record of 125
years ago was so hopelessly in arrears
that he Mr.. Boutelle] would not attempt
to bring him up in one day. Laughter
While criticising the Mckinley bill in
regard to its effect upon the steel indus
try, Mr.. Harter was interrupted by Mr..
Dalzell of Pennsylvania, with a question
as to whether it was not fact that dur
ing large portion of last year steel rails
sold in New York at lower price than
they did in London.
Mr.. Harter replied that he believed the
gentleman was mistaken. If the gentle
mans statement was true, it proved only
that there was no necessity for protec-
tive tariff on steel rails, and it was rob-
berry for the House to permit the tax to
remain upon them.
Mr. Dalzell-"Whom does it rob?"
Mr.. Harter replied that temporarily
| when competition found a natural outlet,
prices might go down under fair tariff
! system, but when men came and formed
a combination they
Put the Prices Sky High
to the American consumer.
Mr. Dalzen objected that his question
was not answered.
The chairman called Mr.. Harter's at
| tention to the fact that his time was rap
idly expiring.
Mr.. Harter said if he was granted
more time he would be glad to answer
the question of the gentleman from
Pennsylvania, but as his time was not
| extended he must decline to do so.
Mr.. Boutelle suggested that the gentle
man should then withdraw his state
| ment.
| Mr.. Harter declined to do so. He
might quote text, but, because he did
not have the time to preach upon it, it
was no reason why he should wipe out
the text.
Mr.. Boutelle remarked that he had
heard about certain person quoting
scripture for his own purpose. Laugh
| ter.
Mr.. Harter hoped the gentleman did
not recognize in him any such person.
| Laughter.
Messrs. McCreary of Kentucky and De
| Forest of Connecticut favored the bill.
| Mr.. Dolliver of Iowa. in opposing the
measure, criticised the Mills BILL which,
he said, merely reduced the tariff from
| AZ per cent to AZ per cent The fact that
| this House, almost unanimously Demo-
cratic, sent here. as it was claimed, as a
protest against the Mckinley act, with
| it's prominent candidate for the Presi-
dency asking for its repeal, had not
dared to touch it, except in acts of
child's play, was evidence that the argu-
ment of free trade was a demagogic proc
lamation secretly devised by the peo-
pie who were pasting it upon the barn
doors of Iowa and Nebraska. Two years
ago the Republican party, under a tenn
| pest of false pretences, had gone down
Carrying the Mckinley Act On Its Back.
This year, the Mckinley act carried the
Republican party and the gentleman who
gave the measure its name, from his gov
ernor's chair, looked down upon country
made happy and prosperous under its
provisions. Under the operations of the
Mckinley act, the prices of commodities
had gone down while the prices of labor
had gone I'D. Mr.. Dolliver was proceed
ing to argue that the laborer in this
country is much more prosperous than
the laborer in any European country,
when he was interrupted by Mr.. Scott of
Illinois with question as to why the
laborers of the protectee countries of the
Old World were not as well off iii. pro
lection was right as the laborers of this
country.
Mr.. Boutelle's interjection that that
was chestnut reused Mr.. Scott's in
dignation and he warmly informed the
gentleman from Maine that he was not
addressing the question to him but to the
gentleman from Iowa.
Mr.. Dolliver said he was speaking about
this country. He was talking about fugi-
tives from the conditions of life in Eu-
rope. In conclusion Mr.. Dolliver ridi-
culed and satirized the Democratic party
and quoted for it's benefit the hymn,
LEAD, kindly light
nME clIppEhnE EEEnRT