The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-02-29
ALDRICH And ALLISON.
Extracts From Their Saturday Night
Speeches.
AN OVATION FOR THE FORMER.
Senator Allison's Very Able Remarks
Upon the subject OF Reciprocity and
the Mckinley TariH-Mr. Ford on
Rhode Island Industries.

mercial Club last Saturday evening at the
Narragansett Hotel, the speakers of the
evening were Senator William B. Allison
OF Iowa, Senator Aldrich and Mr.. l. \.
Ford of the New York Tribune. Although
there was no given subject OF discussion
Reciprocity" was the theme discussed by
Senator Allison and Mr. Ford, while Sen
ator Aldrich made extemporaneous re-
marks on a subject given thought TO 10y
an oration given him by the company.
There were eighty-three persons present.
Among them being Gov Ladd, Speaker
Capron of the House of Representatives,
Secretary of State Utter, Lieut.. Gov.
Stcarns, Col. Samuel Il. Colt, John G..
Wyman, William q. Rocker, RepreseD-
tative Hiram Kendall, +. j. Freeman of
Central Falls, Allen Reynolds of North
Kingstown, Edwin Miner, Col. III. ID. Hey
don OF Warwick, Ii. L. Tiepke of Paw
tucket, Enos Lapham of Warwick, JOS
cph Dews ID. Russell Brown, Gen. Olney
Arnold. Jesse II. Metcalf, eX-Goy. Little
field, Henry i. Lippitt and Alfred Stone.
The first speaker was Mr.. Ford, who is
well known in this city. lie said :
Americans cannot hope To wrest the trade
from European manufacturers or even to
obtain a fair show of IT. without patiently
deyoting themselves 10 the business of
competition with equal intelligence and
systematic effort. Mr.. Ford in continuing
gave an illustration which showed how by
competi ton against foreign manufactur-
ers, Rhode Island manufacturers of
jcwelry and silver ware could find "A mar
ket for their goods iii the countries of
South America where silver and jewels
were mined.
Senator Allison was the next speaker.
He said that this was his first opportunity
IN meeting representative assembly of
the great industries of Rhode Island, eX-
empting of course the assembly he had
addressed in the forenoon.
The speaker then referred TO his meeting
with Thomas a. Jenckes, Nathan +.
Dixon, the elder, and Senator Anthony in
Congress. and continued: Later on, and
some years after. young man appeared
there, OF great energy OF character, | soon
discovered, with great deal of Will
power, aud, rs / afterwards learned, hav-
ing great industry and power of investi-
CATION. We had places in the same corner
OF the Senate, and soon discovered that
had an antagonist i'll him on any PROPOSE
tion. must have my mind well stored,
or would be easily undone. (Applause.)
His name is Nelson W. Aldlich. ZAP
plause.) SO, by interest and associations,
begun in 1868, l continued my intimacy
with Rhode Island men and affairs till
this time, enhanced, / may say-and say il
though there may be gentlemen of differ
erent politics here by the fact that Rhode
Island voted for me at Chicago for Presi-
dent of THESE tfrftetf- States.-t Haughtrr.t
So that you see though my face is not
familiar 10 you, / am not unused To the
constant kindness of this State. laugh
teri
Then speaking of the legislation OF the
last Congress, Senator Allison said:
II do not wish TO, aud cannot, repeat,
the story of the influences of the legsa-
fiOn pf Tho Inst InpOr,SS IN
the business Interests OF the country, but
/ want 10 say here generally that ] believe
this legislation, whether it has promoted
or retarded the interests of the country
and do not say which il has done-was
conceived and executed with purpose to
favor the general prosperity and general
development OF the %, ,OU0, coo OF people who
dwell! under the flag of the United States.
1t so happens that our Congressmen--and
we often do at Washington-find them
selves confronted with not only popula
tion of 65,00o,0O0, but rather with the fact
that these people are scattered over an
area of over jOUO,OOO square miles. 1t is
natural that in this vast country and vast
population there are diverse and conflIct-
ing interests. Ii is the business of the
wise legislator and patriot TO so conserve
these great interests as To secure the
greatest good and the least harm.
Therefore you can see and you could
the nature of a compromise. | am sure
that In Rhode Island, located as you are
by the sea, If you had only your individual
and private interests TO consider, you
would be glad TO see much of this legisla-
tion changed, for you would profit from
free communication with other peoples,
but am sure that in a compromise like
that existing in our country between the
different States regarding trade, you are
willing TO give your support in order to
accomplish the greater prosperity OF the
country. Referring 10 Iowa, and TO my
constituency, il is quite natural that they
should feel that industries located in the
Eastern States bear hard on our special
local affairs, but l am one of those who
believe the great body of the people of my
State believe it too, that desiring to
favor the citizens of the United States
wherever they dwell they shall in the
legislation of the common country be
preferred TO all the other people who
dwell outside of the country. TAP
plause.)
Therefore it is our wish 10 remain
with YOU also in your prosperity, but
with Won also glad TO see us prosperous
with YOU And | am glad 20 see that you,
with the people of my state, are in rea-
souably prosperous condition They may
owe you some money! they proDaoly 90;
but they will pay-not IN deprecated
currency, but genuine. And what |
saw 20 YOU ought to say TO my own peo-
ple-I mean my own immediate constit-
uencv Therefore, think | can say you
should congratulate yourselves in the rec
iprocity legislation that nothing has been
done o disturb the equilibrium Of this
country as il exsts-not If you have first
TO come TO time by loaning money and
borrowing. Therefore il is that can
speak i'm Rhode Island with especial force
in relation to the mass Of contracts be-
tween debtor and creditor which we must
approve and respect. Now, when there
come other questions that bear direcrtly
upon the prosperity of the country IN re
lation TO revenues, we shall get 10 discuss
ing reciprocity ia "a larger seuse.
$50 il happened that under the old sys-
TEN of revenues, notwithstanding the
tariff law Of lSs8. the income grew so that
i'm 1859 IL was enormous. much larger than
all the necessary expenditures OF the
country. Therefore IT. was necessary, To
deal with that question. We dealt with IT
I'm 1851 and 1sss. My friend Aldrich and /
spent DAYS aud nights way into October IN
1851. to devise scheme which we thought
would have the effect TO place the Amori-
can people, the laborer aud the producer
i'm an Independent position with similar
laborers anu producers of other countries.
a. q A.fap tor 4 Fh