Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-04-05
WOUND UP BY PROXY.
Chairman Springer Treated to an
Unusual Ovation in the House.
NOT ABLE TO DELIVER HIS SPEECH.
1t Is Read for Him BY the Young Orator,
Bryan, of Nebraska.
DISORDER DURING THE DISCUSSION

generous ovation that tine House of Repre-
sentatives to-day extended to Hon. William
M. Springer, of Illinois, Chairman of the
Ways and Means Committee. The welcome
which greeted this man who has been so
near the jaws of death was all the more
significant because it was non-partisan
one 1t was the welcome which friend ex-
tends to friend, and in the hearty hand
clasps that greeted the distinguished
1llinoisian, there was all that thankful
sympathy and emotion that only the shadow
of death could call forth.
The announcement that Chairman
Springer would close the tariff discussion n
favor of his free wool bill was q surprise to
all who did not know the indomitable de-
termination of the man, and as a result the
galleries were we'll crowded. A little after
L. the Congressman entered his committee
room, and was there received by his col
leagues of the Ways and Means Committee.
In the lappel OF his coat was the ever-pres-
ent carnation which has long been the dis
tinctive color of the Congressman's boutou
Mere, and by his side was the devoted wife
who was his constant companion and nurse
through all his severe illness.
An Era of Carnations and Good WILL
Shortly before his appearance in the
House some friend, as a delicate compG
ment to the Illinois leader, distributed
several scores of carnations throughout the
House. Almost instantly carnat1on was
seen in the buttonhole of nearly ever men,
Der on the Democratic side, and when Con-
gressmen Hopkins, Smith and various other
the example and donned the favor1te colors
of MI. Springer. the era of good feeling had
reached its zenith.
The desk of the Illinois Congressman,
which hao been unoccupied for six weeks.
was beautifully decorated with bouquets of
carnations, roses ana huge callae and the
surrounding seats were, mostly occupied by
Democratic members of the Ways and
Means Committee.
1t was few minutes after O'Clock when
the House resolved itself into the Committee
of the Whole and Representative Blount, of
Georgia, was called to the Chair. There was
o slight pause as the House waited for the
orator OF the day, and every eye was turned
toward the entrance at the right of the
Speakers desk. At the first sight of Mr..
Springer, who entered the hall resting
lightly on the arm of Congressman BRYAN.
his eloquent young lieutenant of the Ways
and Means Committee the House burst into
one great spontaneous roar of applause
The applause only deepened when Chairman
Blount turned with a welcoming smile to
the sick man, and as Congressman Springer
mounted the three steps of the rostrum and
grasped the hand eagerly extended by the
W
the ovation reached its climax.
Politics Entirely Forgotten for Awhile.
1t is not often that the business of the |
House of Representatives is suspended for |
ten minutes to do homage or pay respect to |
q living statesman, but that was done to-day. |
AS Mr.. Springer took his seat the applause |
began to subside, and then the members |
commenced to file up the aisle to grasp him |
by the hand and welcome him to the House. |
Politics was forgotten for q few brief /
minutes, and as Congressman Dingley, Bur-
rows, Hopkins and other vigorous cam
paiEners of the Republican side crossed |
over and were followed by dozens of their
colleagues the smile of the Illinois leader
WAS slightly dimrued by misty tears OF
gratitude as lie grasped their extended |
hands. During this reception the clerks 1
stood idle, and the Chairman pro tempore
awaited the moment that the convalescent |
leader should express a desire to speak.
"Mr. Chairman" said Mr.. Springer, when
order was once more resumed, 81 had hoped
to be able on this occasion TO make some ex-
tended remarks on the pending bill, but the
condition Of my health is such that am ad-
monished 1 cannot do so. have prepared a
brief statement, however, which l will ask
my distin Suished friend from Nebraska, Mr..
Bryan. to read for Ine.''
Another burst of applause followed these
few words of Mr.. Springer, which were clear |
and distinct but rot in that strong tone
which characteriZes his utterances in health. |
The eloquent young Nebraskan sitting next
to the Chairman of the Ways and Means
Committee then read the closing speech of
the Illinois tariff reformer. Among the most
paragraphs OF the statement were |
the following:
Mr.. Springer's Main Arguments.
"In the report of the Committee of Ways
and Means. which lad the honor to submit
through the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr.
on March !, 1892, to accompany
the bill H. r. COZ, to place wool on the free
lief a,d rsahrr fla d,ria |
goods, the following statement appears:
"'Your committee requested the Bureau
of Statistics to furnish it with a statement
showing the prices of wool of the same
quality in the United States and Europe
from 1866 to this time. The Bureau OF Statis- |
tics referred. the matter to S. n. ID. North !
the Secretary of the National Association of
W ood Manufacturers at Boston, Mass, and
the special agent of the Census Office in
charge of statistics of wooden manu- !acturers. |
Mr.. North procured the statement desired
from a firm of wool merchants in Boston
which is everywhere recognized as authen- |
tic in matters of this kind. The letters of
Mr.. North and the statement referred to are |
published in the appendix to this report
"Mr. North, in transmitting this state |
ment, explained that, in order to institute |
between the prices of wool in |
the United States and in Great Britain, the |
Ohio medium washed wool has been ayr eed /
upon by those in the trade as the grade OF |
wool corresponding to the Port Philip fleece, |
an Australian wool of substantially the |
same Quallty. Mr. North also explains that |
the Boston prices OF the Ohio wool are
given in currency from 1866 to 1879 when |
specie payments were resumed in the United
States. The English prices are all in gold. |
or the purposes OF comparison the Boston |
prices should also be stated in gold. The |
premium on gold in 1866 was such that a |
currency dollar was only worth IL cents, |
and steadily declined until 1879, when specie |
payments were resumed. To the table, as
given by Mr. North, has been added a col
nmn giving the gold values of the American
wool from 1866 to 1875 inclusive.
Little Difference in the Price.
at will be seen by reference to this table
hat the London and Boston prices of these
trades of wool varied but little from year to
-ear down to and including 1890 The sta
istics for 1891 have not yet been furnished |
t will appear that there were times when
he London prices were greater than those
N the United States; but general average
would show little difference between the
3ost on and London prices. As these prices
IRE based on washed wool, the duty on for
,ign wool would be % cents pound and il /
hat amount of duty furnished protection to
hat extent to the American wool grower
his grade of American wool ought to be
worth q cents a pound more in the United
'tates than the same grade of wool in Lon
lon. Instead of this, however, emitting the
unusual years of 1871 and 1872 in which |
peculation, we find that the American wool | J
or the remaining % years averages a little I
eSS in price than the foreign wool. This |
act shows that the American wool growers I
10 not receive any increase whatever in the | '
'rices of their wool by reason of the tariff
N foreign woods.
This failure of protection to protect the
Vool growers may be explained by calling | e
acture in the United States. Wool manu-
acturers, as rule, do not manufacture |