Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1892-06-24

ton relating to the tariff. moving to
strike out the section of the platform per-
tanning to the tariff, all words preceding
the denunciatioa of the Mckinley law and
to substitute therefor the following:
I'VE denonnce republican protection as
fraud. Cheers We declare it to be
the fundamental principle of the demo
cratic party that the federal government
has no constitutional power to impose and
collect tariff duties except for purposes of
revenue only, and we demand that the
collection Of suco taxes shall be limited to
the necessities Of the government when
honestly and economically administered :"
In pursuance of a request the secretary
re-read the minority report amid applause
Ademand being made for the portion to be
stricken out, the secretary read that por-
ton, fer which Neal addressed the con-
yention in advocacy Of the amendment.
In response to call Harry Watterson
took the platform, his appearance being
greeted with prolonged cheers. He read
an extract from the tariff plank Of the
democratic convention of 1876 and after
wards, among other things, said:
when listened to the extraordinary
essay we heard this afternoon, | asked
myself if we were indeed a democratic
convention or simply convention (augh-
ter and applause) revised by James. g.
Blaine or Benjamin F. Butler, for the
tariff planks we listened to are almost
identical in principle with the minority
report submitted TO the democratic con-
vention in 1884 by Benjamin F. Butler
and voted down almost unanimously.
Either you should reject this monstrosi-
ty buried among you and adopt in
its place the simple, lucid and
true amendment offered by the gentle
man from Ohio, or if you don't want to
do that, return the whole matter to the
committee with instructions to clarity and
purge themselves. (Cries of mo! MOI"
"Vilasr)
Senator Villas then took the platform
and, when the cheers subsidized, said the
resolution which you propose to strike
out was the resolution reported to the
convention in 1884 and of all the eloquent
voices lifted in behalf of it, none rung
with such blissful JOY as that of the dis
tinguished gentleman from Kentucky.
cloud continued laughter and applause.)
Watterson handed to Villas the report of
the 1884 convention and said to him:
"Read that. Read it WE'LL :"
The best of feeling seemed to prevail
among the great orators.
Villas read from the book and said:
Gentlemen, on that occasion the dis
Kentuckian said in reference to
it, tits an honest platform, entirely SO.
daughter and applause.) 1t is sound doc
trine, eminently So. "
Villas continuing, said 81 do not pro-
pose to enter into debate or discussion Of
the particular form OF words in which We
declare our opposition to tariff legisla-
ton. | desire only to suggest, if it
please you, to take it In this form of words
and leave that there also upon which
Cleveland was elected president.
Watterson, replying to Villas, said: ''In
1884 the party seemed to be split wido
open and after 50 hours of unbroken dis
cussion in platform committee the best
that the moderate and conservative mem
bers of the committee, myself among the
number, could obtain as common ground
to stand upon, was the platform of 1884 In
that convention. But since that
time we have had second Morrison bill,
a Mills bill, a message of the president in
1887, a campaign of education in 1888,
and say to myself, My God is it possible
in 1892 that we have to go back for a tariff
plank to the stradde of 1882"
Jones took the platform and stated, on
behalf OF the committee On resolutions,
that it was ready to adopt the amend
ment of the gentleman from Ohio as an
addenda to its tariff section.
At this point he was interrupted by
tumult of Kisses and applause and retired
in despair.
Watterson SAID the convention needed
instructions as to whether it proposed to
accept the amendment as a substitute,
which he would support, or whether to
take it in addition, which he would OPP
pose The chairman stated the commit
tee on resolutions offered to accept the
proposed amendment as an addition to
the platform. Interruptions of mo, !"
no. and Question" and 'call roll.D
johnson endorsed the amendment of his
Ohio colleague, and che chairman put the
question on Meals amendment, which
motion was to strike out all that portion
of the plank in the majority report preced,
ing the allusion to the Mckinley bill and
to insert IN lieu thereof the plank as pre-
sented by Neal. advocated by Watterson
and opposed by Villas.
The roll call on the motion was de-
handed
Several demands for recognition were
made, but were ignored by the chair.
The chairman was requested to state
the motion. Great confusion ensued In the