Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-09-09
SPRINGER ANSWERS cULLOM.
He Devotes Most OF His Time to the Presi-
dent, Though. After AL

He Devotes Most Of His Time to the Presi-
dent, Though, After AL
JOLIET, ILL.,, Sept s.-Hon. William NJ.
Springer, Chairman of the Ways and Means
Committee, was the principal speaker at
Democratic Day" of the Illinois State
Grange Chautauqua at New Lenox, to-day.
The weather was cool and bracing. and
thousands of people were assembled in the
sh ady grove. Mr.. Springer directed his ar
guments principally to replying to Senator
Cullom's address OF yesterday, and COM
menting on the letter of acceptance of Pres
ident Harrison.
president Harrison" said Mr. Springer
attached great importance to, the report of
the Senate Committee at the close
OF the last session of Congress, upon
the prices of protected products and of the
cost of such articles as enter into the living
of the people of simple means and stated
that the report upon this subject was signed
by all the members of the Committee, thus
giving the impression that the Democratic
members of the Senate Committee on
finance concurred in the report to which he
referred. He claimed that no such wide and
care ul inquiry had ever been made before
and assuming that it had the concurrence
OF the Democratic members of the Finance
Committee. muci greater importance was
attached to it on this account The period
preceding and the year after the passage of
the Mckinley bill.
Now the fact is" said Mr. Springer, "the
report to which the Presidents referred was
strictly partisan and concurred in by the
Republican members only" The speaker
here exhibited a copy OF the report as pub
demonstrated from this official publication
that no member of the committee had
attached his signature to the report. that it
was simply made by Mr. Aldrich, Re-
mn q a Of he
mittce, IL paragraph at the conclusion stat
ing that the investigation upon which the
report was based was made by sub-com-
mittee, consisting OF himself as chairman
and OF Messrs. Allison, Hiscock and JONES'
of Nevada. Republicans and of Messrs.
Harris, of Tennessee, and Carlisle, of Ken
lucky, Democrats.
"The Democratic members of that COM
mittee," said Mr.. Springer, did not concur
in that report presented by Mr.. Aldrich.
senator @ carlisle speaking ior the en- minority
July, after Mr.. Aldrich's report had been
submitted and printed, expressly dissented
from the conclusions of the report and said
he would show that the prices of COM
modities in the United States were enormous
ly increased by the passage of the Mckinley
act and the agitation which preceded it, and
period covered by the Investigation more
than $295, COZ, 900, acd that over Sls5, ,0O0,-
COO of that increase occurred alter
the passage of the Mckinley law He further
in 15 substantially unprotected Industries.
selected by the committee, were increased
during the period covered by the investiga-
tion, and that during the same period the
rates of wages in 15 protected industries,
also selected by the committee, fell, and
that the fall was greater after the passage
of the Mckinley bill than it was during the
whole period preceding its passage. Senator
Carlisle pointed out more than $50 articles
which entered into the consumption of the
people the prices of which had been in
creased since the passage Of the Mckinley
bill.
"Thus it appears that, instead of being a
report agreed to by the Democratic mem.
bers, as President Harrison states, it was
merely a partisan screed distorting facts
and stating partisan conclusions not war
ranted by the investigation ITSELF" Zap
plause].
zone thing is gratifying" said Mr.Springer,
in conclusion, sin reference to the three i'm
portant documents recently made public
namely, Harrison's letter of acceptance,
Blaine's letter on the tariff, and Senator
Cullom's opening speech of the campaign.
None of these high authorities of the Re-
publican party, Notwithstanding the vol
luminous character of their products. have
stated that the foreigner pays the tariff
lLaughterl. From this we may infer that
this pretension has been kicked to death by
the frrefutabe logic of facts" Laughter
and applausel. \