St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-02-26
A STOLEN DOCTRINE.
Senators Vest and Hale Get
Into an Argument on
Reciprocity.
The Missouri Statesman in In
cisive Style Shows Up
the Sham.
Democratic Ideas Stolen by
Schemers to Keep a
Footing.
Foregoing Facts. the Senator
From Maine Drifts Into
Boosting.

WASHINGTON. Feb. 25.--In the alb
sence of Vice President Morton today's
session of the senate was presided over
by Mr.. Henderson, president of the
senate pro tenn. The report on the
rainfall experiments called for by Mr..
Sherman's resolution yesterday was
presented and referred to the committee
on agriculture. A Grand Army post in
Illinois sent in protest against the
tree coinage of silver, and one in ColOra-
do petitions for further pension legisIa
ton.
After some discussion resolution
giving Mr.. Claggett, the cOnte slant for
Mr.. Dubois seat, the right to occupy a
seat in the senate during the discussion
and to speak of the merits of his right
for two hours was agreed to. Mr.. Hale's
resolution of Jan. 10 calling on the sec
rotary of the treasury for copies of reel
procity agreements under the last tariff
act was then taken up, and Mr.. Vest
moved the following amendment:
And that the secretary of state also inform
the senate whether any steps have been taken
by our authorities to negotiate reciprocal
commercial treaty with Mexico: and if SO,
what has been done, and with what results.
Also that the secretary inform the senate if
negotiations have been inaugurated for the
purpose aforesaid and have been unsuccess-
full, what has been the cause of failure.
Mr.. Vest addressed the senate in re-
ply to Mr.. Hale's speech on the resolu-
ton. He agreed with Mr.. Hale that the
discussion of the question would be-
come
The Leading Issue
in the approaching national canvass.
| Quoting from Mr.. Hale's speech the
statement that it was only the reciprOc-
ity feature of the tariff bill that had
! saved the Republican party from being
| totally swamped in the last election,
| Mr.. Vest said that it seemed
to his benighted mind that
| the results of these elections
| Gin the senate and house, constituted a
swapping process even on the coast of
| Maine. He referred to the famous in
cident in the senate finance committe
| room in which Mr.. Blaine was repre-
| scented rs having smashed his silk hat
| in baffled rage, as he denounced Nc
| Kinley and his colleagues" on account
| of the removal of sugar duties and said
that full report of that occurrence
had been published in an interview
| prepared by w. E. Curtis, chief of the
| bureau of American republics, and adj
| jutant general of the reciprocity ar
rangements. The Democratic party
had been represented by MIR. Hale as
being opposed to apOlicy of reciprocity.
MIR. Vest denied that assertion and de-
| clared that the Democratic party was
only opposed to
| Sham Reciprocity.
| The reciprocity arrangement with
| Brazil did not benefit the American
| farmer. No act of congress could
| change the memorable law of supply
and demand, which prevented an agri-
| cultural people from purchasing agri-
cultural products. South America fur
nished no market for the agricultural
products of the United States. Every
| man qualified to vote knew that the
market for American agricultural
| products was in Great Britain. not in
South America. Why stop with South
! America and sugar? Why exclude
shoddy and clothing? Genuine reel
procity was free trade.
Mr.. Hale said that he did not propose
to be drawn now into general discus
| sion on the merits or weakness of the
Mckinley tariff bill. He supposed from
| the indications at the other end of the
capital that ample opportunity would
be given before the session closed to
discuss the Mckinley bill, its operations
| the whole, it had been beneficial. The
| senator from Missouri and himself did
not agree on that. the senator believing
that the tariff bill was the
Sum of Financial Ynfquity
| hn hot
| strong, good measure. and that the
| sense of its merits would increase with
the American people the longer it was
beheld and examined by them. What
! the Democratic party wanted and be-
lieved IN was simon pure free trade.
Mr.. Hale read newspaper paragraph
showing the increased imports into
Cuba of American flour since the reci-
proclty arrangement went into effect,
and said that the flour of old Spain had
| been driven out of the market.
In leaving the subject he could only
say that time would tell more fully as to
whether the senator from Missouri or he
were right as to the beneficent effects of
| reciprocity. The senator was in di-
lemnla. Reciprocity had been the Re-
publican policy. 1t was one of Its cor
ner stones. Senators had not heard the
last of it. 1t would go before the Amer
lean people in the next campaign.
There is not miner or laborer, or a
farmer or shipper who was not inter-
eSted in reciprocity and in Its success
and who was not hoping and praying for
its success. That was the attitude of
the Republican party.
Democratic Doctrine.
Mr.. Vest said that the very funda-
mental doctrine of the Democratic party
was free trade and larger intercourse
with the whole world. And the in
crease which Mr.. Hale had mentioned
of the import of American flour into
| Cuba, proved that the Democratic party
was right and that when duties were
put down exports were increased. The
| fundamental doctrine on which the
Democratic party stood today was:
Larger trade and greater markets for
i American farm products. And the Re-
| publican party, in inserting the reci-
procity section in the Mckinley bill had
attempted to get out Of its difficulty
the Democrats. 1t never would have
| taken reciprocity with any country
| under heaven if it had not been for the
| indignation of the United States against
the Mckinley bill.
The tariff discussion closed with no
action Oh Mr.. Hale's resolution or Mr..
Vests amendment, but with the init
| nation that several other senators
wished TO take part in the discussion,
notably Mr.. Allison and Mr.. Voorhees,.
The Idaho election case was then taken
up, and Mr.. Vance argued in support of
the minority to admit Mr.. Claggett.
Without action on the case, the senate
adjourned.