The advocate and Topeka tribune., 1893-09-27

will read from page 1868 of the Record the re-
marks Of the senator from New York in reply
to the senator from Nevada [Mr. Stewartl:
Senators have a right, if they are fortunate
enough to be able to do so, to hold stock in ma
tional banks, or in state banks, or in any other
institutions"
The proposition that senators have legal
right to do that no one disputes, but that any
senator or any officer of this nation or OF any
state has the right to own stocks or bonds IN q
corporation upon whose interests he SITS In
Judgment, deny. There never was q statute
upon the face Of the earth among English
speaking people which suffered it; there never
was q parliament throughout the entire his
tory of England where that was done, where a
man was suffered to vote for or against mea-
sure as his pecuniary or private interests
might be advanced or retarded in conse-
quence.
Mr. President, il this is the law Of the United
States, then the sooner the people of this ma
tion change the membership Of this senate the
better off they will be. God save them from
being so represented. They have right to
know these things; they are entitled to know
whether a man who sits in judgment upon
their rights Is in a position where he Is en-
tirely disinterested, or whether he Is in posi-
tion where his pecuniary interest constantly
comes up and interferes with the exercise OF
sound and wise discretion, and an untntiu-
enced judgment.
Then the senator from New York further
said:
"They have right to be interested in mat
Ind tlv anH AZ
vote which they may give indirectly upon this
subject, namely, in reference to great public
measures, will not be affected by any pecun1-
ary interest they may have"
wish could think that was true. wish
could think it was possible for the average
man to rise above his prejudices and above his
personal interests l have seen few men In
my time who thought could lay aside their
peculiar and pecuniary interests and act i'm
partially in the discharge Of the duties OF
public officer; but the men in this country or
in any other who will pass measure into
law, when the effect Of that law is to wipe
away portion of their fortunes, are very few.
If any considerable portion Of the member
ship Of the senate are engaged in national
banking, or, for that matter, engaged in any
other enterprise which is directly and pecuni-
arily affected by legislation here, the people OF
this nation ought to know It,
The senator from New York said, why not
inquire, then, as to the men who own stock
in corporations and companies which are az
fected by tariff 5taxation? Mr., President, 1t
would be pre-eminently the thing to do. For
thirty years the eastern section Of this nation
has held the people OF the country by the
throat upon the question of tariff taxation.
All the great fields Of the west and northwest
the great industries and fields Of the south
and southwest, have been compelled to pay
tribute to the barren hills Of New England,
and they have been compelled to pay tribute
to New England and the eastern states in con-
sequence of tariff taxation.
When the Morrill, tariff act was passed, in
1861, the people Of this country were told that
1t was q war measure. We all realized that
1t was simply for the purpose Of raising reVe-
nue. to conduct a gigantic war then in exist
ence, and we were told when that great
struggle was past, and when peace was re-
stored, the people Of this country should have
relief from tariff taxation, and the Morrill, act
would be wiped out, and yet every step Of the
republican party from that time to this mo-
ment has been marked with determination
to fasten deeper and deeper upon the indus
tries and the people of this country system
of tariff taxation so that the laborers Of this
nation, wherever they may be, are compelled
through the instrumentality oftarif taxation
to pay tribute to the eastern manufactures
am perfectly willing to join, and 1 shall
join the senator from New York, If any sena-
tor in this chamber is directly and pecuniarily
interested in a corporation whose interest;
are affected by legislation here, in making
that fact known. 1 am willing to join the
,,oor1a ~ INV o,vp oouptrv I'm tho enactment nj