New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-12-14
MIR. MORRILL, ON THE TARIFF
HIS SPEECH IN THE SENATE.
A PlTNGENT EXPOSITION OF THE vAGARIES
OF TARIFF REFORM
soINp ARGUMENT AND WITTY HITS AT FREE
TRADE FROM THE FATHER OF CONGRESS
LISTENED TO BY AN APPRE.
CIATIyE AUDIENCE
CIATIYE AUDIENCE.
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUxE.l

CIATIyE AUDIENCE.
iBY TELEGRAPH rRIBuxEl
Washington. Dec. 1S.-The venerable Senator
from Vermont, Mr. Morrill,. the father Of both
branches Of Congress. has long observed the
agreeable custom of addressing the Senate in one
cot speech at the opening of each session his
ramarks being directed to some more or less
urgent or timely topic Of public interest At
the beginning Of the extraordinary session of
last summer Mr.. Morrill, delivered a witty and
sensible speech on the financial question before
retiring to the mountains of Vermont to regain
his shattered health To-day, as the topic of
most widespread interest, he devoted an hour
or two to the discussion Of the many vagaries
of contemporary efforts Of tariff reform" in
the popular branch of Congress- Mr. Morrill,
has always attracted appreciative audience
in the Senate because though its oldest men,
Der. he has always brought to debate on public
questions fund Of genial and homely w.t. and
of felicitous and penetrating sagacty which is
rare in the history Of forensic or Congressional
contention on political questions
His speech to-day sparkled with the telling
aphorsms and happy turns Of phrase in which
after nearly forty years Of strer uous public dis
CUSTOM the author of the original protective
tariff still delights to indulge Among all the
Senators who speak on the more abstruse and
difficult Of political topics-those of finance and
revenue and tariff taxatiOn-Mr. Morrill, yet re-
tains that audience eft. though few which tes-
titles Its abundant pleasure at his fecundity and
skill Of application of old to modern in
stances. To-day, as on all previous appearances.
ne easily held the attention Of an appreciative
Senate. to which the unfolding of his stock of
wisdom and pleasantly. of sound economical
sense and good-natured witticisms offered one Of
the choicest entertainments Of the usually prosy
and monotonous legislative year.
Mr.. Morrill,. in spite of his eighty-three years
spoke to-day for an hour or more without effort
and with unusual emphasis and directness
His speech is reproduced below with sufficient
fullness to preserve its striking characteristics
Of pungent wit and sound economical wisdom.
1t is enough to say here that both qualities were
highly enjoyed by the many colleagues, Repub-
lcan and Democratic. who gathered about the
aged Vermont Senator to hear his pointed crit
icsms the Democratic policy of tariff
reform in the light Of long and many-sded
experience Of all sorts Of fiscal and revenue leg
islation. Mr. Morrill, spoke substantially as
follows:
Some radical change of the tariff is supposed to
be imminent, not because the prosperity of the
country demands it thus be promoted. but
because the rhapsodes of revenue reform" pad
kin once said Of sermon that 1t either
human composition or a Divine message" Many
obsequious partisaps fearful Of being called here
tics or Of being excluded from the party patronage
pasture. hastily accepted the platform without a
why a wherefore "a Divine message" but
the sundry earthly Democratic claimants of it's
conclusively prove that the proposed
tariff for revenue only not only a square
toed synonym of British free trade but wholly
human composition" and put forth at time
when the gospel Of the earliest Democratic inspra-
ton was surrendered to the idols Of the uncir
cumcised No Democratic aspirants. however, for
the Presidential succession have yet left their foot
prints claim relationship to this wonderfully
and fearfully made platform. 1t is true there has
been INDICATED suspicion that the audacty to
carry the platform would be found lacking
and that it would have some deft and slippery
in order that the party might secure
forgiveness for it's wrongdoings through death
bed repentance But this will be discredied as
obviously too late. and performance not clever
enough to win absolution for blunder worse than
a crime
The Democratic party in its platform Of 1892
Protection. with trombone epithets, as
a fraud and robbery we'll as IAN atrocity."
and, louder yet, unconstitutional and proposed
to supersede and reform it by "a tariff for reve-
nue. only a tariff wholly based on the British
example Of free trade. with Protection utterly
EN- asculated. Such a measure will not be leap
in the dark from which any party can shrk its
responsibilities. The example Of protective tariff
In America for many years presents an indelible
picture before the world of the great American
Industrial age, and in figures large to make
1t memorable forever. British free trade has also
been trial long enough to minimize the profits
of agriculture in their whole United Kingdom
Their silk industries have also vanished; those Of
iron bend and groan under repeated antagonistic
invasions from Germany and Belgium. ard the
FREE for trade exhibits
discomfort with free trade
The practical merits OF the respective systems OF
raising national therefore invite critical
examination by Congress, which must speedily
determine whether not the free-trade policy
directly imported from England. has such unm-
peachabe goodness will justify our hurried
ceptance or the total abandonment Of protection
to all labor here employed and to the great multi
tude Of our fixed investments. These are some
of the salient points to which shall invite consd-
cradle attention.
It may be true that President Cleveland would
like to be little better than his party on the
tariff as we'll silver. and that he ought to
abide by his early and solemn declaration that
no b SaTe nre amy to
speak well of the President than some highly val,
the faith touching any revelation of an Executive
veto against tariff bills when tipped with reve-
nue. reform" and trumphanty enacted by Demo-
Those who are prolific in panegyrics tariff
free trade cannot object to having the question
of Its excellence brought to the test OF facts from
the only place where such a tariff has been on
trial and which, as / believe. conclusively prove
that the Democratic architects have built their
platform on sandy and most unsatisfactory
foundation
THE DESIRES OF NATIONS.
The economy OF nations is studied by their states
men as specialists. always seeking the higher dig
nifty and greater prosperity Of their own peo-
ple and whatever contributes TO these ends
they would II possible, persuade mankind to
believe equally advantageous to the world at
large Russia has doubt that by wrest-
ing Constantinople from the Turks the con-
France ambitious TO cut as big colonial figure
her neighbour, believes that civilization Of D9.S.
her tri-colored flag. with sound OF trumpet IS