The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-02-02


profcsscd To be made IN the interest OF
some OF them the moment 81 came TO DC
defended on this floor the ereat buiH OF
u could not be defended on any oiher
ground than the principles OF Tree uaue.
Hence. IN this discussion the precise terms
OF this proposed act count for noihlhs'
ana we are left to the discussion OF inc
principles which undcrlic the whole cues
uon That question may not be declueu
here and now upon these principles, bun
thc ultimate decision by thc people can
have no other foundation.
AZ the close Of Mr.. Reeds remarks
deafening wave OF applause rolled through
the House, and magnificent basket or
roses, tribute from the Republican mem
bcrs OF the House, was borne up the
aisle on the shoulder of a page. When
the cheering had subsided, the presiding
officer (Mr. Hatch. MOI recognized the
Speaker. Mr. Crisp. The appearance OF
Mir. Crisp standing at the desk OF Repre-
sentative Clark. OF Mo, IN the first aisle
Of the Democratic side. position cor
responding TO MIR. Reeds, on his side, was
the signal for an outDurst of enthu-
siasac cheering.
SPEAKER Crisp's Forcefu, Reply.
Mr. Crisp said:
MIR Speaker. embarrassed by the vast
audience that is here Gssembled. enbar-
rassed by the idea that / may not be able
to meet the expectations Of my friends
1 yet shall undertake. within the period
allowed by the rules Of the House. TO re-
ply to and 70 make plain to this House
the errors contained in the argument to
which they have just listened. ] assume
that the cause II protection has DO more
able advocate than the gentleman from
Maine | assume that The argument for
In M
( form than that TO which you have lis
tened to-day, and / shall ask you calmly
! and dispass si0nately TO examine with me
that argument to see upon what II is
/ based, and then | shall ask the unpreJu-
diced judgment OF this House as TO
/ whether the cause attempted TO be sus-
tanned by the gentleman from Maine can
I be established consistently with right ana
justice TO the people Of the United States.
The gentleman from Maine, with
| facility that is unequalled when he en-
counters an argument which he Is un-
able TO answer. passes IL by with some
bright and witty saying and thereby in
vlios and receives the applause Of those
who believe as he does. But the gentle
man does not attempt. the gentleman
has not to-day attempted. to reply to the
real arguments that are made in favor
I OF freer trade and more liberty to com
mcrce. The gentleman points TO the pro-
gress of the United States. he points 10
the rate Of wages I'm the United States,
he points TO the aggregated wealth Of
the United States, and then he says.
All this we owe TO protection. But he
| gives you no reason why we owe it TO
protection. He says, because we have
protection in the United States, because
wages are high in the United States
! therefore protection makes high wages.
Mr.. Crisp said that this form Of argu-
ment had been met and overthrown years
ago by the gentleman from New York
(S S. Cox from whose well known
speech on this topic Mr. Crisp quoted.
The gentleman from Maine, not in his
argument. but in that more carefully pre-
pared statement which he has given TO
the country as the views Of the minority
| Of the Committee on Ways and Means,
amongst other things, insists that what
ever impOst or imposition is put upon
the foreign goods that are brought into
this country is paid by the foreigners.
The gentlemen constituting the minor
ity Of the committee, at another period
Of the discussion in that report says that
! the consumer here pays the tax The
gentleman from Maine and his assistants
take the liberty. when dealing with the
people of the United States on great
I question which affects the income. hap
piness ard commerce Of all our people,
to make statements inconsistent with each
other and inconsistent with every well
established idea of political economy.
ana yet that distinguished gentleman
presumes to lecture this side Of the House
forsooth because we do not measure up
to his standard in shaping legislation for
taxation.
Protective Tariff Tallacies.
Reading from the minority report TO
support this statement, Mir. Crisp pro-
ceeded Let us see the report again, be-
cause it is the carefully prepared view Of
the minority Of the Committee on Ways
and Means, not an utterance given out
hastily in debate, but carefully prepared
IN the closet and sent out TO the country
as their views. This report says that the
protective tariff on plate glass and on
cotton ties reduces the price 10 the con-
sumner: but the protective tariff on stee
rails and ON spool cotton increase the
price to the consumer. daughter on the
democratic side) They say that putting
lumber on the free list viii not reduce
It's price. but when the Republicans pu
SUGAR on the free list it greatly reduced
its price applause on the Democratic
eide1 They say that the protective taril
ON leaf tobacco had given the farmer
better price for his tobacco. and yet has
NOT increased the price OF cigars. But th'
most wonderful effect of this tariu, th'
most ineNplicable case that has ever come
nndor my observation. is the effect upon
,0onl according to lhe minority report
Thev say that putting raw wool on The
fro. LIST and reducing the rate on WOolef
,.onde will reduce the price that the farm
or gets. will reduce the wages that inc
eninner and the weaver 'sets, ana yel
win accomplish only an imaginary ah'
Infinitely small difference IN the price o.
clothing. Now, if the manufactufer gets
his wool cheaper, and If he gets ms wages
sbc,rar let me ask you, my friends, why
~ ~ thst me ought not to sell his products
,booner? (Appiause) All sunshine ano
,.r,snerlt,. the speaker said, was claimed
,s resnits Of the protective tarln, bat
,yhcn there ars strikes in protected III
dnstries. when gaunt famine stalks abfoae
i'm the land. then you charge these upoi
,h. shadow Of reduced duties by th'
WILSON bill 'Nou cannot thus oscape,'
declared Mr.. Crisp. from the RESPONSE
hilitv for conditions which arc clearly tho
result of your own policy
The Home Market Issue.
,l,occcdina TO a discussion of the home
,o,rl,et issue, Mr Crisp said 1t was
r,ilurc AS demonstrated by the eXperi
,,,.. If the country. century Of protec
,i,n had not developed home market f0i
more than one-third Of the cotton produce'
ia This country The tariff and the mar
leet do not add cents value to the pro
dnctinn of the agriculturists This assef
lion the Speaker illustrated by the eNpe
rierce Of q wheat grower OF Minnesota OF