Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-02-02

duce the tariff, but once successful at the
polls the Republican legislators had sur
rendered themselves body and soul to the
manufacturing classes.
The speaker declared that the gentleman
(Mr. Reed) had throughout his speech re
Trained from the arguments of reason and
had resorted to those of prejudice. He
pointed to the Chinese as an example Of
what had resulted from protective policy
of hundreds of years which had thought
to make China rich by trading with itself
MIR. Wilson Closes.
After the applause which greeted Mr..
Crisp had died away Mr.. Wilson spoke as
| follows:
Mr. SPEAKEa-I might well rest in this ar
| gument after the able and eloquent speech of the
gentleman from Georgia, but feel it my duty
to add a few words and to answer some argu-
ments which have been advanced. For three
weary weeks the gentlemen on the other side of
the house have dashed around the time worn ar
guments and prophecies that have always risen
! up against every effort to adaHance freedom and
advance toward the goal OF y .ual commerce.
If time allowed, should delight to take up
for few moments that argument which my
friend from Michigan (A1r. BurrOwsl brings into
| every congress like a cluster of wax flowers
| under a glass case. l should like also to reply
to my eloquent young friend from Iowa (Dolli-
| ver), who said that he at one time came near
being a pupil of mine.
! 1t was miss, however, and he never became
a pupil of mine. But judging from the argu-
ments he made upon this floor it a miss
| that was as good as a mile. LLaughter.1 1t was
| said by DR.. johnson that you can make a good
man out of Scotchman if you tch him while
! Young. | could have made great deal of my
| friend from Iowa if could have taught him
economic doctrines before he came here.
Referring to the speech of Mr. Reed, he
said:
| After all, his main argument was that which
Is heard at every schoolhouse and crossroads in
the country-that because we have had protec-
| ton in the United States for the last 30 years
we have got our prosperity from a law Of con-
gress and not from the gifts of Almighty God
The gentleman from Maine will not go further
than will in singing the praises of our glorious
country.
But wish to remind him that we have grown
great, and we have prospered, and we have in
creased in numbers, not because of protection,
but because no law of congress could stand in
the pathway of human progress. lGreat APP
plause.l You may praise your Mckinley bills,
and the progress of humanity will trample
them under foot. Out of this great effort of
men to advance comes the glorious progress
that no law of congress can impede and no Nc
kinley bills or other bills can seriously affect
You can't prevent the accumulation of wealth
in this country, but you can take wealth from
men who make it and bestow it upon some 9TH
ers who have not earned it.
In a speech on March 10, 1850, Daniel Web
ster said that five-sixths of the property of the
north belonged to workingmen of the north.
Can any representative from the common
wealth of Massachusetts make such a glorious
boast today?
There is statement in the last census report
of the United States that calls every citizen
to pause and ponder as to whether it be a sign
of growing prosperity or sign of growing and
dangerous decadence. It appears in that re-
port that of all the men occupying farms in
this country today one-third of them are ten
ants living on farms of others. 1t appears that
of all people occupying homes other than farms
two-thirds live in rented houses. If that is
sign of general prosperity, then the protective
system is entitled to the credit of it because l
believe that it is in a large measure due to that
system.
Mr. Wilson then spoke of the sarcastic
and bitter manner in which Mr.. Reed had
attacked this measure and said:
If great reforms could be lost and defeated
by rdicule and sarcasm, today would be
the slaves of England instead of being free,
self governing American people. The Demo-
cratic party is COurageously and earnestly
moving in the fight today for tariff reform.
Whenever that party is able to cut loose from
local interests and put the general interest
alone in its eyes, we will reach the goal of free
dom and will give to the people government
that no other people have ever enjoyed. On
our side the argument is made by some
members that this tariff bill will create a def
icit and therefore ought not to be passed. Iii
the name of common sense, how could you ever
pass tariff reform bill if you don't reduce the
taxes existing under the law that you seek to
reform?
If you take up the history of free trade in
England, you will find that the free list in
creased the revenue increased also. In that
country the taxable list was cut down from
twelve hundred to seven articles, and the reve-
nue. was as great from the seven as from the
twelve hundred.
Another argument that my friends this
side of the house advance against the bill is
that an income tax has been added to ii. had
some doubts as to the eXpediency of a personal
income tax, but when the committee decided
otherwise l was loyal to them because l have
never been hostile to the idea of an income tax.
Still another objection is that the bill is sec
tional; that 1t is aimed at New England by
men of the south and men of the west. For
years the colleges of New England have sent
out her students into the world imbued with
the teaching that an income tax is the wsest
form of taxation. She cannot come today and
say that her own teachings are brought against
her.
In all my conferences with the members of
the ways and means committee have heard
no man discussing this great scheme of taxa
tton in a sectional spirit. lApplause1 To the
gentlemen on the other side desire to say that
! doubt not the sincerity, | doubt not the love
of fellow men that compels you to champion
your side of this question, nor do doubt the
honesty and sincerity of the opposition to the
bill by members on this side.
We want to make this country where every
man can rise and not be compelled to lvca life
Of degraded mechanical drudgery IApplause.l
We want to make this country where no
man shall pay taxes for the benefit of another
man, but where all the blessings of free govern
ment, of education, of the influences of the
church; where all our resources, and all our
skill, and all science in developing them
can be the untaXed heritage of all the people,
adding to their comfort, to their culture and
to their happiness.
And now, when We are about TO vote upon
this question if knew that when the roll
called every Democrat would respond in the
support of this patriotic measure, should in
deed feel light hearted This roll call will not
only be entered on the journals of this house,
but it will be entered upon the annals of free
dom. lGreat applause.l
Some may find an excuse to vote against the
bill when the roll is called, but it will be an act
greatly to be regretted in years to come. If one
OF the men having an opportunity to sign the
Declaration of Independence had refused, what
would be his standing in history today? If
soldier on the battlefield of Lexington or Bun
ker Hill had become dissatisfied and thrown
away his weapons what would be his feeling
when he heard the changing of the liberty bell
on every university of freedom? In the name
of honor and in the name of freedom summon
every Democratic member in this house to in
scribe his name upon this bill.
Mr.. Wilson's glowing peroration aroused
the Democrats and the galleries to the
highest pitch of enthusiasm, and the DEM
onstration which followed his last words
has seldom been equaled in the house. The
whole Democratic side rose to its feet,
books and records were thrown in the air,
cheer followed cheer and the people in the
galleries joined with voice and hands in
the tribute. Before Mr.. Wilson could sit
down three of the Democratic members,
bubbling over with enthusiasm-Messrs
johnson of Ohio, Tucker of Virginia and
Bryan of Nebraska-rushed up the aisle,
lifted Mr.. Wilson upon their shoulders
and carried him in triumph to the rear of
the hall, where for 10 minutes he listened
to the words of praise that were showered
upon him.
1t was a remarkable demonstration in