The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-05-23

man would speak today upon the tariff,
had the effect of bringing out a larger
attendance than usual
Senator German, present from his re-
cent illness, took the floor He spoke
slowly and in low tone.
Mr.. German rehearsed the difficulties
that had confronted the Democratic par
ty in dealing with the question of tariff
reform.
The difficulty was not all in opposi-
ton, but internal dissension as to how
the fruits of victory could be secured
Withal he claimed that action by the
present congress had not been unusually
delayed. 1t was the last of September
before the president signed the McKin-
ley bill and this is only May. The Will
son bill, he said, had been reported to the
house before its effect upon existing in =
dustries could be properly studied; an
imperfect measure that failed to meet
the treasury demands but actually in
creased the deficit created by the Repub-
lican prohibitive duties.
Changes Expected.
There was no expectation that it would
become law unchanged The senate
had always perfected such bills, Yet, no
sooner did the finance committee begin
its work than the cry for ''action" was
renewed with extraordinary vigor. and
the Democratic senators were in
be set down as "betrayal of the
party's promises" and that every senator
who showed the least concern for the in
terests of his own state was a traitor to
the United States and his party; that the
senate was no longer coordinate body,
but its sole duty was to ratify blindly the
action of the house.
Said Mr.. German: SIT would be idle,
Mr.. President, to dwell upon the
manifest absurdities of this outgrowth
of petulance. But it cannot be de-
MED that the demand for prompt
action seriously impaired the efficiency
of the finance committees work and ul-
timately became so strong that revision
was hastily completed and the bill was
reported to the senate. l ventured the
assertion in the course of the silver de-
bate that the truth of the old adage,
'eThe greater haste the less speed" was
nowhere better exemplified than in leg
islation. So it proved then and SO it will
now.
81 do not propose to discuss the merits
or demerits of the original Wilson bill
or the measure first reported by the
finance committee. 1t is sufficient for
the Democratic party"
Followed CIeveIand's Directions.
In answer to the Republicans Mr..
German asserted that the bill had been
constructed on the Democratic theory of
a tariff for revenue, with such incidental
protection as could be given con
sistently to the Industries of the coun-
| try. 1t followed strictly the course mark
| ed out by President Cleveland in his
/ letter of acceptance upon which he was
reelected and the Democratic party en-
! trusted with full power. If there had
| been the slightest apprehension in the
public mind of radical overturning of
our industrial affairs, Mr. Cleveland
would not have been reelected
Senator German denied that any trust
had dictated any part of any schedule or
| bill. Justice to Louisiana had required
| the retention of the sugar bounty.
| That the sugar trust had thrived
under the Republican tariff there could
be no question:; whether it would pros
per under the new bill remains to be
seen.
Opposes the Income Tax.
Upon the subject of the income tax
( Mr.. German said: "In the matter of in