The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-01-10
WILSON COMPLETES HIS SPEECH
He Intimates That Petitions
Were Signed Under Coercion.
Burrows Makes Long Speech Against
tho Tariff Billie Presents "A Mon
strOus Petition From Texan wool
Growers Against Free wooI-Hainer,
the Chief of tho Boiling Democrats
From the Collar and Cuff District, Sings
"rhe Song of the Shirt"


WASHINGTON, Jan. 9.-When the
House met to-day at IL o'clock there
were just forty members present by
actual count. The galleries, too, were
somewhat depleted, and there was a
general air of relief manifest that the
House had overcome all obstacles and
had got we'll started on it's tariff journey.
After the call of the committees for
reports (Which was without result) the
House went into com mittee of the whole
with Richardson (Tenn.) in the chair
and Wilson wv. Va,) resumed bis
speech, which was dropped yesterd ay al
S o'clock.
In referring to the numerous petitions
which had been presented in Congress
protesting against the passage of this
bill, Wilson intimated that they had
been signed under coercion. He said he
had just received a letter from former
constituent stating he had been dis
charged from an iron mill in Youngs-
town Ohio, because he refused to sign
n petition. democratic applause
And this was not an isolated case; his
mail was every day filled with letters
from workingmen stating that those
petitions had been signed under duress,
and hoping that he (Wilson) would not
be influenced by them.
DoolitIle, (Rep., Wash.,) asked Will
son if he meant to compare the intelli-
gence OF the American laborer with the
intellinence of tho slave laborer of the
South before the war.
Wilson raDiind that no ono with i,tol
ligence above that Of tho slave laborer
would ask such question. (Long and
continued laughter and applause on
Democratic side
Wilson soon afterwards stated that no
wished to be courteous in everything,
and he therefore withdrew his remarks
about tho gentleman from Washington.
daughter and applause.)
Reed inquired sarcastically Of Wilson
if he would withdraw Democratic ap-
prevail of his remark. Republican
applause)
In speaking of the income tax Wilson
said that the committee on ways and
means expected to follow up the tariff
bill with an internal revenue bill, which
would provide for the temporary deficit
in the revenues of the country. He
stated, in passing. that the committee
contemplated an income tax Of per
cent on personal incomes in excess of
$4,000, and An internal revenue tax of
Sl.50 in place Of the present tax of so
cents on cigarettes, and also he thought
an internal revonue tax of cents q
pack oa playing cards, and an increase
OF 10 cents gallon on whiskey.
While Wilson had been speaking the
galleries and the floor Of the House had
filed up and when Burrows arose to ad-
dress the com mittee he found a large
and interested audience to listen to
him.
In opening Burrows said the measure,
now under consideration, has for its
avowed object a radical modification OF
tho tariff act of 1890. 1t involves not
only change of rates, but complete
reversal OF an econou ic policy. The
law of 1890 was enacted not only with
view OF securing revenue for the sup
port of tho governn ent, but for tho
further purpose OF giving encourage
ment 10 tho creation OF new enterprises
and protection to American industries
and American Workingmen against I'M
equal and injudicious foreign compeli-
ton. In it's practical workings it
accomplished both these results Under
the present bill both will bo undone.
In the course OF his speech, Burrows
exhibited petition from the wool
growers OF IeXaS protesting against
putting wool on the free list. The list
was many yards long and contained / 100
names; and he had no hesitation in as
sorting that no coercion had been used.
These signers were not only wool grow
ers, but also Democrats. (Republican
applause He also sent to the clerks
desk and had read extracts from q Dem
ocratic paper which claimed that the
subcom mittee which prepared the tariff
bill we're "tyros in tariff tinkerinG."
Mr.. Burrows speech was greeted with
uproarious applause and cheers from the
Republican members and the galleries.
The chairman was compelled to caution
the visitors in the galleries that the
rules OF tho House orbade such demons.
trations and that repetition would
compel him to order the sergeant-at-
arms to clear the galleries.
1t took some time for the chairman to
secure order in the House. Black, of
Illinois, spoke in defense of the Wilson
bill. In concluding his speech Black
said:
81 do not see why we should shrink
from the name OF free traders. Every
thing which the human race has won
has had in it's plumes the word free"
Free speech, free press, free thought,
everything worth having is free. And
in the end we will have the country free