Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1894-07-25
Hon. ITn,. z. WILSON'S speech.

worn and battle-scarred veteran, the appearance
of the chairman Of the ways and means COM
mittee was greeted with the most unbounded
enthusiasm on the Democratic side-enthusi-
asm in which the crowded galleries joined
The bandage extended down over Mr.. Wilson
ewes. completely binding him, but with stoical
fortitude, in clear. ringing tones, he delivered
his speech in support Of the position taken by
the House conferees against the Senate amend
ments
After formally announcing and reading the
report announcing a disagreement, Mr.. Wilson
said
Il move that the House further insist upon
its disagreement TO the Senate amendments
and ask for q further conference from them,
and upon that motion l shall submit few ex-
planatory remarks to the House.
1T is true, as the gentleman from Maine
Mr.. Reed has Just said, that there have been
but two meetings Of the full conference on the
part of the Senate and House. A tariff bill OF
recent years, at least, and perhaps always
in the history Of this country, has been a po-
htcal measure-a measure proposed by one
party and resisted by the other. The present
tariff legislation does not differ from that his
toric character IL was fully recognized and
cordially expressed by the Republican confer
ees Of the Senate that it was the duty of the
dominant party in the two houses, through
their own special conterees, first TO try If they
could reconcile their own differences before
they brought to the attention Of the full con-
ference committee their proposed action.
"While. therefore there have been but these
two meetings Of the full conference committee
there have been since the first appointment Of
the conference committee daily, protracted,
earnest and laborious consultations on the part
of the House conferecs representing the major
itv PARTY in this House and the Senate confer
ees representing the majority party in that
house as TO the 6Si amendments in the hope
that we might reach some agreement that
could be reported to the full conference COM
mittee when il should be called together. 1t
is because no such agreement has been attain
ed. it is because no such agreement seems in
sight that we have felt it was our duty to bring
the whole matter back to the House and receive
from this House its instructions.
Il desire to be perfectly frank and as conf
plete as possible in any statement may make
to the House to-day, and yet l recognize that
there are some limitations to completeness of
statement which probably it would be best for
me to observe at this stage in the controversy
between Il G two houses. But / think l may
saw with truth and frankneSS and courtesy that
if the conferees Of the Senate on the part of the
majority had been as free and untrammeled as
we ourselves are, with nothing to control our
action but our sense Of duty to the people and
to our party and to the House tariff bill
would have been agreed upon, in one days
session. that would have been satisfactory to
the Democratic party, and that would have
given hope and courage to the American peo-
ple. Applause on the Democratic side But,
sir. we were not long in finding out greatly to
our disappointment, that whatever might be
the personal opinions, the personal judgment,
the strong personal wishes of the Democratic
.conferees of the Senate, they came to US some
what fettered and somewhat limited as 10 any
action that they might agree 20 upon this bill,
either by the supposed moral obligations OF
party caucus. or the apprehension that there
were forces in the Senate, however small, yet
powerful enough to resist successfully the pas
SAGE of any bin which did not make concessions
to great corporate and trust interests, that We
as representing the House did not feel free on
our part TO agree 20. Applause on the Demo
cratic side.l
i do not believe, Mr. Speaker, that there
would be any great difficulty in coming to q
compromise or an agreement upon the yast
majority Of the 63l amendments proposed to
this bin by the Senate, but there are important
amendments proposed by the Senate which
give to this bill in the main different charac
ter from what it had when it went away from
the House, on which amendments We seem
up to this time, TO be irreconcilably divided
and it is because of these amendments and be-
cause of the statements made to us in all kind
ness and courtesy, and might say, in sadness
that such was the condition Of affairs at the
other end Of this Capitol that unless this House
was willing to accept the Senate bill practical
IN and Substantially as it passed the Senate
there was to be no tariff legislation at this ses-
sion of Congress.
I'VE did not feel, representing the House OF
Representative, that We could, without sacri-
flee to its dignity and Of its equality as legis-
latiye chamber, respond 10 any such PROPOSE
ton as that. Applause on the Democratic
sidel Least of al did we feel that in the great
Question Of taxation, resting by the very theory
of free institutions and by the language of the
constitution as peculiar and original trust on
the representative of thepeople, that we could
for one moment entertain and agree to such a
proposition. Applause on the Democratic
side
aside from that question the differences
between the bill as it passed the House and the
bill as il comes back to Us from the Senate are
so marked. are in the main SO Objectionable to
tarif-reformers i'm the country generally that
we could not, without the guidance and the
instruction Of this House, agree to accept those
differences and thus adopt different and
modified scheme Of tariff reform. Whatever
inlperfections may have attached to the House
bin. IT did seem 70 be accepted by the people
of this country as a fair and substantial per-
Torrance of the pledges by which the Demo-
cratic party came into power at the beginning
Of this administration. Il was framed upon
Democratic lines in the main. IL sought in
levyine taxes to consider chiefly and primarily
the wants Of the public treasury, and not the
g. -sr- inf naafa