Birmingham age-herald., 1894-08-29
SENATOR JOHN B. GORDON. The Distinguished Georgian Spends Few Hours in Birmingham. HIS VIEWS ON THE TARIFF On His Way to Nashville on a Lec.uring Tour-Travei-
 ing lncognito.
HIS VIEWS ON THE TARIFF

Senator John B. G lrlon of Georgia ar- rived in Birmingham late yesterday after noon and left for Nashville at midnight. He said he was on featuring tour, and seemed to have an important business mat ter on hand. He was seen only by Gen. Fred s. Ferguson and an AGE- HERALD re- porter, although there were hundreds of his old comrades in arms in the city who would have been delighted to grasp his warm hand and gaze once more into those steel gray eyes.
 Not only would his own comrades been
 delighted to have seen him, but all those
 citizens who saw his heroic figure at the reunion in this city last May. He carries with him the cane made of wood cut from the battlefield of Gettysburg and presented
 to him at the reunion by J. Clyde Miller in
 behalf of the Grand Army of the Republic.
 The senator did not look as if he was on
 oress parade-the sash he wore at the reun-
 ion was missing, and so was the black
 Prince Albert coat. He wore weather
 beaten straw hat and an alpaca
 coat. He seemed to be passing in-
 cognito, and suggested that ne might
 be laboring under the odium of
 ''party dishonor and party perhdy, be-
 cause oi his vote in passing the tariff bill.
 But no disguise could conceal General
 Gordon from 8 southerner' eye. He IS
 marked man. The southern man who is
 not thrilled by the sight of that scar is not
 a true son of the south. And even if the
 scar was not seen the senators distinguished
 bearing would declare him to be man of
 mark no matter in what garb he was arrayed. When Richard the Lion hearted made his perilous way back to England ne touched his harp beneath the walls of
 castle one summer night, and his hand
 was instantly recognized by an English
 maiden. General Gordon, the south's
 Richard of the Lion- heart, could not pass unknown among strangers, stili less among friends.
 As the senator took modest supper at a restaurant he talked of national affairs. lie said he had made speech in Georgia on Saturday, and had told his people that the present tariff bill was good laW-it was better than the Mills bill and better l than the Mckinley law. Even from the standpoint of the tariff reformer 1t was good measure, for 1t was not so radical as l to shock the industries of the country and give setback to business. The demo- cratic party could now go before the people l in the approaching congressional elections and act on the offensive. If the bill had been too radical 1t would have placed the party on tue defensive: The bill does not \. l destroy any industry, but reduces the tariff l and still raises sufficient revenue for gov ernmentai purposes. The people should l feel gratified that the bill was passed. It made a narrow escape from defeat. Several democratic senators were protectionists, | and they were forced to vote as their peo- l pie desired and as they had promised. All | the talk about bribery and corruption was stuff; there was no undue influence used l except such as was exerted by the constitu- | ents of the senators.
 The senator said that the party had come | safely through most trying ordeal, and | he felt like extending congratulations to | all democrats. He did not think the party would ever go through such an ordeal aoaiu.