The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-01-19
SCORED BY MIR. JOHNSON.
The Richmond Representative VEN
tiIates Brookshire and Other Dems.

tilates BrOOkSh1re anu DSS'
Special to the indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 1S.-There was
lively tilt in the House this afternoon be-
tween Representatives Johnson and BROOK
shire. of Indiana. Mr.. Brookshire received
a petition signed by a few Of his constitu-
ents in favor of the passage of the Wilson
tariff bill-the first one of the kind he has
yet received no doubt-and he was so
pleased to find that there was some one at
home who would indorse his position in
favor of this iniquitous and destructive
measure that he Immediately presented 1t
to the open House and asked for its read
ing in full at the Clerks desk. 1t was an
unusual proceeding, because. in the first
place. there have been very few petitions
received by the entire membership oS the
House in favor of the Wilson bill, and
then 1t is not customary to have petitions
of this character read in extenso.
A couple of hours afterwards Mr.. john
son received unanimous consent to address
the House to the limit of twenty minutes
the tariff question, and ne exposed the
methods which Mr. Brookshire has here
tofore pursued to advance his position on
the subject of the tariff az against the
sentiment of his constituents. Mr.. john
said that while his colleague from
Charlottesville had received a large num-
ber of petitions in opposition to the Wilson
bill he had had none of them read before
the House, but the first little petition
which had come to him from his constitu-
ents in favor OF the bill he not only pre-
sented in the House. but asked that il be
read in full and printed in the Congressional
Record. He did not blame him for pub
fishing this one petition, as it brought
20 II Ill
him for suppressing the great majority,
an immense volume OF expressions in op-
position to the bill Mr.. Johnson stated that
Mr.. Brookshire had either contented him
self with slipping into the petition box.
without any notice, the many protests re-
ceived from his district against the Will
son tariff bill or had suppressed them in
the pigeon holes of his desk.
This brought Mr.. Brookshire to his feet
with the statement that the petitions
against the Wilson bill which he had re-
ceived We're addressed to him personally,
and not 10 the House, and therefore he
had right to withhold them from the
public or present them TO the House as he
wished.
Mr.. Johnson replied that he had no
doubt that was true, but the petition which
his colleague had presented this morning
In favor of the passage of the tariff bill
carried no more obligation for presentation
to the House and its reading in full and
complete publication in the Congressional
Record than did each one in the great vol
ume uI or protests against the bill. To this
Mr.. BrookShire said nothing
Mr. johnson brought number of Demo-
Gratis to their feet by stating that ii was
lne me universal custom with the Democratic
protests received from their constituents
against the Wilson tariff bill. He said that
while few of them were Slipped into the
petition box and their titles were printed
in the Record, none of them had ever been
presented by a Democrat in the open
House, much less ordered read before the
House. While there was much palaver NOT
single Democrat denied this statement of
fact Then MIR: johnson proceeded to state
that there had not been a single petition
received by a Democratic member in favor
of the Wilson tariff bill, presented in the
open House. This, he said, was a sup
preston of the sentiment of a member
constituency and was unfair treatment to
them.
During Mr.. Johnson's remarks the House
was in an uproar, and there was at times
the widest applause on the Republican
side and in the galleries, showing that he
had scored telling point against unfair
his expose of Mr.. Brookshire's suppress
sion of sentiment in Indiana against the
Wilson tariff bill, Mr.. Johnson sharply an
swered the arraignment of the Republican
party on account Of the existing deficiency
In the treasury and the necessity of issu-
ing bonds by Mr.. Fithian, of Illinois a
better or more pointed statement of the
events which led up to the present business
depression the lack of employment for
labor and the proposed issue of bonds could
probably not have been made. In word,
Mr.. Johnson stated that within two months
after the election of Grover Cleveland the
country knew that there was to be adopted
a radical tariff measure which would ad-
nit to our ports, free of duty or at vastly
reduced duties, articles which they needed
for consumption. This led to the closing of
factories and ideness of workingmen
Whereas, under the recent administration
and up TO year ago, there was employ
ment at good wages for everybody through
out the country. there enforced idle
ness now, starvation and distress. 1t was
all in anticipation of the free trade meas
ure now before the House. Let the country
understand, said he, that the bill is to be
defeated, and, within thirty days the fac
tories and mills will all be running, there
will be employment for everybC " and
prosperity will again abound.