Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-04-11
TALK OF A LETTER.
Bryan and Reed Have a Brief
Political Dispute.
THE FORMER CRIT1o1sEs A SPEECH

And the Latter Explains What He Meant
The Question of SectiOnalism Raised as
to Both the Leaders and Settled Salts
factorily to Each, Probably-Some Ex-
tracts from Colonel Thompson's Speech
i'm the MISUNDERSTANDING Case.
WASHINGTON, April 1l-There was but
one incident in the house that was of an
entertaining character and in that Reed
and Bryan were the participants. Bryan
speaking, ostensibly to an amendment to
the postoffice BILL made a reply to a re-
gently published letter of Reed. addressed
to Mr.. c. l.. b. Vaughan, of Hutchinson,
Kas., in which he criticised Bryan for using
from on OF his QReed's) Boston tariff
speeches. In that letter Reed complained
that the extract taken out of it contents
conveyed wrong impression. Bryan
stated that the extract he used had not
been taken from its contents; that he had
used all of the published report of the
speech. Moreover. he stated, that Reeds
letter of explanation, written deliberate
ly, reiterated practically the idea contained
in the speech from which he had quoted.
An Appeal to Sectionalisn,.
Tie proceeded to characterize the speech
rs IN appeal to sectionalism; an appeal to
the se!fishness of New England. While
Reed told the west that all the states
were equally interested in the preserva-
ton of the protective tariff he told Massa-
chrsctts that she was most interested.
This was most remarkable utterance
trcm the leader of the Republican party
the leader not only in the house, but in
che country. He called attention to a
discrepancy in Reeds letter. He spoke of
his reference to the Wilson bill in the
speech, where, as n matter of fact, the
Wilson bill was not reported until a
mu:.th after the speech was delivered.
What He Wanted known.
lie had called attention to Reeds letter,
he SAID because he did not want some
western Republican pursuing the same
line to argue that the tariff should he
wiped out in order that the west might at
las; start upon her manufacturing career,
ard finally achieve the power and pres
tice now enjoyed by New England He
wanted the country to know that Reed,
while he stood up for protection for the
whole country in the halls of congress. in
Massachusetts held up the Ignorance of
the south and "ths rapacious west" and
pleaded for special privileges for New Eng
land. Democratic applausel
Reed Replies to the Nebraska Man.
Reed listened to Bryan attentively.
When he had finished Reed arose The
incident was of little consequence. he
said. Its only significance was that Bry-
IN had taken what he had said in Boston
and had put it forth in Denver as Reed 5
positive declaration that the passage of the
Wilson bill-would result in building up
western manufactures to the destruction
os those in the east. lie was unwilling
that this mistaken impression should go
| abroad unrectified. He found that the
newspapers of the west in the midst of the
ruins of the Democratic party needed one
startling lie to come and go on.
The Maine Man Explains.
No one here would have placed n wrong
construction on his speech. Every one
knew when it was delivered, although the
bill had not been reported. that free raw
materials were to be used to appease New
England. If as a result of the passage of
| the Wilson bill the eastern manufacturers
We're destroyed, when rebuilt they would
| move nearer the source of production
There was no doubt that the course of the
| empire would continue to move westward,
but it should move westward without
| carrying in its wake the ruin of the con-
sumner as well as the manufacturer
The destruction of the manufacturers
would be the destruction of the great
| manufacturing plants. Millions untold
| would he lost and when rebuilt they
would go westward. If this process went
| on naturally it would be to the advantage
| of the whole people. The Repu blican
| doctrine of protection believed in no class
| as did the doctrine of the Wilson bill 1t
| believed that American people should do
the work.