Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1894-03-08

No intelligent man who has watched the
progress OF the attempt of the democrats
in Congress to smash the tariff. doubts that
| the revolt Of the protection democrats in the
United States Senate has sounded the death
kncll OF free trade in this country beyond
the possible hope of resurrection These
men who have maintained discreet silence
up to the present upon the subject of the
tariff have evidently taken courage from
the result of thu recent Congressional cleo
tons, and they are now bold to make claims
which even the most ardent republicans
could not excel, and is safe to say that no
line will hereafter hope to start another free
trade crusade.
Some idea of the bold attitude which the
protection democratic senators now take.
can be obtained from the statements made
10y Hill, Brice, Smith and others before the
finance committee of the Senate on Friday:
and the farmers of Vermont. northern New
York and other sections along the Canadian
boundary will be particularly Interested in
what Hill had to say in relation to their in
terests in particular. The senior senator
from New York devoted a considerable por-
ton of his speech to the agricultural
schedule of the Wilson bill, and rhe effec,
which he thought the rates of duty pro
posed would have upon the farmers in the
frontier districts
Senator Hill maintains that the Wilson
bill would he very great injury to the New
y ork farmers, and that it would be a cor
responding benefit to the Canadian farmers
He maintains that if the Wilson bill shall
become "A law the Canadian farmers will be
given the monopoly of the produce and
truck markets Of all the northern cities from
Buffalo to Chicago because they can bring
their produce IN cheaply, and labor is very
much lower than it is in the corresponding
sections adjacent to the great cities of the
United States. The same thing is true with
reference to the farmers of Vermont and
New Hampshire, and we hope that our es-
teemed democratic contemporaries in the
Green Mountain State will not fail TO make
special note of Senator Hills remarks on
the tariff bill which they We're lately so Wig
orousv defending and praisng.
Another senator who is giving the lie to
tional and fraudulent, is senator Whit. of
Louisiana, and If the president thought to
remove an obstacle to the passage of the
Wilson bill, 10y appointing him Justice If the
Supreme Court, Cleveland reckoned without
his host. In spite of the fact that the com
mission of Mr.. White rs judge of the Su-
preme Court has been signed bv Presi-
dent Cleveland. the senator continues to
lead the fight for protection on sugar
and the fact that the plan TO get rid of him
has mlscarrled, is said to have greatly in
censed the administration senators who we're
parties to the scheme
Senator Brice of Ohio has also come ont
strongly in favor of protection, and he is
particularly active in his efforts to have n
protective duty placed on sugar. From the
attitude of the democratic senator's here
named, it is perfectly plain that all hopes on
the part of the free traders for the passage of
the ilSon Bill in the form in which it came
from the House must he abandoned and
II is also evident that the democratic tariff
bill will be bill for protection as such. and
not at all of the incidental" variety. Free
trade is already dead, SO far as this country
IS concerned. 1t was slain by its supposed
friends and allies, and all that now remains
Is to give it a decent intelment.
The effect of the action of these Drotec
ton democratic senators on the free trade
wing of the party was undoubtedly indicat-
ed by few Vermont free traders in CONVEX
sation with the writer. These gentlemen
frankly admitted that the action of Hill
who was characterized as a traitor and
scheming politician, had made them sick at
heart. They admitted that they had been
placed in hole by their own leaders. and
they said that if this country was to continue
to have a Mckinley tariff they wanted tho
republican party TO have the power to adj
minister it. This is undoubtedly the senti
ment of free traders generally, and it is
safe to say that it will be long day before
the democrats make another attempt to
smash the tariff -
The snow Roller.