The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1894-05-12
THOSE COMPROMISING OONOEs-
STONS.

Bill, reported to the Senate on
Monday, was so mercilessly exposed
by Senator Hoar on Tuesday, as to
command the attention OF every
reading and reflective man in the
country, whether Republican or
Democrat.
To properly appreciate the position
IN which the Democratic party will
be placed, should the Wilson bill
loaded as il is with four hundred
(4oo) amendments, finally become
law, it is essential to recall the fact,
that the National Democratic plat
form, adopted at Chicago in 1892,
declared protection to be unconstitu
tlonal and fraud, and upon an
unequivocal declaration In favor OF
free trade in that year, the Demo-
Gratis elected their President, and
secured an overwhelming majority
in the lower House, as we'll as a
good working majority in the upper
House of Congress.
For the first time since the war in
complete control Of the Government,
it was taken for granted by every
honest elector in the country, that
the leaders of the Democratic party
in Congress would exhibit the cour,
age Of their convictions and raise the
square issue between free trade and
protection, in such national legisla-
ton as would embody the party
pledges made at Chicago.
Unfortunately however for the
Democracy, but fortunately for the
country, the elections OF 1898 re
versed the lesson of the election of
1892 as interpreted by the tariff
reform element of the Democracy,
and the redemption of the pledges
made at Chicago became danger
Gus experiment in practical politics.
Upon the assembling OF Congress,
the conservative element OF the
Democratic party was not strong
enough in the lower House to coun-
teract the free trade element OF it,
and the Wilson Bill as finally passed
was the longest step" towards free
trade, found practicable.
The practical reputation OF the
Wilson Bill by the Democratic lead.
ers Of the Senate, by successive
conferences, compromises and con
cessions, completes the reputation
of the Democratic platform OF 1892.
Upon this display of abject politi
cal cowardice, Senator Hoar on
Monday made a noticeable speech.
"There is" Mr.. Hoar said, "a large majority of
| Democratic Senators on this floor who avow the
doctrine that duties for protection are a gross
| violation of the Constitution itself. And yet they
bring to us bill crowded with protective duties,
| and tell us that they are prepared to commit this
perjury and to be accomplices in this revolution
| because they think their measure, taken as a
whole, is better than the existing law, or because
they think this revolution and perjury are neces-
sary to buy votes for a measure that cannot other
| wise be passed.
| 81 should like, said the senator, "to hear some
of these honorable senators tell US how it is that
| if tariff of so per cent ad valorem on manufac-
| tured wooens be unconstitutional and robbery,
| how tariff of 40 per cent becomes constitutional
| and just. There thing about the duty OF
| go per cent protective duty on rice which showed
the sectional and one sided character OF the bill''
| Senator Hoar said: Raising rice is an exclus-
| sively Southern industry. Cleaning rice is done
| in the North, largely in New York and San
| Francisco. The rice milling and grinding indus
| try and the machinery which it uses is North
| ern interest. So this beautiful bill which puts
rice cleaned ~ cents a pound, and upon I'M
| cleaned rice one cent pound, gives to rice -four
| aud rice meal but one-iourth of cent a pound
protection. They put $50 OOO, 900 upon the poor
mans sugar-clearly a tax. They put So OOO,O 900
more upon his spirits, equal to fifty per cent ad
valorem; also clearly tax for protection only.
This BILL Senator Hoar continued twill pass
if it pass at all, by the votes OF the men who
disbelieye in it. No country ever tiourished
| under Tree trade. Now to say that protection
does not increase wages is to say that wages are
not better in the country that does flourish than
| in the country that does not flourish. l do not
believe, Mr.. President, there is a senator on
either side OF this chamber bold enough to deny
| thott 81 "a b;II
products, is tariff for protection. The provisions
in it for rice, for sugar, for coal, for iron, for
| Tennessee marble, tariff to protect those
great Southern products"
when the Democratic party let 90 its
power in 1861, Senator Hoar said the credit
| of the country was dishonored, and when the
| party came back in $685. 1t found the country at
| the hish water mark OF human prosperity. In
| the fourteen months of administration of COM
plete legislative and executive power, Democratic
craftsmanship and the dread OF Democratic state
manshlp have had their full effect The work
| man had left the mill for the highway. The far
mer and the merchant and the manuiac turer
were alike unemployed. The craftsmanship
that lighted the furnaces had been succeeded by
| the craftsmanship that builds soup houses.
This BILL he said, 'sis founded upon no prin
i
| born OF an unnatural union between two hatreds
that of section against section and that Of class
against class" The present bin was not free
trade measure: continued the Senator 1t cor
tanned clauses in the high est degree protective
inserted for the undisguised purpose OF buying
votes 1t was not Jrrotectionist measure, either
| moderate or extreme. There was not scrap Of
| g0Od-hearted Americanism in the bill. Mr. Hoar
| said there were eight Democratic Senator'S repre-
senting great Northern constituencies interested
in the continuance Of the protective system. Five
of them represented States that have recently
declared Enthusiastically in their elections and
| now have Legislatures holding to the doctrine of
protection by large msiorittes.
1t is not surprising that Senator
Hoar's excoriation OF the amended
bill and its authors, made a sensation
in the Senate, since having aban-
doned their bold avowals for a
revenue tariff orly, the Democratic
leaders urge the adoption of four
hundred amendments to the Wilson
Bill, three hundred and twenty eight
Of which actually increase duties,
while only six of them really reduce