New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-02-02
AND CHAIRMAN WILSON.

AND CHAIRMAN WILSON.
Washington. Feb 1.--When Speaker Crisp
recognized Mr. Reed Osep.. Mel it was the sig
nal for a spontaneous outburst Of applause
which the Speaker made no effort to check
Cheers and applause rang out the gal
.eries which continued for time. Few
speakers in the House have ever had grandcr
audience hanging upon their words. Mr.. Reed
stood for awhile, quietly and self-posscssed, be-
side his desk. the cynosure Of all eyes, and when
the enthusiasm had subsidized began slowly and
impressivey: Mr.. Speaker His speech in fun
was follows:
In this debate. which has extended over many
weeks one remarkable result has already been
reached result of the deepest importance to this
country That result is that the bill before us Is
odious to both sides of the House. II meets with
favor nowhere and commands the respect of neither
party. on this side We believe that while IL pre-
tends to for protection it does not afford H. ana
on the other side they believe that while 1t looks
toward free trade 1t does not accomplish IT, Those
who will vote against this bill will do 50 because
il opens our markets TO the destructive competi-
ton of foreigners. and those who vote for 1t VIII
do II with the reservation that they will instantly
devote themselves to a new crusade Against what
barriers are left
Whatever speeches have been made In defence OF
the bill on the other side whether by gentlemen VINO
were responsible only to their own constituencies. or
by the gentleman from West Virginia. who ought
to have been seaded by his sense OF responsibility
to the whole country. have one and all, with but
rare exception. placed their authors uAcomproms-
ingly, except for temporary purposes, on Inc side
OF unrestricted free trade
1t is evident that there Is no ground Tor thd' nope
entertained by SO many moderate men that this
bill, bad as it is. could be resting place where
our manufacturing and productive Industries such
as may survive. can re-eStabilsh themselves anu
have ii foundation for the future free from
party chickering's and party strife Hence also Tiers
can be no foundation for that cry. 50 ns!dlousy
raised that this bill should be passed at once. be
cause uncertainty Is worse than any b'l possibly
can be. Were this biz to pass both branches to-
day, uncertainty would reign just the same. TN"
result was inevitable Although this b!ii professet
TO open to the manufacturers new era % prosper
tv and profrssed 10 made In the interest OF som"
them. the moment ii came To be defenIed on 'h'7
floor the great bulk Of IL could not De defended on
any other ground than the principles of free trade
Hence in this discussion. the precise terms or this
proposed act count for nothing. and We are left
10 the discussion OF the principles which un1eriie
the whole question. That question may not be Do
cided here and upon these principles. but the
ultimate decision by the people can have no other
foundation.
AN ECoNOMICAL REvOLuTioN.
After this statement it would be entirely natural
that feeling Of WEAKNESS should come over tins
audience for If anything seems TO have been dis
| cussel until human nature can bear It no more II
is the tariff Nevertheless the fact that the subject
is still before the people shows that the last word
has not yet been said. and that the subject has
| not yet been exhausted understood.
| The history OF Protection has been most remark
able Fifty years the question seemed to be
closed Great Britain had adopted free trade. the
United States had started In the same direction ana
the whole world seemed about to follow. To-day the
entire situation seems to be reversed. The whole
civilized world except Great Britain has become
! protcctionist and the very year last passed has
witnessed the deserton Of English principles 10y
the last English colony which held out This has
been done In defiance Of the opinions Of every pO-
ltiSal economist in England who wrote prior 10 S0,
| and Of most Of those who have written since.
| When YOU add to this that the arguments against
| IL have seemed clear and simple that every
schooboy can comprehend them and every patriot
with suitable lungs could MI the atmosphere with
the catehwords the wonder increases that in every
| country IT should sim flourish ana maintain It's
| vgor Ten years ago IT was equally trIe at
| and the same time that every boy who graduated
from college graduated freetrader and that every
| one Of them who afterwarl became producer
or distributor of goods became also a protec-
ZIONIST. The arguments OF the political economist.
! clear crystal, do not seem to have convinced
| the world, nor. what Is much worse. do they seem
TO have made any substantial progress. On the
contrary. these economists have taken up the task
Of tearing each other to pieces so that to-day there
| Is hardly a namabe important proposition which
they agree, and the the facts OF the universe
are developed, the more confusion seems 10 reign
among them. Meanwhile. the world has proceeded
| in its own way without much regard for their thco-
| ries and their wisdom. ! do that studlOus
men have not discovered great truths and had
glmpses Of still greater but in the main they have
only passed from inaccuracy to another. be-
cause they have forgotten that the whole race Is
wiser than any You and J. Mr.. Speaker. can
not hope 10 do much better than these famous men,
except far view with tolerance what great
masses Of our fcIlow-men doing. and assume
that they probably right instead of assuming
that they probably wrsng In matters which 80
| deeply concern them.
1t Is often said that the truth Is the simplest
That is So after you understand that truth; but
when you do not a lie IL far simpler. When Coperni-
Gus discovered the theory Of the universe IL look
centuries for men TO believe Il. The Ptolemaic the
! DRY was so simple that anybody by using his eyes
could see that the sun rose in the East and set In
the West. just Ike the moon, and Doth IN me same
way revolyed around the earth Ana To-Day most
men accept the Copernican theory, not their own
! understanding, but on the general behei Oh man
1 kind.
| / shall not therefore in what have to say lie
! able-being as hope ON the side OF truth-to rival
the charming simplicity Of the gentlemen opposite;
nutshell OF speech / regret this the less because
| ! know that many philosopher has put the world
tanned world In which nobody ever lived or
moved. or had his being. and consequently word
which OF no human account. shall not at
| tempt 10 deal much with the metaphysics OF this
discussion, to cite statistics which have no mean
ing except 90 the student and so often mislead even
| him. | shall for the most part conine myself 10
large facts which known OF all or can he ascer-
tanned In the simplest possible way
THE POLICY. FOR AMERICA
Whether the universal sentiment in favor OF pro-
lection as applied 10 every country is sound or
| not do not stop 70 discuss. Whether 1t Is best
| for the United States o. America alone concerns
me now ana the first thing have to say Is that
after thirty years Of protection. unds,urbe1 by any
| serious menace OF free trade up 10 the very year
now last passed this country was the greatest and
most fOurishing Nation Oa the face oI this earth.
Moreover. with The shadow Of this rnilsiihabe Bill
resting cold upon IL. with mills closed. with hun.
drels OF thousands Qf men un' mp.oycd, Industry
! at a standst. and prospects before II NOR" gloomy
I than ever marked its history except once-this
country stl the greatest and the richest shat che
| sun shines on, ever did shine on
| During that period Of growth which lifted ~
| from a position SC low that we actually had human