Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-02-01

ground for that hope entertained by so
many moderate men, that this BILL bad as
1t is. could be a resting place where cur
manufacturing and productive Industries,
such as may survive. can re-establish them
selves and have q sure foundation for the
future, free from party pickering and party
strife. Hence. also, there can he no foun-
dation for that cry, SO insidiously raised.
that this bill should be passed at once, be-
cause uncertainty is worse than any bill
can possibly be. Were. this bill to pass
both branches today uncertainty would
reign Just the same.
The Underlying Principle.
This result was inevitable. Although this
bill professed to open to the manufacturers
a new ere Of prosperity. and professed to
be made In the interest Of some Of them.
the moment it came to be defended on this
fioor the great bulk Of 1t could not be de-
Tended on any other ground than the prin-
ciples Of free trade. Hence In this discus
sion, the precise terms Of this proposed act
count for nothing. and we are left to the
discussion Of the principles which underlie
the whole question. That question may
not be decided here and now upon these
principles. but the ultimate decision by the
people can have no other foundation.
whether the universal sentiment in favor
Of protection as applied to every country Il
Whether 1t IL best for the United States Of
America alone concerns me now: and the
frst thing have to say Is, that after thirty
years Of protection, undisturbed by any
serious menace of free trade up to the very
year now last past, this country was the
greatest and most hourishing nation on the
face Of the earth. Moreover, with the shad-
ow of this unjustiffable bill resting cold
upon it. with mills closed, with hundreds of
thousands OF men unemployed, industry at
a standstill, and prospects before II more
gloomy than ever marked its history-ex-
cept once-this country is still the greatest
and the richest that the sun shines on or
ever did shine on.
Nor have we in any way exhausted the
future. This country is ten times more
capable today for further development than
1t was in 1850.
80 utterly undisputsd and SO distinctly
visible to every human being In this audi
ence has been our growth and progress that
whatever the future Industrial system of
this country may be, the past system is a
splendid monument to that series of sue
cessful statesmen who found the country
bankrupt and distracted, and left ii first on
the list Of nations"
Mr.. Reed, speaking of taxation, said that
taxation Is not so dreadful 1t is not bad
to support an army. to keep a navy and to
barian queen to an abandoned throne It
would be dreadful
Paradise for Labor.
Mr. Reed here quoted at length from Eng
lish authorities, showing the strength Of
their confidence in the prosperity of this
country. These quotations. also, are only
reminders. for you, Mr.. Speaker, and all
who hear me, know that the American who
has been long enough here to know his op-
portunities has found the best place for
wages in the world.
I'VE may safely assume then, Mr.. Speaker
that country which has become in the last
thirty years the richest country in the
world" to quote Mr.. Jeans country
,hE Eal.
for laboring men," does not need to try any
dubious experiments
What are the reasons why any change Of
principle should be had?
"Of course. we are not to change the his
tory Of the last thirty years and the princi-
pies of a hundred years because some gen.
tlemen specially gifted with sonorous voices
have distributed epithets. We are not going
to risk our all upon such fragments of an
cient platform speeches, upon loud outcrtes
and abusive language. There must be ad-
dressed to us some solid arguments or at
least the opinions Of wise men, who have
proved their wisdom by the actual test of
human life.
"Is there any example in the history Of the
world of any nation situated like ours who
has taken the step to which we are invited?
Some gentlemen, perhaps, are Fastening to
say that England affords us the needed ex-
ample; that we have but to turn to her his
tory and fnd all that we need by way of
examples, just as in the statements of her
political economists We shall find all that is
necessary for advice. for guidance and in
struction. Mr. Speaker, have looked there
and 1 am amazed to find how little the ex-
ample Of England can teach"
The Case of England.
After reciting the history Of English
tariffs and their relation to wages paid in
that country, Mr.. Reed said: ITO sum this
all up, England, when she became free
trade was a workshop, wherein was manu-
factured the raw material Of the rest of the
I'll al aha