The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-01-10
MEN OR SLAVES.
Wilson's Rather Unhappy
Illustration.
HE WAS CALLED DOWN.
Whereupon He Promptly Lost
His Temper.
TARIFF TALK IN FULL SWING.
Gentlemen of All Parties VIII Now
Proceed to Air Their Views
at Length.
TARIFF TALK IN FULL SWING

day. His remarks were often interrupted
by Democratic applause. but otherwise he
was allowed to proceed until he created
something of stir by stating it was
fact that the protests against the pending
bill were largely inspired by the power of
capital which directed, forced and fright
led employees to sustain protected indus
tries. He said that when the efforts to
abolish slavery were being made petition
come from a large delegation OF slaves
praying that slavery might be continued.
This brought to his feet DOolittle of
Washington with the question: ''And do
you compare the laborlng men Of this
country to the slave element of the South ?"
81 think" Wilson replied, ".hat such a
question would not be asked by any one
above the intelligence of a slave" Loud
and prolonged applause from the Demo-
cratic side.
There was much commotion following
Wilson's answer. Doolittle said he did
not catch the answer and asked that it be
repeated with the evident purpose of max
ing protest against it.
81 DESIRE" said Wilson. "to be courteous
TO every one in this debate. so [ will with
draw the answer gave the gentleman"
Ou's ooiO 1OuI llCCus gOu Cdu Will
draw the Democratic applause" laugh
ter.
Wilson's peroration was forcibIe and
eloquent. He began with reference to the
legend which. be said. had always been
inscribed on the Democratic banner,
Equal rights to all and special privileges
to none" The people had brought the
Democratic party into power on the broad
principle of equal Justice to all. The
Democratic party raises itself as one man,
takes up this great cause, plants its stand
ard here to sink or swim, suryive or
perish, that the Democratic party may
continue in power. Democratic ap-
plause.l We will plant our banner
here. We mean to have a fight
and we will call every true believer
in Democracy 10 rally to our side. Let US
call upon the American people, the silent
masses of farmers. scattered and unable
TO organize, who plod their way under the
burdens of taxation. Our petition-boxes
are filed with the protests of trusts and
combina tions of this country. Let us be
true to our faith. let us go forward until
we make this country where every man
shall see the gateway of opportunity OPEN
ing before him. Then every man shall
see before him an opportunity TO rise to
such affiueDce. to such prosperity as his
own merits justify, not weighted down
with burdens of taxation. Let US labor for
a country free to all, equal to all, with op-
portunity planted in every home and at
every humble freside in the land.
AS he flushed, the Democratic side
broke into cheers. and wave Of applause
swept over the galleries. The applause
continued fully TWO minutes. After it
had subsided, Doolttle of Washington
arose to a question of privilege and re-
ferred TO the fact that Wilson had charac-
terized the question with which he had
interrupted his speech as unworthy man
with the intelligence of q slave, which re-
mark Wilson had afterward withdrawn.
Doolittle said that while he accepted that
withdrawal, he desired TO say that he
attributed this remark to the associations
of the gentleman from West Virginia be-
fore the war. This shot at the chairman
of the Ways and Means Committee called
forth applause on the Republican side and
ironical jeers from the Democrats.
Wilson retorted that an apology was
due to himself rather than to the gentle
man from Washington. This closed the
in cident, and Burrows of Michigan rose to
reply to Mr.. Wilson.
He said the measure under consideration
had for its avowed object a radical modifi-
cation of the tariff act of 1890. 1t involved
not only change in rates, but complete
reversal of an economic policy. "The
tariff act of $780," he said. "was enacted
not only with a view to secure revenues
| for the Government, but 10 encourage the
| of e.
| American industries aud American work
| men against unequal and injurious for
| egn competition. 1t accomplished both
these results. Since the 1st of July. 1893,
however, a marked decline in the revenues
had taken place. This is not attributable
to the law of $780, but to the prostration
of the business of the country through the
ascendency of political party pledged to
| the destruction of the protective policy.
This not only crippled the operations of do
mestic manufacturers, but the importer nat
urally curtailed i'm portations with view to
the coming lower tariff. Ii the Republicans
had been successful in the elections of
| 1892 public prosperity would have con-
tiuued. President Harrison told the truth
| in his last annual message when he said {:
| so high a degree of prosperity and so
| much Of the necessities of life were never
before enjoyed by our people,"
| EBurrows then proceeded to contrast the
condition then and now. He declared
that the tariff bill Of 1890 had contradicted
every prediction of Democrats by creating
hundreds of new industries, enlarging en-
| ployment and giving Increased wages to
labor. eheapening the cost of the protected
| article, augmenting foreign imports and
| increasing exports. and reasserted the
present general paralysis Of business was
solely from the aseendency of the party
pledged TO repeal that act. He declared
"You have but to abandon the policy upon
which you have entered. recommit this
bill and permit the existing tariff regula-
| tions to remain undisturbed. and sll our
industries will quickly revive"
| Burrows then took up the tariff plank of
the lastsDemocratic national platform and