The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1894-07-27
Washington Letter.

that man must serve in the Senate for two
or three years before he can so much as
move to adjourn, and on the 22d ult, he
made speech that for matter and manner
would have done credit to one of the Oldest
or one of TIE ablest Senators OF that body of
which he has been member for less than
two months.
Senator Patton spoke for three.Quarters of
an hour and talked with all the freedom, ease
and eloquence OF one used to public speak
ing, and thoroughly at his ease in the high
est legislative body in America. sNo
stranger who heard the young Senator
would have realized for moment that he
was making his maiden Speech" or that
he had not been member of that body for
years instead of having been suddenly
called from his law Office to be Senator
with no notice and no time for preparation.
Michigan has good reason to be proud of
her junior Senator in his first effort, for he
made an able speech and delivered it in
most thoroughly creditable manner. He not
only commanded the closest attention OF al
the Senators during the entire delivery of
the speech, but at its close was warmly
congratulated by all the republicans pres
ent, each of whom went to his desk to shake
his hand. In the House, members of all
three political parties frequently gather
around member and congratulate him when
he has made big speech, but 1t is another of
the Senate traditions that Senators must not
congratulate fellow-member outside of
their political parties. And that's why
Senator Patton didn't receive any demo
cratic or populstic congratulations.
Senator Patton is an easy, graceful, nat
ural orator, and his speech was well de-
serving of all the high compliments it re-
| ceiyed. 1t was generally admitted that his
was easily the best in every sense of
| the word of any OF the maiden speeches
that have been made in the Senate during
the past two years, when new Senators have
been much more numerous than for the
same time for many years. The speech was
a strong one for any man to have made, at
any time or in any place, aud will not only
help to make Mr. Patton strong among his
fellow Senators, but will naturally aid him
in his effort to be elected, next winter, as
his own successor to fill out the late Senator
StOckbridge's uneXpired term.
Mr.. Patton began by tnodestly apologize
ing for taking part in the debate sonsoon
after becoming q member of the Senate, but
said with the cry of distress coming from
every quarter feel that | should be guilty
of neglect of duty did / not enter the pro-
test of Michigan against this bill, which
means only destruction TO those interests
which have made it great and powerful"
The speech that followed was SO full of
facts, figures and arguments that later in
the day Senator Gallingher alluded!to it 90.
1.-THE strong and eloquent speech to which
we have just listened from the junior Sena-
tor from Michigan;" while Senator Chand-
Ter spoke of ''the clear and forcible presen-
taton by the junior Senator from Michigan,
Mr.. Patton"
Coming into the Senate after the debate
on the tariff bill had been running, first in
House and then in the Senate, for many
months, Senator Patton found, as all who
have spoken recently, that it was an exceed
lngly difficult thing to say anything new on
the tariff question. And yet, in addition to
the many good points he made on features
of the subject that have been fully dis
cussed by those who have preceded him, he
brought into the dicussion at least two import
ant features that were new as well as of great
general interest to the whole country.
Senator Patton referred TO the pleas made
by the Senators from several of the south
ern States. for protection to the industries
of their states. while they arc not willing to
give protection to northern States and the
whole country. lie said in part:
LET zee say TO those Senators, If they
would listen to the voices from the New
South if they would point to the smoke sig
nails which have waved in the sky from At
lanta and Birmingham and Sheffield: if they
would come out Of the mists and fogs of the
past and denounce the mumbling over dead
issues, and get away from the doctrine of
| free trade, which was the corner stone of
that Confederate constitution which was
shot to death by the armies of the Union,
and persisted at Appomattox, their resources
will not remain undeveloped. Let them
| listen to the voice of the New South, which
is surely coming with the triumph of pro-
lection, already heralded by the ground
swell of popular approval at every oppor-
tunlty the people have had to apologize for
the great mistake of 1892. The doctrine
this side of the chamber advocates, is as
broad as our country. 1t will do for Ala
bams, the Virginias, Louisiana and Georgia,
what it has already done for Ohio and
Michigan"
Mr.. Patton then referred, in eloquent
words, to the late Henry w. Grady. one of
the greatest and fairest southern editors
who spoke and wrote so manfully and earn.
estly in favor of the protection that had
made the states of the North so prosperous,
and which the South was trying to break
| down.