The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-08-27

had the right to expect. 1t had the
T1gnt 10 expect it at once. HAD thls
been done, there can be no doubt that
there would have been at least moder-
ATE degree OF prosperity. l am speaking,
OF course, OF such reasonable Dill as
mlght be supposed to have been passed
by congress representing the various
interests OF this country. But. unfortu-
nately Tor the country, the procedure
fell INTO absolutely incompetent hands.
instead OF realizing the first greaI pf1ii-
clpie OF craftsmanship, that whatever Is
to be done in the world has got. to be
done IN accordance with tine wishes OF
the people who live in it. the gentlemen
in charge Of the tariff bill in the House
OF Representatives undertook to ignore
all the varied interests of the country
and to mould a tariff bill,
NOT IN THE INTEREST OF THE
NATION,
not IN accordance with the wishes OF the
people, but in accordance with certain
theories which they thought might pos
sibly fit their dream Of ultimate tree
trade. Such bill, framed in such a
manner, was doomed from the moment
OF it's inception. It had none of the ele-
men0s OF sound and wise craftsmanship.
{ 1t was not adapted to this country; 1t
was not adapted to it's interests; 1t was
not adapted in ally way to the situation
IN which the country then found itself
commencing upon vague theory that
u was necessary to coddle certain manu-
features at the expense of others, it vio-
lated the first principles OF theDemocrat-
1lc platform, and undertook protection in
a different form from that which had
existed before. Their party pledges had
placed them all in line of opposition
to protection, and had pledged them to
tariff, the purpose and object of which
was revenue and revenue only. Nothing
them to pay any attention whatever to
the manufactures. of the country.
While they might have been disposed
to CARRY out the platform, the very first
d1ff1cult y which confronted them was
the actual existing business interests of
the country. They found it absolutely
impossible for them to deal with the
question without recognition of the fact
that the business of this country WAS an
existing institution, with which they
could not NEEDLE at the instance of any
theory alone. Hence the bill which Mr..
Wilson introduced, although claiming to
fulfill the Democratic platform, was
yet protectionist bill in principle and
to a certain degree. 1t has sometimes
been asked OF us Republicans, why, if
it was protectionist bill, were you OPP
posed to it? Why should you make OPP
position to bill which recognized the
principles which you yourselves advo-
cated?" There ought to be an answer to
this question at once, and an answer al
so to The same allegation with regard to
the bill which was fnally passed. 1t
does not follow, because bill recog
nizes the principles of projections. or be-
cause it is subject to that reproach when
you are speaking of it to
DEMOCRATS WHO HAVE REPUDI-
ATED PROTECTION
in their platform, that therefore it is a
proper and suitable 4lproteetion bill
Protection, m system, is something
W bich can be understood, supported and
defended. Protection. as principle,
demands that this country shall do its
demands that everything which can be
reasonably and seasonably produced in
this country, shall be made here, and
that the markets of this country shall be
open to our own producer from one end
to the other, without discrimination as
to the nature of the product, except
such discrimination as is dictated by
reason and good sense. In other words,
perfection as method of preserving the
American market to the American peo-
pie is something which is defensi BILE;
but protection in spots, protection here
and protection there, is protection
which is justly open to the charges
which are falsely made against the true
protection.
In Mr.. Cochran's speech. made ID the
House of Representatives, with that
fnIs "a I<,r, ~,
of asserveration which distinguishes his
eloquence, he urged and pointed out how
utterly detestable this system of pro-
lection here and there was as exempli-
fed in the Senate bill, not only to the
free trader. bat to the proteetionist him,
self. When Mr.. Wilson's bill, which was
framed more with reference to the
wishes of New England and of those
manufacturers of a. certain description
who have been dallying with Demo-
cracy, reached the Senate, it there met
with the varied interests of the country
in more full and complete fashion,
and, meeting those interests, it received
great notifications. Thereupon it was
brought back to the House amended by
six hundred and more amendments, SO
entirely changed in its character and it's
ly declined to recognize it.
Then ENSUED A STRUGGLE
the like of which has never before been
part of the history of this country,
and the like of which ought never to be
a part of the history of any country.
The bill passed through the Senate on
July I'd. Committees of conference were
appointed by both houses about the 9Th
day of July, and everything was ready
for careful consideration of the differ
ences between the two houses, a consid-
Grafton which was not only necessary to
adjust the opinions of the two houses
but also to correct the manifold errors
which always occur in the passing of a
bill of so wide scope through 1egisIa-
tive body. For the first time in the his.
tory Of the country that conference com
mittee never met for the transaction OF
its legitimate business. The Repnbli-
can embers of the committee Of CON
ference were excluded form all discus
sion and consideration of the Question
Now the very object Of corference is
that the majority may hear the views of
the minority, upon the principle that
discussion clears up even subjects with
which men suppose themselves to he
familiar, and which is the great safe
guard OF legislation, just as cross exam
ination is the great safeguard of Justice