The herald., 1894-04-14
At THE SEAT OF GOVERNMENT.
Long MINDED Tariff Debate in
the Senate.
Senator Mitchell of Oregon Makes a
Great Speech.
senator HlI's Method of Counting =
0uorum-rhe House Democratic
Caucus Adopts New
Quorum Rnlo.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press
WASHINGTON, April 13 There were bul
I0Democrstic senators present when tht
senate met today. and about half at
many more Republicans. Senator
George gave notice that on Tuesday
next Mr.. McLsurin would address the
senate on the tariff bill.
The urgency deficiency bill WAS taken
up and discussed until l O'Clock, when
it Was displaced by the tariff bill, and
PETER resumed his speech. At its con-
clusion Senator Mitchell OF Oregon was
recognized, and in the beginning OF his
speech described the events and poll
cies which produced the Republican
party and on which that party still
stood.
Mitchell began with declaration that
the passage of the bill would be lexislS-
/ tive recognition of a most dangerous
! economic and unconstitutional heresy.
The condemned doctrine OF the right OF
secession was fraught with but little
more danger to the republic. In the
platform of 1856 the Democratic party
had committed itself to the doctrine of
free trade, and the people had made the
fearful mistake OF electing Buchanan on
that issue. As result the treasury was
made almost bankrupt, the national
credit was shaken and the very life OF
the republic was placed in danger. In
1860 the people realized their mistake
and hurled the Democracy from power
and endorsed protection. History fre-
quantity repeats itself, in many respects,
and he imagined it required no uncom-
mon gift OF prescience or prophecy to
either SEQ or predict a repetition of as
complete an overthrow OF the Democratic
party in this country in 1894 as belell
it in 1860.
Mitchell declared that not until 1892
had the Democrats dared to attack the
constituti tionslity OF the formation OF the
national government, to chow that the
union bad been brought about because
OF paralysis of trade and industry result
ing from the varying tariff schedules in
the different states under the confeder-
acy. He quoted from history to support
his assertion that the present evil times
bear no comparison in disastrous conse-
quences to the experiences through
which the people passed before the
adoption Of the constitution, when the
country was overwhelmed by English |
exports, the circulating medium was |
contracted, the specie drained away, and |
wages and prices went down.
He adds: These historical deienses /
give some idea OF the condition OF our /
country during that period when there
was no constitutional power in the con- /
gress to regulate commerce with foreign /
nations and among the several states,
and it is to such q condition our country |
and it's people will be again driven il /
Jue Icurfur Ifereay A. ssseE~ -~ -s-,-
stitutional power in the congress OF this
nation to regulate commerce with for,
eipn nations by imposing restrictive and
even prohibitory customs duties should
ever find su ubstantisl expression on the
statute books of our country"
Mitchell condemned the adoption OF
the ad valorem system in the pending
bill, asserting that the principle had
been denounced by none mora severely
than by the great Democratic leaders,
and he gave numerous extracts from the
utteranCes OF public men, Secretary Man
ming. President Buchanan and others, in
proof OF this.
A great part of the speech wac taken
up in discussion OF the wool schedules,
which he declared were arbitrary and
unjust, placing his great industry on
the sacrificial altar and offering it as q
sacrifice to the avariee OF foreign wool
growers and to some extent this greed OF
eastern manufacturers, transferring to
their Golfers the bulk of the five million
dollars invested in sheep and wool.
Such bill which vouehsafed protection
to the manufacturer and refused to ex-
tend it 10 those in the sheep industry,
which favored the foreign producer at
the expense of the home producer, wss
one which Disseminated unjustly, un-
necessarily, mercilessly and cruelly
against the agriculturalist and in favor
OF the manufacturer, againat the Amer
lean and in favor OF the foreigner. No
st tie in the union had in proportion 10
the population go much money invested
in sheep and wool as Oregon,
amounting as it did, to Over
$3l, to IA head OF sheep, and TO 4S
pounds OF wool for each man, woman
and child in the state. California had
over 500, 600 head OF merino sheep
within her borders; had invested $751;
900, ,000 and employed over 30,000 people
in the industry. He argued thst no
greater fallacy Was ever entertained by
the visionary theorist than that placing
wool on the free list, the clothing of the
masses OF tho people would be cheap
ened that was the sole reason assigned
by the Democracy for it's action. Argu-
ing against this assumption, Mitchell
said: The whole history of the deg
| trine and the practical effect of the doc
trine, and the doctrine OF protection al
| f0rded conclusive answers to this
heresy. And the very fact that
all kinds OF wooden clothing
are today infinitely cheaper in this