Great Falls weekly tribune., 1896-04-10
MANTLE ON DECK
Senior Senator from Montana Makes
His Maiden Speech N the
Senate.
PROTECTION and FREE COINAGE
Sectarian Appropriations Once More
Occupy the Attention Of
the House.


retirement for some weeks, the tariff
silver bill was brought forward in the
senate today as the text for speech by
Mantle of Montana, one of the five re-
publican senators who voted against
considering the tariff bill.
Mantle defended the course Of the sill
yer repu blican senators, declaring that
the Dingley bill was not framed as a
patriotic measure. 1t was Man.le's
maiden speech of formal character.
He said he hesitated as a young and new
member of the senate to address the
body, but the misinterpretation and mis-
representation, which had been indulged
in against the republicans of the western
interests, led him to speak. He spoke Of
the recent utterances Of President Cleve-
land before missionary gathering, de-
rogatory to the west, as but one of the
assaults made of late against the "rotteD
boroughs and mining camps" of the west,
as the metropolitan press designated the
silver states.
Mantle declared that within a radius
of five miles from Carnegie hall, New
York, where Cleveland spoke, there was
more poverty: ignorance, squallor, starv-
alton, crime and criminals than in all Of
the silver states combined. He gave
statistics, comparing the silver states
with five eastern states, showing the
former to be abreast and ahead Of their
eastern sisters in material and moral
standing. Mantle said the attacks
eprang mainly from the fact that five
republican senators voted against pro-
cccding with the tariff bill at an inop-
portuno time. lie spoke Of the fact that
any tariff bill would be vetoed by the
president. The house of representatives
was chosen, not so much for tariff legis
lation. as for protest against the bond
issuing policy Of the present admins
tration.
The Mckinley law was, eeid the eona-
tor. etrictly high protective measure,
SO high that some republican senators
now on the floor Of the senate doubted
its expediency and would, il the repub-
lican party wgs fully restored to power,
oppose its re-enactm Mt. But the Ding
ley bill WAS not measure designated for
protection or revenue. 1t was, ne be-
lieved, political measure, and it was
framed without duo consideration to
western interests.
"There are some republicans" OK
claimed Mantle, "willing TO sacrifice the
principles of the republican party 80
long as the measure affords protection to
certain lnterestg.' The five silver repub.
lcan senators were denounced as "tralt-
ORE to their party for failing to vote for
the tariff bill, But he denied that the
Dingley bill was republican measure,
and he quoted statement Of Sherman
that the bill was strictly bipartisan
and was not republican measure.
If the Dingley bill was revenue meas
ure, as claimed by it's friends,
then no manufacturers suffered from its
failure, as it was protection, not revenue,
lLluL WAS Nltai 10 tIltS kul6EBEL. LII VIEW
of these facts, Mantle suggested that the
efforts made to read him and his silver
associates out of the republican party
had better be reconsidered by the east
ern press, and that these senators be per-
mitted to remain in the party. The SEN
ator declared himself in favor of protec-
ton, but not sectional protection. 1t
was principle too great to be used in
behalf of any special interest or any
monopoly 1t must shield and upbuild
the west as we'll as the east.
While, however, he favored true pro-
lection, he favored equally true bimetal-
lism, the coinage of both gold and silver
at ratio of 1G to l. He believed also
In bimetallism, which did not wait for
the action of foreign countries. Mantle
closed by expressing the hope that the
finance committee would remodel the
Dingley bill by combined protection and