The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1897-07-22
WHY THEY DID NOT VOTE.

WHY THEY DID NOT VOTE.
A number of monopoly newspapers
re criticising Senator Butler and the
,ther senator's who refused to vote on
he final passage of the tariff bill in
he Senate as dodgers" The purpose
If these papers is plain. They want to
20 keep up the "sham tariff fight" be-
tween the old parties, so as to keep in |
he background the real issues. The
and gold papers want to
keep the monopoly and currency ques-
lions out of politics and keep the peO-
pie divided and fighting over the tariff.
While the purpose of Senator Butler is
Just the opposite. Senator Butler has
done everything in his power to i'm
prove the tariff bill. He was on hand
and opposed every objectIonal feature
of the bill. Early in the session there
was a conference between the POpu-
lists and silver Republicans when they
decided on the course they have per-
sued and published card giving their
reasons. The POpulists and silver
Republican congressman took the same
position. Just before the bill was put
upon ITS final vote, Senator Butler
arose and made the following state
ment, taken from the Congressional
Record
Mr.. Butler. Mr.. President, this bill
is not defensible either as a revenue or
protection measure, and If the tariff
had not been used as a PARTISAN foot
ball for q quarter of a century between
the two old prrties in order to draw
attention from the financial and mono
poly questiOns-the real issues -
should cast my vote against this bill.
The rank and file of the Democratic
party has already learned that their
leaders have misled and deceived them
in charging that hard times were
caused by bad tariff legislation and
that good tariff legislation would re-
store prosperity. But the rank and
file of the Republican party was again
fooled by their leaders in the last
campaign.
The Republican leaders continue to
charge that hard times are due to
Democratic tariff legislation, and have
promised that they can and will re-
store prosperity with this bill. Mil
lions of voters who were fooled by this
promise in the last campaign cast their
ballots for the Republican party in
November. i want them to be undeceiv-
ed. A proof of the pudding is piece of
the pudding. l want this bill, as bad
&c 70 hn
can voter will no longer follow his
gold bug leaders who have deceived
him. He will be ready to look for
sues.
Therefore, Mr.. President, in order to
emphasize the fact that there are other
questions more vital to the welfare OF
this country, and which must be set.
tied, and settled right, before pros
perity will return, and to do what il
within my power to prevent this tariff
question from being used as political
football in the future and to keep in
the background the vital questions of
financial and monopoly reform, l in
tend to withhold my vote upon the
passage of the bill.
But, Mr.. President, in order that oul
Republican friends may have no ex.
cuse; in order that they can not make
the excuse that our Democratic friends
did, and say, eve were held up and
forced to put into this bill bad things
that we did not favor" want to say
to them now that if they have been
cOerced into putting anything into this
bill, any bad or vicious provisions (and
there are many Of them) that they
/ VrD,,ld NJ ou ho- MT of
they will withdraw such features from
this bill, and they thereby lose ont
vote, will give my vote to pass the
bill, in order that it may be improved
when it does pass. l think l can e
further and pledge you additions
woes If you lose more than one vote BY
improving this bill.
| Mr.. President, l make this statemen,
in good faith, and l am ready to carry
it out if our Republican friends viii
accept the challenge. Therefore, i
there is anything in this bill to which
they are opposed, that they have beer
forced to put into it to save votes, the,
need not keep it in the bill in that re-
spect, or in any material respect, viii
vote for its passage. If the Republi
can managers do not accept this offer
i ehCh tACy uhot WIS 10 JuSU 6uCu
bill as they desire, and therefore Cal
to come, as fail it must. The Demo
cratic tariff remedy failed; the Repub
lican tariff remedy will fail; then tn
voters will wisely decide to try the re
needles offered by the Peoples party
The Peoples party has offered the onl.
cure for trusts, the only receipt tina
| hos ovop npOdncod
money and no monopolies."
The other senator's who did not vot
for the same reason were, Teller, Q
Colorado; Allen, of Nebraska; Petit
grew and Kyle, of South Dakota
Heitfelt, of Idaho, and Stewart, G
Nevada,-seven in all. They ais
made statements to the same effec
These senator's by their position refus
to recognize the tariff as an issue an
serve notice that they will stand in tn
breach to force the real issue to tt
front. OF course the gold and mon,
poly papers are opposed to such
course. While the politicians ha,
been fighting sham battles over tt
tariff and fooling the people, the gol
syndicate and the monopOlies ha,
gotten the country by the throat, in
, poverished the people and robbed Il
government. A day of reckoning
coming.
Whenever any Popu!ist succee,
in playing the fool or doing anytbir
that will keep recruits from the Pc
pies party, he can be sure of gettir
J much praise and pstting on the bae
from the monopoly newspapers.
u Read our Washington letter
> this issue. 1t gives q clear and Il
terestiBg statement of the importa1
8 matters before Congress for tie pa
week. The outlook in that Congre