The representative., 1897-08-11

them. There are in this chamber nov
at least so senators who believe in tn,
doctrine of protection. According t.
my count there are 81. There are {
number of senators here who have actee
with the Republican party in the pas
who have not changed their views OF
the protective system or the protec-
tive question. There are 43 Republi
cans now members of this body. Forty
five Affirmative votes, as the body nov
stands, will pass any reputable and
proper protective measure. The senate
today is good for 4S to so votes. Thi:
is bad bill. This bill can not be ex
cused on the ground that the Republic
cans could not have passed a good bill
Mr.. President, there are senators here
who have for years declared their de.
votion to the protective system. This
bill has been made without consultation
with them. The bill has been made BY
the caucus of the Republican members
who announce themselves as admins
tration men, and who belong to what
some of us at least insist is the golt
branch of the Republican party. II
there are defects in the bill, il there
have been agencies at work and the
Republicans who have had it in charge
have been compelled to yield and to
put some things in the bill that they
did not want to put in, they could have
who are as ready now to help them
make a decent protective tariff bill as
they have been in the past when they
were in full accord with their party
and members of the Republican caucus
We were told early in the session
that if we were disposed to enter the
Republican caucus our sins might ir
some respects be forgiven and we nigh
be taken in full accord Some of us
did not propose to enter the Republican
caucus. We did not propose to yiele
who differ with us 20 widely on flnan.
cial questions. Yet we had never indi-
Gated that we were not still protec.
tionists. We had, 1t is true, in the last
session of congress voted against taking
up the Dingley bill. We voted against
1T when every senator here knew II
was not a Republican measure on Re-
publican lines, when every senator here
knew that it would not became law ii
every man who had considered himself
a Republican in the past had voted fol
it. We had voted against taking it uI
because we believed there was another
question paramount to it, and because
we do not believe there was an earnest
and honest effort to secure at that SOS.
sion of congress any appropriate ant
proper tariff legislation.
But, Mr.. President, we had by ou1
acts, I suppose, taken ourselves outside
of the Republican organization and the
Republican party. So far as 1 am con.
cerned, intended when I walked out of
the st. Louis convention to walk out Of
the Republican organization and to be
outside of that organization. But ]
stated as l went out of the convention
that upon this question of protection
1 was still a protectionist. And vet
l have been treated as have my asso-
ciates who have been acting with the
Republican party in the past, as If we
had been always the opponents, the &C
tive opponents, the radical opponent.
OF the protective system.
I repeat, if there are defects in
the bill, If those having the measure
In charge have been compelled to lis
ten to trusts and syndicates and cor
porations and to hunt up votes, they
knew where they could get the votes for
a legitimate, decent, and a fair tariff
that would do justice to the government
in securing revenue, that would do jus
tice to the manufacturers in givinf
them a requisite degree of protection
that would do justice to the labor OF
the country in maintaining for then
the markets. But they listened, l an
afraid, to the voice Of syndicates ant
trusts rather than to those who have
not been on all subjects in full accort
with the Republican machine.