Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-04-02
TARIFF DEBATE
Brought Out the Fire Of Big
and Little Guns.
Party Bitterness and Satire--Some
Samples Of Redhot Shot.
Champ Clark on Soap-DolIiver on Finance
Bits Of Eloquence.

Washington, April 1.-(SpeciaD. Nov
that the tariff bill has passed the house
of representatives and the long debate II
over it is worth our while to review tho &C.
Currences of the past ten days The de-
bate has been Il lively one Each side has
put forth both Its best men. Politics mas
as often been the topic of discussion as the
tariff. A tariff debate always brings out
party bitterness, wit, satire, crimlnatlons
and recriminations For ten days the pig
guns and the little guns of the house nave
kept up constant fire. We have heard
the roar of heavy cannon, the rattle OF
musketry. We have seen the party sapers
cleaning in the air Now that the smoke
of battle is clearing away let us take note
of the distinguished dead and wounded
who fell in the clash of rhetoric and repair
tee.
Some Good Shots.
OF course the patriarchal General Hros-
venor of Ohio, mathematical hero or the
Mckinley campaign, was in the timex OF
the fight. The following was his best shot:
"Mr. Chairman, were l to write u paro-
dy upon the beautiful and poetic sentiment
of the gentleman from Alabama (Mr.
Wheeler) instead of looking to the sky OF
the future with that ability which he man
ifests, expecting to see the names OF the
leaders Of this great Democratic party en-
gravod upon the tablets of fame IN the
bright light of coming history, would
write it very much in the language OF an
other poet, and it would be more likely
similar to this, "A thousand years from
now they will sit, pale ghosts upon the
Stygian shores and read the record of their
acts by the red light of hell. '" Laughter
and prolonged applause on the Republican
side.
This was hot shot, sure enough, but it
was not half as funny as Champ Clark S
apotheosis to soap. Shouted the witty and
humorous statesman from Missouri at the
top of his voice:
II understand the fact to be that the
French government has placed bounty
upon babies; but, thank heaven, we have
not fallen to that state of impotency yet.
Laughter. We are able to keep up the
supply of raw humanity. Laughter. Es-
pecially out in the wild and woolly west.
lRenewed laughter. We are glad to have
an increased supply of soap. Our Repub-
lican dilettante friends have always tainted
us with being the 'unwashed Democracy
Renewed laughter. Give us free soap.
Laughter and applause.] Give US free
SOAP" Laughter
Mr.. Payne-Will you use it?
Deliver and McMillin.
Mr.. Deliver of Iowa, who 1hadc about
the best speech on the Republican side,
also went into history, as follows:
Professor Fiske, in his history Of the
United States, says that in Boston during
the Revolution corn sold for $3.50 bushel.
If we have political friends out in Nebraska
and elsewhere who are anxious to do some
thing for us, why do they not do some
thing handsome like that? Laughter.
But the historian gravely adds that it was
paid for in continental money, which was
not worth a continental. Laughter. High
prices, of course; exactly as if you should
make a foot out of sig inches. Instead of
standing before you, timid traveller to-
ward the tomb, l should loom up in this
stately presence a gigantic Populist states
man, ~ feet high. Laughter. Gentle
men, the farmers of the west do not want
prices doubled by the cyanide process.
Laughter.
Mr.. McMillin of Tennessee, who made
one of the strongest speeches in opposition
to the BILL came back at the Iowa states
man in this sarcastic fashion:
"Seven hundred and eighty four dol
lars tax on corn imported, and yet my
friend from Iowa (Mr. Dolliver), who rep
resents great corn state, and my friend
from Illinois (Mr. Hopkins) propose to put
31S9. 81 additional tax on corn. Magnifi
cent benefaction, glorious craftsmanship,
that protects / 200, 900 farmers by distrib-
uting among them $1S9.51! Laughter.
! imagine see my friend with the green
necktie and ford complexion Mr.. Dolli
ver) laughter; imagine l see my rubi-
cund faced and russell headed friend from
Illinois (Mr. Hopkins), as they return to a
grateful constituency who will welcome
these statesmen home in such Il manner
that the Roman victor's triumphal march
over the Appian Way was nothing to theirs.
Laughter. Imagine that they will have
Cornstalks for flagstaffs, and on the flags
borne by their grateful constituents will
be the strange device, 'They have protected
our corn" Laughter.
Populist Repartee.
A Populist from Nebraska, Mr.. Greene,
was at the front of the battle line, and,
though a new man in the house, soon
showed that he was we'll able to take care
OF himself and was not as green as his
name might indicate. Witness the follow.
ing colloquy:
Mr.. Hamilton-What relief do you pro-
pose for the American farmer?
Mr.. Greene-I will tell you. The relief
we propose for the American farmer is to
go back to the money of the constitution
that you took away from us and thereby
destroyed the price of our labor and our
produce. Applause on the Democratic
side.
Mr.. Hamilton-You have told me.
Mr.. Greene-Yes. have told you. That
b one way to give us relief. Another way
10 give us relief is to keep your hands out
Of our pockets and give us a fair show
give us an open field. That is all we ask,
and 1t is all we ever have asked at your
hands.
Mr.. Hamilton-Whose hands have been
In the pockets of the western farmers?
Mr.. Greene-The hands of the protected
monopolies and trusts of the east have been
IN our pockets. Laughter. Applause on
the Democratic side.
Mr.. Simpson of Kansas addressing the
Republican side)-Ask him another ques-
ton.
A Member-Hit him again.