The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1897-07-06

with scorn. and is considered a doubt
full investment By the legislature Of the
United States.
In addition, Mr. President, it is a very
poor argument, when you have been
rObbing some man for years. and he
asks you for justice, to say that you
propose to continue to rob him of mere
and say that you do not know where
you are going to get the money with
which to restore that which you have
unrighteously taken. 1t is the very first
duty of the congress of the United
States to provide bill which shall not
only be honest in its present applica-
ton, but which shall pay back some
portion of that which has been taken
from the pockets of the tOilers of the
land.
/ have talked with the farmers in
twenty states of the Union since last
fall, and / firmly believe that this tariff
will no longer eiSdure than until the
farmers of the United States can have
a chance to revise it at the polls. if you
do not give to them some portion of its
benefits.
The farmer is bending beneath bur-
den which he cannot carry longer. lie
has been the backbone of the integrity
CT the United States; but there comes,
in the place of the free and independ-
ent farmer of this country a race of
tenantry to reap Servilely where he
soWed nobly; men who receive their
opinions from others instead of giving
their own independent voice at the
polls and in all their declarations to
their fellow men.
The senate of the United States can
afford to be absolutely just. | believe
~, I, e,I,.o 4 l. TOD
Mr.. Chandler-May ask the senator
from Utah a question?
Mr.. CannOn-Certainly
Mr. Chandler heard the senator
speak of robbery a little while ago with
reference to the tariff. Does the SEN
ator mean that the farmer has been
robbed all these years by the tariff? Is
that the senator's argument?
Mr. CannOn-YeS, sir; decidedly.
Mr.. Chandler-When did the senator
first think that the American tariff sys-
tenn was q robbery of the farmer?
Mr. Cannon-JuSt so soon as the SEN
ator gave sufficient attention to the sub
iect to understand the truth of it.
advocated Republican tariffs as earnest
ly and as faithfully in my humble way
as the senator from New Hampshire,
and l believed exactly what l taught.
But / am not disposed any longer to
advocate a system by which one portion
of the population is taxed for the bene-
fit of another portion of the population.
[ think that it is unfair to cherish only
one class, and that the class which has
already the most power Of self-protec-
ton If the senator from New Hamp-
shire will go across the plains of Kan
sas, as I have gone, and across the
plains of Nebraska, l believe in him
sufficient to think he will come back
and say that this bill is robbery of the
American farmer.
l have stated that I am in favor OF
protective tariff system. l stated that
in the guilelessness of my soul, being a
Republican. and l went out and advo-
Gated the Republican idea of protect
i've tariff. l never was brought quite
so close to responsibility concerning it
before as I am to-day. Heretofore L
have discussed it ON the stump, advo-
eating it in general terms; but as soon
as | am confronted with responsibility
which obliges me to look more closely
into its application to all the people,
am simply discharging my duty when |
seek to amend this measure SO that l
shall be honest to ALL