The Goodland republic., 1900-10-19
PEEpER IN CONGRESS
Extracts Prom HIS Famous DeIfvsranee
in the Honss Of ErpresentatiEes
FebruarT Z6. 1900.


Part Of CoBsressional Recurd-l
The house being In committee Of the
whole on the state Of the union, having
under consideration the bin fH- R s.
249 to regulate the trade Of Porto
Rico and for other purposes, Mr. Reed
er said:
sThe question has been asked here,
Who wants this tariff? I viii tell you
Who have argBed to me in its favor.
Some Of the members from California
some OF whose constituents are CitroUs
fruit growers and they think they de-
serve some protection against people
who have just as good q right to life,
liberty and the pursuit Of happiness as
they who have very much cheaper hab-
its Of living, and I am in favor Of Civ
ing them tariff enough to protect them
for this reason.
81 believe that these California peo-
pie are as good American people as
anybody; and if there is anything in
connection with any law that does them
an injustice I want to make it right
for them. It is also said that there
are some sugar growers in the United
States who desire protection, and
want to say I am in favor Of protect
ing the sugar growers Of this country
as against those Of any other country.
81 am also perfectly willing that all
people who come under our flag shall
have exactly the same advantages as
We haYe, no more and no less. And
when these people in Porto Rico shall
have been educated into the same hab-
its; when they spend much money
for clothing and TO educate their child
ren; when their wives wear as good
clothes, and If costs these people as
much to live as it does our people,
then am perfectly willing that they
shall stand on the same footing as We
i do in the sale Of our products in the
United States. But / am utterly op-
posed to putting people who do not
live as we'll as We do in competition
with our people on the same terms as
We enjoy" loud applause on the
republican side)
@Of the people who elect you dem
Ocrats to congress, L believe it is per
fectly safe to say,sat least, . per cent
less read and write, than can read and
write Of the people who elect the re
pUbIicans to this house"
/
"Here is something that may sur
prise you democrats. You can scarcely
grow a democrat in Kansas and tc
prove this 1 shall shortly be pleased tC
introduce to the members Of this house
I what I regard as a wonderfully bright
conscientious, old gentleman, who is q
democrat from Kansas; but must
state that he had the maIady before be
went there, and such a disease is like
malaria, very difficult to eradicate from
the system if once thoroughly lodged
any father is coming to visit me
here soon Qaughter) and want to say
/ that out Of eleven children he never
/ succeeded in getting one democratic
vote, although nine Of those children
/ came to maturity. I have often said
to him, Father, you simply brought Us
up at the wrong time and in the wrong
place to grow democrats LauRhter.) }
There is, however, one girl in the fam.
! lily who is a democrat. She is fully as
bright as anyone in the family, and ]
have often wondered at her being q
democrat. But I have lately conclud-
ed, because she has shown a disposi.
ton to 60 of with the spiritualists
and is quite q leader in the Christian
science movement, that probably she
is not to blame for being a democrat
but was simply born in the wrong time
Of the moon" daughter. Here the
hammer feu.)
Mr.. Reeder-I would like a couple Of
minutes more.
The Chairman-The gentleman asks
unanimous consent for two minutes
additional Is there no AFFECTION?
There was no objection
Mr.. Reeder-NOw, Mr.. Chairman,
did not expect to talk on this subject
at all.
A member on the democratic side
You have not.
About one week after Mr.. Reeder
made his famous speech in congress
the leading Republican paper Of this