The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-01-16
Staggering Blow by Dolliver.

That sacrilegious tariff speech which
Dolliver, the young western senatorial
iconoclast. delivered in the senate on Tues
day, may be recognized later as the final
blow coming after a. series Of gatherings;
which has broken through the stand-pat
arnor Of the senatorial bourbons. The
votaries Of Ch1nese-wau protection in the
senate were at last awakened from their
hermit-like Indifference to the voice of
the country, and were shocked and scan
dalized beyond measure to hear ,Dolliver!
stand there in the sanctuary and speak.
those plain, hard words regarding the
tariff that men in the west speak to each
other every day.
/, The flip Dolliver gave the senate stat
uary was enough to bring to life, and
even stir Aldrich up to favor free anthra-
cite. It doubtless had a whole lot to do
with the way the senators fell over them
selves the following day to vote for the
coal rebate bill
Dolliver said some things in his speech
that are as true as gospel, that are felt
by the people, and will yet cause the
whole fabric Of protection to collapse, If
republican congressman do not act For
example, he said
That portion of the tariff law Of 1897
(the reciprocity provision) is as distinct
ly a part of the tariff policy of the United
States as the coal schedule or any other
schedule within it. and undertake to say
here that more violence has been done
to the protective system of the United
States by the failure Of the senate to take
action upon the treaties that were nego-
of f1oo not ~
1897 than by all the fuss that has been
made on the other side of this chamber
about coal or the other so-called extor-
tons Of the protective system.
And again as to the history Of tariff
legislation:
We have enacted a protective tariff and
1t has worn itself out gradually until at
last its enemies have captured the eta
del of authority and overthrown it in the
midst of panic and disturbances from
which no branch Of American business has
been able to escape.
Such was our experience in 1899. Is not
one lesson of that kind enough? Why
should we provide for another in 1904?
2 This peroratton is we'll worth remember.
4ng:
Having been all my lifetime a disciple
OF Mr.. Blame, ana all my llleClnlo an aO
nairer Of William Mckinley, T do not in
tend to sit quiet in this chamber while i
is said to be Infamous that anybod,
should have charged that the tariff sohed
ules once framed could not be honorabl!
modified b.! sensible treaty negotiation
all over tho world. say here that it i
g. reproach to the government of tn
United States to-day that there is not on
line of the wisdom of James 6. Blaine re
manning upon the statute books of GU
country, and that not one step has bee
taken by the government of the Unite
States to fulfill the last public expires
sion Of purpose and spirit contained in tn
Buffalo utterance of William MCKINLEY
i for one have made UP my mind that tn
time has come when somebody whose con
victions do not lie along the paths c
silence and quiet and ease in our politics
success should rise here to say that til
whole future of the protective system !
the United States depends upon the wis
dom with which the congress Of the Unite
N States fuIfilIs the aspirations that may b
found In the public utterances of WiIllal
McKinIev 49,