Gloucester County Democrat., 1906-01-18

! M orbitant and extortionate rates of
1 the Dingley bill. The Republican
house bosses did not want it-in
fact, it was the last thing on earth they
wanted They not only did not want
it: they dreaded it above all things.
But they could not head it off. and it is
! on and will stay on until the Demo
Gratis capture congress and the presi-
dency. The precipitating of the ques-
/ ton into the house was like opening an
other Pandora's box. From the mo-
ment it was thrown into the midst of
| the house the Republicans have been
! having bitter, ruthless Kilkenny
| fight among themselves. The beet sug-
ar Republicans from the west have as
sailed the house Republican machine
as viciously as any Democrat could do.
The Massachusetts Republican revision
| lists took hand-more mildly than the
beet sugar enthusiasts, but neverthe-
less they took a hand. The statehood
insurgents have made miserable the
| lives of the speaker and his trusted
| lieutenants. At this writing the Re
publican house majority has all the ap-
| pearances of a dissolving view. They
may get together, but 1t is hardly prob
able. The pretext for precipitating a
discussion of the Dingley tariff bill was,
of course, the Payne Philippine tariff
BILL which amounts to very little any
way, was almost completely lost sight
of. The bald truth is that the i'm
portance of revising down to rational
basis the outrageous rates of the Ding
ley bill rises in Importance to the Amer
lean people as much as Pixies peak
towers above the foothills of the Rocky
mountains The debate in the house
will work like leaven in the minds of
the taxpayers. It is bound to work a
revolution in public opinion.
Republican Contention Resisted.
1t so happened that by reason of the
unavoidable absence of Hon John
Sharp Williams, Democratic leader, the
burden of opening the debate for the
Democrats fell upon me. AS the house
extended my time without limit and as
some of the Republican leaders, nota-
bly, Messrs. Serene E. Payne, chairman
Of the committee on ways and means
and ex otficio majority floor leader;
Hon. John Dalzell and General Charles
n. Grosvenor, members of the commit
tees on rules and of ways and means;
Colonel William P. Hepburn of Iowa,
Mr.. Cooper Of Wisconsin, Messrs.
Charles B. Landis and James e. Wat
son of Indiana, propounded to me all
sorts of questions, my speech con-
sumed three hours in its delivery and
took very wide range
For instance, l was combating the
preposterous declaration of the Repub-
lican platform that "a Republican tar
iff has always been followed by busi-
ness prosperity; a Democratic tariff by
business adyersity," and to establish
my contention quoted James G. Blaine
to the effect that under the Democratic
Walker tariff bill there was great pros
perity from 1916 to 1857, whereupon
General Grosvenor asserted that the
Democrats repealed the Walker tariff
of 1876 in 1857 and passed a tariff bill
which precipitated a panic. To that l
responded:
The tariff bill of 1857. which the gentle
man says precipitated universal bank
ruptcy, was not a Democratic measure,
as / will presently demonstrate. That's
fact No. in the chapter of our legislative
and political history which 1 am now stat
ing.
The Walker tariff bill, which I repeat
was the only thoroughly Democratic tar.
iff bill ever placed upon our statute books,
and for which Democrats not only cheer
fully but proudly and enthusiastically as
sumed all the Responsibility and claim all
the honors for it wrought gloriousiy for
our country's prosperity, was in force
from July 30, 1916, when James K. Polk
signed it. till March 8, 1857, when Franklin
Pierce signed the tariff bill of 1857, modify
ing the Walker tariff bill. Please bear
these dates carefully in mind, as they
are absolutely decisive of the controversy
between the gentleman from Ohio [Mr.
Grosvenorl and myself here today and
betwixt all Democrats and all Republic
ans at all times, at all places and under
all circumstances. If plain, unvarnshed
undisputed and incontroyertible facts of
history can prove anything in this world
l will suddenly and for all time establish
the Democratic contention on the eternal
rock of truth and prove beyond even the
shadow Of doubt that the Republican
platform declaration of 1904 that "A Dem
| ocratic tariff has always been followed by
business adversity, a Republican tariff by
business prosperity, is a glittering, trans
parent and stupendous fable. I use the
word fable instead OF a shorter and harsh
er synonym because desire to observe
all the parliamentary proprieties. l con-
fidently place the well established truths
of history against bald assertions. am
SO certain that the tariff bill of 1857 was
not Democratic tariff measure that l
mo hog n "a 1a1r1