Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-01-24
CONTINUED From First Page.)

|
that the finest words that could be
said would be said by our eloquent
| Dolliver. But l am somewhat disap-
/ pointed.
After stripping his speech of all its
| glittering oratory and fine eulogium, he
places the browning achievements OF
Senator Allison's career upon six
things.
Il His revision of the internal rev.
enue laws.
- His fight for the gold standard.
% His connection with the forma-
ton of commission government for
the city of Washington.
"a The resumption Of specie pay
ment.
80 His connection with the banking
and currency legislation.
&c. His connection with the recent
railroad legislation.
81 had supposed greater things than
this coulud be pointed OUT, or, at least
painted on canvas by the distinguished
senator when drawing from a career
lasting thirty-five years.
LAS to the revision of the internal
revenue laws made under the dlrec-
ton of Senator Allison, he points out
as the browning achievement of his
labors that the tax had been reduced
from 81 per gallon on distilled liquors
to Is cents per gallon, and that in the
last year of the operation under the old
law the government had collected rev
enue on about 100000 gallons, and
that under the new law, the first year,
revenue was collected on 4S,OOO,000
gallons. ! see in this declaration moth
| ing of which republicans should be
especially proud. This is but an eN-
emplifcation of the old democratic
| theory that Il reduction in the tariff
increases both production and con-
| sumption. But whether it is wise
or an llnwise policy that leads to the
! increased production and consumption
of liquor in this country might be a
question upon which good republicans
could easily disagree.
He next refers to Senator Allison'S
fight for the gold standard. l am not
quite able to agree with the distln-
guished senator upon THAI record. l
do not know all the things that Sena-
tor Allison has said or done on that
| subject; but ! do know that in the
scampaign of 1896. when the republican
party was making its desperate fight
! for the gold standard, that there were
| few things more embarrassing to re-
publican speakers on the stump than
| the quotations that the democratic Or
ators made from the speeches of Sen
ator Allison in defense of the white
metal.
Il further know that the compro-
mise which he injected into what was
known as the BlandAllison Act pre-
vented the adoption and application of
the gold standard for a long time in
this country; and not until that leg
| islation had brought on the worst fin
ancial panic that this country ever
| saw were we able to get away from
| the effects of that compromise and
adopt the gold standard.
HE next refers to Senator +Allison's
| connection with the formation of a
government for the city of Washing
| ton. He refers to this ito illustrate
his singular genius for constructive
| legislative tasks After stating thai
| Senator Allison had spent all summer
| of 1874 in investigation and prepara-
| ton of bill, he reported one that was
suggested as temporary expedient to
| the superseded as soon as a permanent
scheme of administration could be
provided by congress- If there ever
was anything that clearly portrayed
| Senator Allison's. genius for construc-
| tive legislation, it is contained in this
sentence. His life work in congress, If
read it right, has been devoted to
ereating eXpedients instead OF solving
and settling great questions.
"He next points with pride to Sena-
tor Allison's connection with the re-
sumption of specie payment. He says
mittee that drafted a bill that was
adopted unanimously by the republic
cans of the senate. I do not consider
this any great or lasting compliment.
as it clearly reveals Senator Allison's
genius of going with the crowd.
Senator Dolliver points with pride
to the fact that Senator Allison is the
Father of our present financial and
banking SYSTEM have not been quite
able to discover whether this was in
tended as one of Delivers finely yelled
Jokes or whether he was serious. In
view of recent occurrences, it would
seem to be a joke.
''In all candor, let me ask you Wheth-
er the time has not arrived in the his
tory of our country when we should
elect men to office that have sagac1tS
and courage to enact laws that will
prevent rather than ameliorate disas-
| ter. To put it in the mildest terms
that I can command, the senior sena-
tor of Iowa is not such man. He is
not the man to mark out the path.
| He gently and quietly treads along the
well beaten paths of the past. He Is
not the man to wake up the country
but has to be Weakened up by it.
What Allison Has Not Done.
Senator Deliver next refers to Sem
ator Allson's connection with the re-
| cent railroad legislation. giving the in
terstate commerce commission power
to fix railroad rates For his services
in connection with that bill I gave him
due credit, and proper praise. But l
| am not an enthusiast for deathbed re-
pentance All of you familiar with this
| subject will recall that the interstate
commerce commission was created by
congress in 1887. and under that law
| ii was supposed that 1t had the power
| to fix rates II at least exercised that
right until 1897 when the supreme
court decided that the act did not con-