Rensselaer Republican, Volume 26, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 March 1894 — SILVER AND TARIFF. [ARTICLE]

SILVER AND TARIFF.

Ex-President Harrison Discusses These Questions. Declares "the Tariff Question Unsettled and Thinks the World Will Yet Restore Silver,

Ex-President Harrison, en route to California, was met at Trinidad. Col., Wedneslay, by a committee headed by the Mayor ind 2.C03 people. After the ceremonies usual to such occasions. Gen. Harrison said: My Friends—l am too much surprised, and being human, 1 am much gratified to jee so many of you to-day, and to feel that the passing through your city of a private citizen, whose occupation just nowis that of a school teacher, should have excited so much interest as to have brought you out here to see me. Several of these gentlemen who came upon tho car have suggested themes for a speech. I think they all agreed that I ought to talk about the tariff. That is a very troublesome question. I remember when I was a boy at school we had the tariff up for debate in our literary society and a gentleman who afterward became a judge in lowa began his speech by saying that there had been a great deal said about tariff, but he thought ho had it in a nut shell and just at thistimehis modesty and embarassment were such thgit he broke down altogether and closed his speech right there without cracking the nut, and it seems to bo uncracked to this , my friends, the question is simply this: That those who bolieve in a protective tariff have the opinion that the Ajmerican interests ought to be protected by American legislation. [Cheers.}; Now, it is very noticeable that all through our great centers of population free traders and protectionists alike are all urging city councils and boards of county commissioners either to vote money to devote to the relief of the poor and unemployed or to secure them some kind of public work in order that men may earn their daily oread. [Cries of “That is right.’’] Now, if that is right it is also right for Congressto frame our tariff legislation so as to bring the most work to this country that is possible. You have another interest out here which you have asserted with a good deal of vehemence and determination, and that is the silver question. Now I say to you today what I said when I was President, and what I have always belie.vcd. that a larger use of silver for money and free coinage of silver upon a basis to be agreed upon that would maintain its parity with, gold was good for the whole world. I do not believe that we could run free coinage ourselves while the European governments were pursuing the policy they have been pursuing with silver. But, my fellow-citizens, there are clear indications now in England and in Germany that they are feeling the effects of a scarcity of gold and its prostrating effects upon the industries. PbeMeve these two great countries are noarer right today than they have been for the lasl twenty years. They are all considering favorably tho question of a larger ana freer use of silver as a money metal, and bi-metalism has gained strength in England. That energetic young Emperor oi Germany is himself considering the question of bi-metalism. Ido not think that these countries are coming to themext silver conference as a coy maiden waiting foi us to make the advance and holding back, but will come with greater readiness than in any recent years with us upon a basis for a larger use of silver as money. I said to one.of your Senators that, if T could bring about the free uso oi silver upon a basis that in my judgment would maintain its parity as money ] would rather signalize my administration by that act than by any other that I know of. (Cheers.) And now a great lesson we have all to learn is that it is not possible for every man in this country to have his way. All our legislation is a sort of a compromise; it is the adjusting of the interests between men and between States upon broad and liberal lines, and those lines we will all find, and presently through tho teaching of this hard school-master, experience, will come out of the slough of despondency and stand again upon tho rock.