Speech #500108684

Half admitting the untenable and delusive character of the policy of the Democratic party and of its leading measure. framed at the dictation of the head of that party for the suppression of American enterprise and prosperity. they thrust the subject forward at all times and on all occasions. showing by this course that doubts exist in their own minds as to whether their theories of revenue are worthy the adoption by the people. They have but one leading idea. and that embodied in the Mills bill is tariff for revenue. tending to free trade. I wish to say in regard to the charges made by the gentleman from Indiana against General Harrison on the Chinese question. and this is proved by the record. that General Harrison never favored nor advocated Chinese immigration into this country. He stood by a treaty stipulation. and opposed a willful and violent infraction of it. He advocated a stipulation for suppressing Chinese immigration into this country and voted for such a proposition in the Senate. as has been shown. and I say without fear of contradiction that General Harrison is a more reliable friend of California and its products. and better disposed to protect its industries from Chinese or other competition than the gentleman from Indiana or any other member of his party. The tariff bill supported by the Democratic party as the leading measure upon which it bids for support puts upon the freelist the leading products of the Pacific coastits lumber and its wool. and when the freelumber clause of the Mills bill was under consideration in the House and a proviso was offered to the effect that lumber coming from British Columbia or elsewhere. the product of Chinese labor. should be made dutiable as under the present law. every Democrat in the House. with possibly one or two exceptions. voted against it. Of the products of California placed on the freelist by the Democratic Mills bill we find oliveoil. one of our rising productions. which if moderately protected would in a few years run the spurious foreign article out of the market. and supply a pure American article at a moderate price.