the Senate gives
these groups of states a very decided advantage in tariff legislation.
The average of Senators to the whole population is one for 712,000
inhabitants. This inequality of representation cannot be avoided.
It was especially manifest in framing the tariff of 1883, when New
England carried a measure that was condemned by public opinion from
the date of its passage.

I undertook, in my speech, to define the condition of tariff
legislation, and the position of each party in regard to it. I
said:

"A change and revision has been demanded by both parties since
1883. The tariff law of 1883 did not give satisfaction to the
people of the United States. It had many imperfections in it. I
always thought the great error was made in 1883 in not making, as
the substantial basis, as the real substance of the tariff law of
that year, the report of the tariff commission. Whether that was
wise or unwise, it is certain that the tariff of 1883 never gave
satisfaction. There were defects found in it in a short time, and
from then till now the subject of the revision of the tariff has
been a matter of constant debate in both Houses. It has been the
subject of political debate before the people of the United States
in two several presidential campaigns, and the election of at least
two Congresses depended upon questions arising out of the tariff,
until finally the Republican party, controlling in the Senate, and
the Democratic party, controlling in the other House, undertook to
bring before the people of the United States their rival theories
as to the tariff. We had the Mills bill two years ago. It was
very carefully examined and sent to us as a Democratic production.
It came here and in place of it there was substituted what was
called the Senate bill of 1888. That was sent back to the House,
and the House disagreed to it, and thus this controversy was at
once cast into the presidential election. Here were the platforms
of the two great parties embodied in the form of bills, and the
choice between them, not having been decided in Congress, was
submitted to the people, and the people of the United States passed
their judgment upon the general principles involved in these bills.

"Now, what are those general principles? I think I can state them
very clearly and very briefly. On the one hand, the Democratic
party believe in a tariff for revenue only, sometimes, as they say,
with incidental protection, but what