Meet Current Deficiencies--Insufficient
Revenue to Support the Government--A Remedy That Was Not Adopted--
Gross Injustice of Putting Wool on the Free List--McKinley Law
Compared with the Wilson Bill--Sufficient Revenue Furnished by the
Former--I Am Criticized for Supporting the President and Secretary.

The second session of the 53rd Congress commenced on the 4th of
December, 1893. The President in his message was especially urgent
in his recommendation of a revision of the tariff laws. He said:

"After a hard struggle tariff reform is directly before us. Nothing
so important claims our attention, and nothing so clearly presents
itself as both an opportunity and a duty--an opportunity to deserve
the gratitude of our fellow-citizens, and a duty imposed upon us
by our oft-repeated professions, and by the emphatic mandate of
the people. After a full discussion our countrymen have spoken in
favor of this reform, and they have confided the work of its
accomplishment to the hands of those who are solemnly pledged to it.

"If there is anything in the theory of a representation in public
places of the people and their desires, if public officers are
really the servants of the people, and if political promises and
professions have any binding force, our failure to give the relief
so long awaited will be sheer recreancy. Nothing should intervene
to distract our attention or disturb our effort, until this reform
is accomplished by wise and careful legislation.

* * * * *

"Not less closely related to our people's prosperity and well-being
is the removal of restrictions upon the importation of the raw
materials necessary to our manufactures. The world should be open
to our national ingenuity and enterprise. This cannot be while
federal legislation, through the imposition of high tariffs, forbids
to American manufactures as cheap materials as those used by their
competitors."

In view of this message, it was manifest that the tariff would be
the chief subject of legislation during the session. It was
understood that a bill had been prepared by the committee of ways
and means, which had been submitted to the President and Secretary
of the Treasury and approved by them. It was reported to the House
of Representatives, December 19, 1893. On the 8th of January,
1894, Mr. Wilson, chairman of the committee, made an elaborate
speech in its support. The debate continued until the 1st of
February, when, with some amendmen