onkey.

I do not think the Senate called upon to fix up this Mills Bill,
to rectify its most glaring mistakes, and then for the sake of
saving a little, give up a great deal. What we have got is safe
until the Democrats have the power to pass a bill. We can protect
our rights by not passing their bills. In other words, we do not
wish to practice any great self-denial simply for the purpose of
insuring Democratic success. If the bill is sent back to the House,
no matter in what form, if it still has the name "Mills Bill" I
think the Democrats will vote for it simply to get out of their
trouble. They will have the President's message left.

But I do hope that the Senate will investigate this business. It
is hardly fair to ask the Senate to take decided and final action
upon this bill in the last days of the session. There is no time
to consider it unless it is instantly defeated. This would probably
be a safe course, and yet, by accident, there may be some good
things in this bill that ought to be preserved, and certainly the
Democratic party ought to regard it as a compliment to keep it long
enough to read it.

The interests involved are great--there are the commercial and
industrial interests of sixty millions of people. These questions
touch the prosperity of the Republic. Every person under the flag
has a direct interest in the solution of these questions. The end
that is now arrived at, the policy now adopted, may and probably
will last for many years. One can hardly overestimate the immensity
of the interests at stake. A man dealing with his own affairs
should take time to consider; he should give himself the benefit
of his best judgment. When acting for others he should do no less.
The Senators represent, or should represent, not only their own
views, but above these things they represent the material interests
of their constituents, of their States, and to this trust they must
be true, and in order to be true, they must understand the material
interests of their States, and in order to be faithful, they must
understand how the proposed changes in the tariff will affect these
interests. This cannot be done in a moment.

In my judgment, the best way is for the Senate, through the proper
committee, to hear testimony, to hear the views of intelligent men,
of interested men, of prejudiced men--that is to say, they should
look at the question from all sides.

_Question_. The Senate is almost tied;