Rensselaer Republican, Volume 26, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 May 1894 — FIFTY-THIRD CONGRESS. [ARTICLE]

FIFTY-THIRD CONGRESS.

The Senate, Tuesday, disnosed of seven paragraphs of the metal schedule after iight hours’ debate. The . sensational ■ feature of the day was caused by the unexpected presentation by Mr. Jones of an amendment substituting the McKinley bill classification and specific rates on round iron in coils, blooms and Charcoal irornjornewhat higher than those already proposed. This amendment was a surprise to some Senators on both sides, although evidently anticipated by Mr. Quay and a few other of his colleagues. Mr. Hale tried to use it as a text for taunting the Democratic side, and Mr. Teller read him a very plain lecture on the duty of the Republicans to accept such increases as the Democrats were willing to’’ grant, without continually chiding their, adversaries with inconsistencies. When the vote was taken seven • Democrats and two Populists refused to support the Jones substitute, namely, Allen, Berry, Blackburn, Jarvis, Kyle, Mills, Pasco, Lindsay and Peffer, The rates fixed were as follows: Iron ore, 40 cents per ton; pig iron, scrap iron, etc., 14 per ton; round iron in coils, 8-10 cent per pound; slab blooms, less finished than bar, % cent per pound; charcoal blooms, M 2 per ton; beams, girders and other structural iron or steel, 6-10 cent per pound; boiler plate, from 5-10 to 2 per cent, ad valorem; forgings of iron or steel, IK cents; hoop or band iron or steel (cotThe question of civil service was discussed in the House, Tuesday, the occasion being the amendment to strike out the paragraph in the legislative appropriation bill providing for the civil-service commission. It gave opportunity for ■some stirring and not a few amusing speeches, The amendment was adopted by a vote of 109 to 71, amid great Democratic applause and Republican cries of “spoils.” No other amendments of any Importance were made in the biH. the anly ones adopted being to correct the totals of a few amendments to which amendments were made Tuesday. Mr. Pendleton, of West Virginia, claimed that the civilservice commission was established for the purpose of keeping Re-publicans in office, while the Republicans defended the present administration of tbe civil-service laws'. Several Democrats opposed the amendment, vlrtually abolishing the co tn - mission, but it was adopted by nearly a strict party vote. The principal event at Wednesday’s session of the Senate, was the speech by Mr, Gorman on the tariff bill. In speaking of tho dissatisfaction at the delay in the Senate, he said:

It would be idle, Mr. President, to dwell upon the-manifest absurdities of this outgrowth of petulance. But it cannot be denied that the demand for prom pt action seriously impaired. the efficiency of the finance committee’s work, and ultimately became so strong that revision was hastily completed and the bill was reported to tne Senate. I ventured the assertion, in the course of the silver debate, that nowhere was the truth of the old adage, ‘the greater haste the less sqeed,’ better exemplified than in that legislation. So it proved then, and so it was now. Ido not propose to discuss the merits or demerits of either the original Wilson bill or the measure first reported by the finance committee. It is sufficient to say that there has never been a moment when either could command a majority of the votes in this chamber. We might deplore s-uch a condition, and others might and did rail against those in a measure responsible for it. But the fact remained that we could not pass the bill. Such was the situation the Democratic Senators had to meet and they met it by the introduction of a Democratiemeasure of tariff reform which merits, and, I believe, will receive every Democratic vote in this body, the indorsement of the Democratic House, the signature of the Democratic President and the approval of the Democratic party. Mr. Gorman opposed the income tax but agreed to abide by the decision of the Democracic majority. At the close of Mr. Gorman’s speech Senator Teller moved to lay the tariff bill on the table. Great consternation on both sides of the chamber ensued. Pages went scurrying through the corridors to drum up every available Senator. The roll eall was watched with intense interest, curiosity being particularly manifested as to how Messrs. Hill, Irby and Peffer would vote. All three voted against the Teller motion. The Democratic line did not show a single gap, and the three avowed Populists, Allen, Kyle and Peffer, voted with them. The motion was defeated—2B to 38. At 5:30 the Senate went into executive session and soon after adjourned. In the House, Wednesday, the fight on the civil service commission was continued. Representative Enloe introduced a bill to repeal the civil service act. The appropriation for commissioners and clerks for the Civil Service Bureau having been stricken out, the next paragraph providing for the transfer to the Civil Service Commission of clerks from the departments was stricken from the bill. The Bouse refused to strike out, however, the appropriation of >6,030 for traveling expenses for civil service examiners. Another amendment to the bill gives the Secretary of the Treasury discretion in the temporary appointment of clerks to wind up the accounts of the divisions proposed to be abolished instead of taking them from the classified service. Prior to going into committee of the whole, the House passed the Senate bill amending an act to provide for the sale of the remainder of the reservation of the confederated Otoe and Missouri Indians in the States of Nebraska and Kansas. The House adjourned at 5:05, after getting half-way through the legislative bill. In the Senate, Thursday, Mr. Kyle’s resolution declaring it was not the purpose of the United States to restore Queen Lilioukalani by force was debated and then went over. The tariff bill was taken up and and Mr. Hale made a sarcastic comment on Senator Gorman’s speech of Wednesday. The Aldrich amendment to increase the duty on tin plate to IX cents per pouhd was laid on the table—36 to 26. I'he Jones tin plate amendment was then adopted, fixing the duty at 1 1-5 cent, as was also the Jones amendment grading the duty on steel ingots, blooms, etc., according to size, value, etc. The surprise if the day was the acceptance by tho finance committee of an amendment by Mr. Allen, the Nebraska Populist, to place barbed wire on the free list. Several Republicans opposed it, but did not carry their opposition to the extent of demanding a record—making vote upon it. The following rates were adopted: Anchors. 1 2-10 cent per pound; axles, IX cent; anrils. IX cent; blacksmith’s tools, IX cent: boiler tubes, IX cent; bolt’, IX cent; cast iron pipe, six-tenths of 1 cent; cast iron vessels, stove plates, etc., eight-tenths of

1 cent; malleable castings, nine-tenths of 1 cent; cast hollow ware, 2 cents; chains, 30 per cent; cutlery, graded according 10 value and averaging about 25 per cent.; shotguns and rifles,. 30 per . cent. At 6 o’clock the Senate adjourned. In the Rouse, after routine business, the body went into committee of the wholecm the legislative appropriation bill until 4 o’clock when the MU was reported to the House. The Hayes anti-docking amend-. ment was defeated—yeas, 104; nays, 127. The amendment of Mr. Enloe, strikingout the appropriation for the Civil-Service Commission, was lost—Bo yeas to 158 nays —amid Republican applause. The legislative bill was then passed. The House bill to incorporate the Supreme Lodge of Knights of Pythias was passed. A resolution was adopted setting aside Saturday, June 22, for eulogies on the late Representative Hou ck, of-Ohle, -ThaHoaseytteh,at a few minutes after 5 o'clock, adjourned. In the Senate, Friday, discussion on the Hawaiian resolution was brought to a termination by the regular order. An angry argument between Mr. Hoar and Mr. Harris ensued. Mr. Hoar protested in vigorous terms against what he termed' tin se repeated “angry and discourteous lectures” from the Senator from Tennessee. “The tariff bill is before the Senate,” retorted Mr. Harris, “and the Senator from Massachusetts is violating the rules by continuing the debate on a resolution that has just gone over. As far as tlie courtesy of the Senator from Tennessee is concerned,” he added in withering terms, “he owes less courtesy to the Senator from Massachusetts than to any other Senator on the floor.” Rates were then agreed to as follows: Table and carving knives and forks at more than ?-l per dozen and razor blades, scissors and shears, wholly or partly finished, 45 per cent, All other■ table knives, forks, steels, etc., 35 per cent. Files, file blanks, rasps and floats of all cuts and .kinds,..four...inches Jn length and under nine inches, CO per cent.; overnine inches, 81, The Jones amendments were agreed to fixing the rates on cross-cut saws at 6 cents per ' lineal foot; mill, saws, 10 cents per foot; pit and dray saws at 8 cents; circular and other saws, 25 percent. The rates on wood screws were fixed at 30 per cen t. and on umbrel I a ribs made 0 f iron * and steel or other metals at 50 per cent. The duty on crude aluminum was fixed at 10 cents per pound; on bronze powder in leaf at 40 cents. The rhte.s on gold and silver leaf were fixed at 30 per cent.