Rensselaer Republican, Volume 26, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 July 1894 — FIFTY-THIRD CONGRESS. [ARTICLE]

FIFTY-THIRD CONGRESS.

At the opening of the Senate. Tuesday Mr. Harris promised that a finaLsmio-on the tariff bill should be reached during the day if there was no factious opposition. Mr. Aldrich then virtually pledged Republicans to stop filibustering. Mr. Sherman moved for the transfer of raw wool and hair of the camel and goat to the free list. Lost, 32 to 37. The amendments offered bv Mr. Peffer were rejected. The first was to place wool on the dutiable list under the McKinley classifications with the existing rates reduced one-half. The other was to put manufactures of wool on the free list; Mr. Harris asked unanimousconsent that further debate on the wool schedule be underethefive-rnTn-ute rule, but Mr. Power objected. Mr. Power then offered an amendment putting wool on the dutiable list at the rate of 25 per cent, ad valorem. Lost. Mr. Faulkner asked that the committee amendments on the wool schedule as a whole be agreed to. and it was done. The committee amendments to the spk schedule were adopted, and then copying paper, filtering paper, tissue paper, etc., were raised from 3p to 35 per cent, advalorcm. When bituminous coal wsa reached Mr. Hill renewed his motion, made in the committee of the whole, to place coal on the free list, but the committee amendmen placing a duty of 40 cents a ton was agreed t 0,5? to G. When the income tax sections were reached the amendments were adopted without division except the two upon which Mr, McLaurin had demanded a separate vote, excluding from the operation of the tax the salaries of United States judges and of the President of the United States. Mr. McLaurin attacked this two excepted amendments on tfie ground that they were adopted on the. theory that Congress could not tax tue salaries of United States judges and the President. In his opinion the exemptions could not logically be predicated on the provision of the constitution against the diminution of the salaries of such officers during their term of office. It was plain class legislation. Mr. Pfeffer took the same view of the case that Mr. McLaurin did. Mr. Hill opposed Mr. McLaurin’S position. After some further debate the amendments exempting the salaries tis United States judges and the President were defeated —34 to 3G. The amendment to repeal the reciprocity clause of the McKinley bill, declaring that the repeal did not extend to existing arrangements, was agreed to. Mr. Palmer .moved to strike out the proviso ex<unptiug fence wire from the duty, imposed on other wire. After debate, the vote being taken upon it, the Senate reversed its action and in aA’ote of 38 to 32 restored fence wire to the dutiable list. Eight Democrats -Messrs. Brice, Gorman, Hill. Palmer. Murphy, Blanchard, Caffery and Smith voted yea. When the announcement was made it so angered Mr. Mills that he moved to transfer all wire, anchor. axles and anvils to the free list. Lost—l 7to 52. The vote then recurred on Mr. Allen’s amendment to place fence wire on the free list. Lost—32 to to 28. Mr. Vilas moved to' place all wire and material used for the manufacture of \vire used for fencing purposes on the free list. Lost. After several unimportant amendments had been disposed of Mr. Allen offered an amendment repealing the proviso which continued the sugar bounty until Jan. L 1895. Mr. iilll Immediately demanded recognition, but he yielded to Mr. Harris, who in turn permitted Mr. Manderson to address the Senate in opposition to the repeal. Mr. Manderson stated that the sudden destruction of the bounty would be a great injustice to the sugar beet industry; The amendment was then tabled. Several other minor amendments were then disposed of and the tariff bill as a whole was read a third time. Mr. Hill was then permitted to make a brief speech. He said: As between a populistic income tax on the one hand and a Republican tariff law on the other, I choose the latter as the least of two evils. As between pernicious class legislation fraught with dangerous consequences to the country on the one hand and simply high tariff taxation on the other, I prefer to endure the latter, at least for a brief period. Continuing he said: Eliminate the income tax and there is no difficulty in framing an honest, consistent and genuine tariff bill upon a strict revenue line with all raw materials free, which can be passed by the vote of every Democratic Senator without the aid of a single Populist Vote, and which the country would welcome and approve. This is not even pretended to be such a measure. N mnerous Senators around the Democratic side of this chamber must feel as though Democratic principles had been surrendered or bartered away to secure the triumph of this blotched compromise, which is really acceptable to no one. lam sure I that if they expressed their honest sentiments they do not approve this bill any more than I do.

Mr. President, I do not fail to appreciate the gravity of the situation, but the course which duty and consistency require me to pursue at this hour is as clear to me as the noon-day sun. ‘Sink or swim, live or die, survive or perish,’ 1 can not and will not support this bill in its present shape. Calls of “vote,” “vote,”kept coming from the Democratic side and the clerk began to call the roll. On the first call Mr. Blanchard, of Louisiana, failed to vote; his colleague, Mr. Caffery, voted “no” in aloud, clear voice, while expressions of dismay were visible on the faces of many of the Democratic Senators. Mr. Hill also voted "no” in a clear and ringing tone. Of the Populists Peffer and Stewart voted “no,” whih Kyle and Allen voted for the bill. Mr. Caffery. of Louisiana, secured unanimous consent to make a brief statement, and said lie had voted “no” as a protest against the “unjustifiable act of his own party in going back on a plan of action which they had deliberately adopted.’* He changed his vote to aye. Mr. Blanchard, of Louisiana, who had not voted, asked the same privilege, but Mr. Teller, of Colorado, objected and Mr. Blanchard •.then voted "aye.” The Vice-President then announced the vote—ayes nay--34. A conference committee of si-ven Senators was then appointed by the VicePresident to confer with a similar committee of the House, and the Senate adjourned till Friday midst of great disorder. In the House, Thursday, the tariff bi 1 was received from the Senate at ’ p. m A cablegram of congratulation wareceived from Brazil on the listl anniversary of American Independence This latter eVent excited Democratic applause. and the bill was laid upon th< -Speaker's table. A joint resolutions authorize the Secretary of the Navy to continue the employment of mechanics ant laborers In navy yards who have U-er discharged on account of the failure ol Congress to pass the necessary appropriation bills was passed after some tart remarks from Messrs. Cannon and Reed The bill to subject to State taxation national bank notes and United Statetreasury notes consumed the entire afternoon and no conclusion had been reacbct when the House adjourned at s:l.’,o’clock