Rensselaer Republican, Volume 26, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 August 1894 — FIFTY-THIRD CONGRESS. [ARTICLE]

FIFTY-THIRD CONGRESS.

Tuesday was another “field day” in the Senate. At 12;28 Mr. Harris called up the conference report. Mr. Hill was immediately recognized/ York Senator spoke for almost two hours to breathless galleries and a full Senate. Several times the presiding officer was unable to restrain the enthusiasm his remarks evoked, notably when Mr. HiH declared that personal considerations would not prevent him from defending the President when he was unjustly attacked. He defended Mr. Cleveland's letter, his right to send it, and the sentiments of the contents and made a strong point against his adversaries,when ho pointed out that they criticised the President forslding with the House when they admitted that they had used all their influence to induce him to interpose in behalf of the Senate amendments to the tariff bill. He took up Mr. Gorman’s argument and met it, point by point, in a manner satisfactory to himself at least, and concluded with a piece of satire that stung those on the floor and tickled the galleries unmeasurablv. Mr. Gorman, on Monday, compared Mr. Hill to “lago.” Mr. Hill likened those who had joined in the assault on Mr. Cleveland to the conspirators who stabbed Ceasar to death at the foot of Pompey's statue In the Roman Senate. Mr. Gorman he characterized as the lean and hungry “Cassius;” Mr. Jones “Marcus Brutus,” the “honest Brutus” of the Senate; Mr. Vest, who struck the first blow on Friday, as“Casca;” Mr. Voorhees as “Trebonius,” “testy but earnest;” Mr. Harris “Meteliius Cimbor.” They struck down the President, Mr. Hill said, not that they loved Mr. Cleveland less, but that they loved the Senate compromise more. “And yet,” he concluded, and each word rang -out like a hammer on an anvil, “I causay with Antony ‘they are all honorable.’ ” Mr. Caffery of Louisiana, who followed Mr. Hill with a brief speech, also gave the country his share of the secrets of the political prison house. He detailed at length the manner in which the sugar schedule had been prepared, insisting that it was made by an 1 in the interest of the-sugar trust. He gave way in order to give the Democrats a chance to caucus. Altogether it was a very exciting day and the indications are that others as interesting will follow.

In the Senate, Wednesday, Mr. Vest, in the absence of Mr. Voorhees, who is quite sickr-. called up the conference report on the tariff bill and immediately ylcTded the floor to Mr. Coke, of Texas, who secured the passage by unanimous consent of a bill relating to the Arkansas, Texas. & Mexican railway company’s right-of-way-through the Indian Territory. At 1:05 Mr, Caffery took the floor and resumed his speech he began Tuesday afternoon. Mr. Caffery plunged immediately into the discussion of the complicated methods of refining sugar in Louisiana, which sugar went into competition with-the sugars refined by the trust. He contended that the bounty provision of the McKinley law prevented the extensive refining of sugar by the producers. He maintained that a fair ad valorem rate of 42 per cent, would furnish sufficient protection both to the producer and the refiner. He predicted that the Louisiana cane grower, with the new facilities coming into use, would, in a decade, bo able to hold his own against the sugar producers of the world. Louisiana, he said, was a Democratic State and did not desire to Stand in the way of tariff reform but ho insisted that in marching to the goal of tariff reform his party should not trample the form of his prostrate State. He would not foul his own nest. He also entered an emphatic protest against the provision In the sugar schedule contln u ing in force the Hawaiian treaty, admitting sugar from those islands free, which he said gave the sugar trust 11,000.003 annually. “As a loyal Democrat, the position I have been obliged to take has almost torn my heart out, but if the altcrnati comes, my allegiance to my State is paramount.” At 2:23 the Senate went into

executive session and an hour later adjourned. ——— ————-—-—-—— In the Senate, Thursday, Senator Vilas occupied nearly the entire session in a defense of the President’s course on the tariff question. Mr. Stewart spoke briefly on the prerogatives of Congress and the executive and accused the President with trifling with the question. When Mr. Stewart concluded the President pro tem. announced the question to been Mr. Hill’s resolution that the Senate recede from its amendments making coal and iron ore dutiable at 40 cents a ton. Mr. Hill demanded a division of the question, so the vote was first taken on iron ore. The Republicans, except Mr. Hansbrough, of North Dakota, voted with the Democrats, and the first half of the resolution was lost—6 to 65. Mr. Washburn, Republican, of Minnesota, then submitted a motion to instruct the Senate conferees to recede from that portion of the sugar schedule placing the % cent differential on sugars above sixteen Dutch standard. Mr. Gray, Democrat, of Delaware, made the point of order against the motion that it was incompetent for the Senate to instruct its

conferees in a “full and free” conference to insist on or recede from any particular amendment. Mr. Hale contended that an Instruction to the conferees to recede from an amendment put on the bill by the Senate would not trammel the conferees. It would simply eliminate the subject of difference. Mr. Mills, Democrat, of Texas, bolstered Mr. Gray’s point of order with another, that the Senate could not recede from a portion of an amendment, and that, therefore, the Senate could not instruct its conferees to do that which it could not do itself. Mr. Gorman maintained that the conferees could not lie instructed. Without deciding the point of order, the Senate, at 5:45 o'clock, adjourned. 6At Friday’s session of the Senate, bad blood and temper grew out of Mr. Blackburn’s charge that the Republicans were trying to delay action on the appropriation bills. Messrs. Dubois and Manderson were especially incensed at this, each charging Mr. Blackburn with bad faith in receding from amendments they had offered. The conference report on |he tariff bill was called up by Mr. Jones. The pending question was the decision of the chair on the points of order raised byMr. Quay and Mr. Mills against Mr. Washburn's motion to instruct the Senate conferees to recede from the one-eighth of 1 per cent, differential on sugar, 16 Dutch standard. Mr. Manderson was immediately recognized, and proceeded to argue against the point of order upon which so much hinged. Mr. Platt followed in opposition to the point of order. An ex-

tended debate followed. When a vote wm reached the result was announced— yeas >2, nays 32. The motion to lay on the table being lost on the tie vote, the vote reverted to the main question— that on sustaining the decision of the chair. TheroH was called amid the most intense excitement. It (also resulted 32 to 32, and, aecording to parliamentary usage, was declared lost. This vote’WKJ IdeuUeal with - its predecessor. The decision of the chair was therefore not sustained, and the motion of Mr. Wash bum to instruct the conferees to recede from the Senate amendment was in order. There were loud cries of “vote,” “vote” from Mr. Aldrich and other Republicans. Consternation was written on the faces of many Democrats. A vote on the motion to instruct the conferees to recede resulted in another tie. Mr. Gorman Immediately called for a vote on the resolution to agree to the request of the House for further conference, but it was agreed to without division? Then a sceneof inextricable confusion followed. The Democrats wrung each other’s hands enthusiastically. Their colleagues » from the other end ofthecapitol rushed down the aisles and congratulated them on the victory. The spectators in the galleries, realizing that the tension was over, drew a long breath and filed out. From the press gallery it looked as if the Senate had adjourned. After order was restored Mr. Quay secured recognition. He drew a huge pile of manuscript from his desk and said he desired to make some observations on the metal schedule for the benefit of the conferees. The prospect of another installment of Mr. Quay’s speech appalled the Senate and leave to print was hurriedly granted to him. The Senate then proceeded to consider and pass some unobjectionable bills on the calendar. Then, at 3:46, the Senate, on motion of Mr. Gorman, adjourned until Munday. ' '