National Republican., 1883-02-06

where than in Washington. Tho resolution
was referred TO the committee on pensions.
At the close Of the morning business
THE TARIFF BILL.
was taken up.
Mr.. Morrill, again called attention 10 the
brief time remaining before the end of the
session, and urged tho necessity for industry
in dealing with this bill. He appealed to
senators generally, even to those whose views
on the tariff question differed radically from
his, to consider whether the pending bill did
not make rs great reductions as could bo
hoped for now, or within the next few years.
Even If there should be an extra session of
tho next congress, IL seemed very unlikely, i'm
view of tho position of political parties in the
senate, that any bill makAg larger reductions
could be passed. This being so, he asked
senators to consider whether IL would he
state esmanlikc to leave this question in the
wind for one or two or several years, alarm
ing and doranging all the business of the
country.
Mr.. Beck assured the chairman Of the com.
mittcc on finance that ho would expedite ac-
tion upon the bill in every proper manner,
but he would continue TO offer amendments
and to state his reasons therefor. He be-
lievcd that If the question had not been cm-
barmssed by the action of the tariff commits
sion, the amount of labor already bestowed
upon it by tho committee on finance would
have produced much better bill than that
now pending, and one which would have been
passed before now. Tho great difficulty of
dealing with tho pending bill arose from the
necessity Of unraveling the web so carefully
and cunningly woven by tho Interested par
ties who had been permitted by the tariff
commission to franc the various schedules
and who, being experts knew just when,
by changes of classification and of
rates, they could mako apparent without
real reductions, and in some cases enormous
increases. He supposed that tho senator from
Maine (NIr. Halc) would try this morning to
force through his ilve.minute gag law, and i'm
advance of being gagged he would present
some facts showing that this bill, purporting
to reduce the peoples burdens, would really
increase them greatly for tho benefit of u
small class in the community. Tho chair
man (Mr. Morrill) in his opening speech on
the bill had estimated, on the basis of impor-
tations of 1882, that the reduction on tho
cotton schedule would be S3,BS1 200, but the
fact was that instead Of this reduction there
would be an absolute increase of more than
Sl,00O,000 OIL this schedule alone.
Mr. Beck gave figures i'll detail to show that
on the goods embraced in these paragraphs,
stockings, hose half-hose, shirts, and draw
ers, cotton cords braids, gimps, galoons, web
bings, &C. and cotton laces, cmbrOideres, in
sertings, trimmings, lace window curtains,
anu COJton NblNcV, JICIB WOulu DC ill increase
of duties TO the amount of S2,290, ,5Sl. The
total reduction claimed on cotton yarn and
cloths was only $967,273, and this, deducted
from the increase stated above, showed net
increase of 81 323, 1903, instead of the rcduc-
tion Of $3,6Sl 900 estimated by the chairman
of the committee on finance.
Mr.. Mcpherson said he had understood
from the senator from Rhode Island (Air. Al
drich) that the classes of goods spoken of by
ppl in
Therefore the tariff upon them was purely
for revenue, without ailording any protection
TO home industry, and in view of this fact it
was u question with him whether tine duty
ought not to be slightly increased.
Mr.. Beck. what did we start out TO do? What
did the chairman of the committee on finance tel
us we were going TO do? Reduce the revenues
OF the government over $50 100000 and thus relieve
the people from the unnecessary butden OF paying
what the government could not use.
Mr.. Beck said further that the tariff COM
mission did not frame tho cotton schedule
which they reported, but accepted it from n
Boston cotton manufacturer. The wool schcd-
ulo would be found even worse than the one
now under consideration, for upon womcn's
and childrcn's dress goods IL would make an
aggregate increase of more than $4,000, 900 ;
yet the chairman of the committee had prom
iscd reduction on the wool schedule of
$S45,000 Mr.. Beck submitted tabulated
read from the letter which he had received
from New York u statement that the cotton
schedule prepared for the tariff commission
had been submitted to Mr.. Carhart, an APP
praiser in the New York custom house, for his
approval; that instead of approving it he de-
clared IL would be prohibitory, and that he
was answered, "That is precisely what we
want"
Mr. Morrill, said that in his opening re-
marks on this bill he had admitted the inn
possibility of estimating the reductions with
entire accuracy, but he still contended that
on this whole schedule there would be an
absolute reduction, Notwithstanding the loud
talk of the senator from Kentucky.
Mr.. Beck My figures are louder than any talk,
Mr.. Aldrich asked Mr.. Beck who had made
the table presented by him showing an in
crease claimed to be made by the cotton
schedule.
Mr. Beck declined to give the namo but
vouchcd for the accuracy of the table.
Mr. Aldrich said he had not put any state
ment into tho Record without stating who had
prepared it, and he thought the senator from
Kentucky ought to name the author Of this
table.
Mr.. Beck I furnish the fnc;s.
MIR, Aldrich. i shall have occAsion during the
discussion TO deny the ucts, md should like to
know the authority on which he gives them.
Mr.. Beck. Deal with iAcis, not with themcn.
Mr.. BayGrd said he had no desire TO prevent
or delay action upon the bill. lie had at
tended steadily all through the discussions
and he hoped u tariff bill would be passed ut
this session, though he did not expect that it
would be one that he could fully approve.
But ho was opposed to tho proposal to limit
debate. This was not general law, which
senator could take up and examine rs judge
and pass upon rapidly. Tho great difficulty
in dealing with it arose from the fact that it
was not u general law, but was u careful mr.
rangement of public power to promote pri-
vutc and class interests. But the issue was
being made up and it would not DO settled
by any bill that might be hurried through be-
tween now and the fourth of March. Mr..
Bayard had read ut the desk letter from
the Kurshoedt Manufacturing company in
Now York, topdmg, no said, to justify his
criticisms upon tho pending bill IN its appli-
cation Of specific duties to goods OF the lower
qualities, and ad valorem ddtie5 to those Of
higher grade.
Mr.. Morrill, was surprised at the assertion
of the senators from Kentucky and Delaware.
Those senators seemed to regard any intOrma-
tiOn. obtained from importers who gave em-
plOymont only 20 foreign laborers rs law and
gospel whilo information furnished by Ameri-
can manufacturers, employers of American
labor, was rejected as Enthusiastically.
Mr.. Bayard said that the writer of the let
lor cited by him was an American manuiac-
turer.
Mr.. Aldrich said that the company whose
name was signed to the letter was not only q
but nm importer also. The
company manufactured lace and was asking
for u duty Of 90 per cent. on that article while
at the same time II was trying to have tho
duty on thread and fine yarns reduced because
1t did not manufacture those articles.