National Republican., 1883-02-01


THE TARIFF BILL.
Mr.. Carlisle moved to reduce the duty ON
alumina, alum, &C., from 60 to 40 cents per
100 pounds Agreed to-65-63. Mr.. Kasson,
of Iowa, and Mr.. Anderson, of Kansas being
the only republicans voting in the affirmative.
Mr.. Flower moved TO strike out the item
placing duty of 10 per cent on the sulphate
and salts of quinia and cinchonida. He was
willing he said to take the side of the men
who were suffering from fever. This billpro-
tected everybody except the sick man, and 1t
was in order to protect him that he made his
motion.
Mr.. Kelley, in reply, had read letter from
ST. Louis druggist. claiming that IL was
unjust to the manufacturer Of and the dealer
in quinine to have IL placed OH the free list,
and IL did not reduce the price to the con-
sumer.
Mr.. Mckenzie, the author of the free
quinine bill said that no bill ever passed by
congress had met with such unstnted praise
from the country. SO far from retarding the
manufacture Of the drug, two manufactures
had sprung up since the passage of the
measure. The estimated consumption of
quinine in the United States was 100000
ounces per year, and the saving resulting
from the passage of the bill amounted to
81, 100000. Ho asked the chairman Of the
committee on ways and means whether u
solitary consumer of quinine, white or black,
had appeared before that august body asking
that duty be placed upon it. He wished to
ask the committee on ways and means If IL
was willing to go ON record as championing
bill which looked TO the relief from taxation
of all proprietary medicines-preparation
which had caused more wry faces and more
panied viscera than all other preparations
known to human ingenuity in the matter of
physical torture-and as insisting upon the
reimposition of q tax on quinine, which
brought healing on its wings to every
bed of sickness in the land. The people of
the country would call this congress accursed
If tho tax on quinino were restored. The
committee might rs well lay tax on air and
sunlight, which it probably would do ii n
single citizen or firm in Philadelphia were
engaged in the manufacture of either. The
committee on ways and means appeared as
counsel for the plaintiff in the case of the
quinine manufacturers against the people,
and he desired his name to be
entered as counsel tor the defense. [Applause
on the democratic sidel. He was a poor
lawyer, but he believed that he could plead
successfully before the great jury which at
the last election brought in verdict of guilty
against the republican party without any rec
ommendation of mercy. Laughter. Every
man who wanted to appear as the confederate
of death and the friend of the devil would
vote to place duty on quinine. Laughter
At this point Mr.. McKenzies time expired,
and three or four Pennsylvania republican
members objected to its extension and made
points of order against his proceeding, but tho
chair overrued the points of order and recog-
nized Mr.. Mckenzie, who said that he had
| vigorously opposed the tariff commission bill,
and had characterized tho commissioners as
middle aged, highly preiudiced specialists;
but after reading this bill in comparison with
the bill of the tariff commission he desired to
retrace all his utterances. Laughter The
free list in this bill was full of wisdom
and benevolence. The committee, thank
God, had made blood free. Laughter. /
| If tax of one cent was levied ON
the blood which had been extracted from the
people through this infamous tariff system,
there would be need of any other tax. II had
placed bone dust on the free list. "My God,
gentlemen" he exclaimed, "you are manu-
featuring bone dust in poor graveyards when
over you tax quinine." The committee had
!. placed musk and civet on the free list, and,
fwhen he came to look at this bill in its con-
cavity and convexity in its obliquity and in
iquity, he felt like cxclaiming with Lear
give me an ounce of civet, good apothecary,
to sweeten my imagination" lLaughter.] 1t
had exempted ipecac. 1t need not have done
SO, because it had already created nausea
enough among the people to spew the repub-
| lican party out in 1884. "Divi divi i" was on
the free list. He did not know what that was
| but he presumed it was made to protect the
| committee on ways and means which wanted
n double quantity of it, whatever it was
[Laughter.] Diamonds also had been placed
on the free list. If there was anything on
| the face of the earth that ground down the
poor to the dust it was the tax on diamonds
| [Laughter.l And the committee had placed
Joss sticks" on the free list still minis
tering to the spiritual wants of the Chinese
[Laughter.] He had seen q lot of members
at the Chinese ministers the other night, and
while they might despise Chinese civilization
they manifested very high appreciation OF
Chinese punch. Laughter. Asiatic civil
ization when it came to matter of cheap Ia
| Dor did not suit the average republican, but
| the Chinese liquor met with not one protest
from gentlemen on the other side of the house.
| Laughter Leeches were on the free list
That exempted the protectionists and the
| committee on ways and means. Laughter
Junk, not otherwise enumerated" was on
the free list This was done for the protection
of the committee on ways and means. Its
members were fast growing old, thank God
[Laughter] They might stay out of the
country, and, if they over came back, they
would have to come in under the head OF
junk. Laughter.
Mr.. Mclean, of Missouri, contended that
the price of qunine would not be affected by
n duty of 10 per cent
Mr.. Blanchard argued in favor of retaining
quinine on the free list and quoted from the
testimony taken by the tariff commission, in
support Of his position. The price of quinine
before it had been placed on the free list, had
been cents grain, and now, without tariff
the price was IL cents grain and he pro-
tested against again placing duty on an ar
ticle which was of prime necessity through
out the country and especially in the south
There were in tho United States only five
manufacturers of quinine and they employed
only 500 persons.
Mr.. Kelley declared that there should be a
duty on quinine as on all other manufactures
1t was manufacture requiring an expensive
plant. The government was entitled to O
revenue from the costly drug, and moderate
reduction would keep down the price of qui-
nine.
Mr.. Bingham denied that the nero impo.
sition or relief of duty on quinine affected its
price. In 1877 the price in the American
markets was 1916 an ounce and in the Lon.
don markets 81. The variations in the price
had run in all markets, and to-day quinine in
London was $2 and in American Sl.75 an
ounce. He did not think that it was wise
policy to wipe out one third of the manutac,
lures of the drug in country which was it,
largest market; but that result would follow
a retention of quinine ON the free list.
Mr.. Townshend opposed the duty on qui.
nine as the cruelest tax which could be i'm.
posed, falling, as it did, ON the unfortunate
victims of malarial fever.
Mr.. Flowers's amendment was then adopted
by rising vote of 105 to 81. The announce.
ment was received with applause on the dem
ocratic side.
The following CLAUSE having been reached
it was, on motion Of Mr.. Kelley, struck out