The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1883-01-27
CONGRESSIONAL.
Congress ExPends Much Eloquenoe Upon
the Tariff BiIl.


resumed the consideration of the Tariff
bill to-day. Nothing was done except
to debate an amendment offered by MIR.
Miller, (Rep., n. H..) to increase the duty
on iron ore and the Tesidunm from burnt
pyrites from 80 cents to 81 a ton. The
duty, he said, is required to protect our
native ores against the cheap impOrta
tiOns from Spain and Africa. Mr.. Sher-
man (Rep., o. said he would not vote
for any duty to protect capital, OF in
duce it to engage in manufactures. The
time had been when it was important
to offer inducements to capital, but that
time had passed, and now the only justi-
ticatiOn for protective duties was that
they were required TO prevent American
labor from being degraded by the COM
petition of foreign cheap labor.
Mr.. Brown (Dem., Ga.,) made a long
speech in behalf of the total abolition
of the internal revenue system. and the
support of the Government wholly by
duties. He would, however, exempt
from duties almost every foreign pro-
duct that could not be produced here.
He believed in tariff for revenue, with
incidental protection to American labor,
raising no more than was absolutely
necessary to the economical administra-
ton of the Government.
Mr.. Beck. said both the report of the
Tariff Commission and the bill of the
Finance Committee had been carefully
framed not to reduce the burdens of the
people, but so as to put as much money
as possible into the pockets of favored
classes. The committees bill, however
did embOdy a few reductions, and there
fore the Senator from Ohio (SheTman)
preferred the report of the Commission.
1t was we'll that the people should know
the real position of that distinguished
leader on the other side as the champion
of high protective tariff. Mr.. Maxey
believed the bill was designed, not to
reduce taxation of prices, but to fill the
pockets of protected manufacturers at
the expense of the people.
Mr.. Miller's amendment was lost, and
no further action on the bill was taken.
The House took up the Naval Appro-
priatiOn bill and passed the amendment
providing for the gradual abolition of
the pay corps. The paragraph providing
that navy officers must have seen sea
service to be eligible for promotion, and
also for the compulsory retirement of
officers, gave rise to long debate, and
was finally stricken out. Some Demo
cratic members opposed the attempt of
the Republican Naval Committee to tack
miscellaneous legislation upon the Ap-
preparation bill. The Republicans, they
said, before they came into their latest
tenure of power in the House had read
the Democrats many lessons on the evil
tendency of legislation on appropriation
bills, and they thought the party should
practice what 1t preached.
An amendment was adopted providing
that for every two vacancies in the line
and staff, there shall be one promotion
in each of the lower grades until the
grades are reduced below the numbers
fixed by the act of last August.
An amendment was adopted apprOpri-
ating 100000 for the purchase or manu-
factuTe of tOrpedOes Of American inven-
tiOn, $4,000 of the sum to be paid to
Asa Weeks, when he shall release the
Government from all claims for the
present or future use of his invention
in tOTpedoes. About One-haIf of the
Naval bill yet remains to be considered.
Mr.. ButterwOrth (Rep., o. introduced
a bill providing for the appointment Of
seven Commissioners to investigate the
subject of railroad transportation, and
report at the next session Of Congress.
Referred.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 24.-The House
took up the Naval bill again, and amend
ments were adopted providing that the
RObeson monitors must be completed in
the Government navy yards If the Secre-
tary or the Navy can do the work there.
as cheaply as elsewhere; also that If the
Secretary decides not to complete them
in the navy yards he shall invite pro-
pOsals from shipbuilders. 1t was stated
that the bill as reported by RObesOn con-
templated giving the work to a certain
favored contractor. MIR. BlOunt Dem.,
Ga.,) made an Intellectual attempt to
have the monitor clause stricken out,
but the clause was adopted as amended,
Mr.. Belford Rep., COL,) made the follow
ing remarks:
He knew nothing about this bill. He
had never seen the ocean until last sum-
mer, and he represented q state where
40 cents barrel was paid for water ana
yet he felt 1t his duty as an enlightened
statesman, to discuss this question.
Qaughter.)l He had been edited by the
discourse of Rear Admiral Calkins of In
diana, and Of Commodore Anderson Of
Kansas, the western part of whose state
did not contain water enough to freshen
a salt mackerel; and he was delighted
with the learned dissertation Of Mr..
BlOunt, whose vision seemed to rest on
sand hills, where there was not enough
water to mellow sweet potato. HauRh-
teri The discussion reminded him of the
sermon of distin guished African prea-
cher, who divided his discourses into
three parts; the first consisting of mat
ter, Of which he knew little and his con-
nothing; the second of which
his congregation knew little and he
and the third, Of which neither
knew nothing. That was the conduct
and character of this whole discussion.
The days of the session were shortening,
and there was pending great and im-
pOrtant national question. In the name
Of God let the statesmen from the prai-
rie States, which had no water and ex-
pected to get none, allow the House to
expedite the passage of the Tariff bill.
The clause providing for the building
Of steel cruisers was amended so as to
require them to be built by contract
with the lowest responsible bidder. A
vote Onthe passage Of the bill was not
The Senate had very long debate on
Mr.. Camden's amendment to the Tariff
bill, fixing the duty on iron ore at 60 in
stead of 90 cents ton. Mr.. Miller (Rep.,
\. y, who favored high duty, asserted |
hat the rate on iron ore had been fIxed