The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-06-02
FORTY-NINTH CONGRESS.
The House Agrees to an Amendment Fixing
the Oleomargarine Tax at Eight Cents.

WASHINGTON, June L-Mr. Weaver, OF Iowa,
rising to a question of privilege, sent to tho
Clerks desk and had read an editorial from an
Iowa paper, declaring that he had betrayed the
interests of his constituents by opposing the
oleomargarine bill, intimating that the millions
of Armour had their influence in securing this
opposition, and declaring that he had obtained
his seat in Congress through fraud. All these
charges he denounced as untrue. He had been
and still was in favor Of the eleomargarine bill
and it was false that he had been influenced i'm
properly in his course in regard to that measure
No charge of fraud had been made against him
in the contest for his seat, which had been con-
frmed to him by the House by an almost unani-
nous vote. He understood that there were not
more than six gentlemen on the Republican side
who had voted that he was not entitled to the
seat
Mr.. Blount. of Georgia, from the committee
on postoffices and post-roads reported a bill
amending the statutes relative to the transmits
sio. of lottery advertisements through the mails.
Placed on the calendar.
Mr. Laffoon. of Kentucky, from the committee
on public lands, reported bill for the forfeiture
of the land grant to the New Orleans Baton
Rouge & Vcksburg Railroad Company. Placed
on the calendar.
The House then went into committee of the
whole-Mr, Springer, of Illinois, in the chair
on the oleomargarine bill. The first amendment
in order was that offered by Mr. Daniel, of Vir-
jected-52 to Ill
The amendment, also offered by Mr. Daniel,
abolishing the tax on fruit brandy, was re-
jected-38 to 125.
Mr.. Durham, of Illinois, offered an amendment
reducing from ten cents a pound to three cents
per pound the tax on oleomargarine.
Amendments were offered fixing the rate at
and cents per pound, but they were rejected,
only, however, after a couple of hours had been
consumed in securing quorum.
a. Is HatAA Is kLA
amendment offered by Mr.. Durham was amend
ed so as to fix the rate at cents, and, as amend
ed, it was agreed to-
Mr.. Browne, of Indiana, offered an amend
ment exempting from the cent tax oleomar-
garine which has been ascertaiEed to be pure
ard wholesome. and which is sold under its
proper name. Lost
Mr.. McRae of Arkansas, offered an amend
ment exempting from taxation oleomargarne
into the composition of which cotton-seed oil
enters. Rejected
MIR. Durham offered an amendment providing
that there shall be placed on every receipt for
any sum OF money, or payment OF any debt,
special tax stamp of the denomination of cents.
Rejected. Also, an amendment providing that
all United States officers shall pay tax of 5 per
cent. on their salaries. Rejected Also, an
amendment requiring railroad companies to pay
a tax of 10 per cent. all dividends. Rejected.
Mr.. Durham then moved to strike out the
taxing section. Lost-30. to 1874.
Mr.. Negley and Mr. Curtin, of Pennsylvania,
presented the protest of the Trades Assembly of
Western Pennsylvania. representing 10000
workingmen against the passage of the oleo-
margarine bill.
Mr.. Tiliman, of South Carolina, presented the
protests Of oleomargarine manufacturers in New
York and Brooklyn, and of the Charleston, S.
c., Merchants Exchange against the bill. He
vigorously defended the manufacture of oleo-
margarine, which was the poor mans butter, and
denounced the purpose of taxing it out of ex-
istence
Mr. Butterworth, of Ohio, defined his position
on the bill. He would vote for any measure
which would separate the dairy industry from
the oise+as<garine Industry, but he would sup
port no measure which would compel his constit-
uents, if they wanted to buy substitute for
butter to pay 10 cents pound for it more than
they would otherwise have to pay simply be-
cause it entered upon the field as a competitor Of
butter
Mr.. Farquhar, of New York, regretted that
his colleague Mr.. Parker should have sought to
break the force of the remonstrances presented
by Mr.. Curtin into making it appear that he did
not represent the sentiment of the workingmen.
No officer of trades assembly would dare to
send to Congress an expression of opinion that
was a falsehood, and he had never heard of a
case in the history of any assembly where the
officers had taken it upon themselves to formu-
late opinions that were not held in common by
the whole brotherhood
Pending further action the committee rose.
The Speaker appointed Messrs. Blount, Riggs
and Bingham as conferees on the postof6ce ap-
preparation bill
The House then adjourned.