The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-04-29
THE FORTY-NINTH CONGRESS
Senator Mitchell Denies that Cinnamon
We're Beaten to Death in Oregon.
A Political Debate Over the Postoffice Bill,
in Which Senator Frye Discusses the
Labor Troubles and Their Causes,
THE SENATE.
Senator Mitchell on the Chinese Question
Labor Troubles and Their Causes.

Sruc1ion or bridges as follows: Across the mis-
sissippi river at or near Kethsburg, Wis. across
the Mississippi river from Winona, Mimi, to the
opposite shore in Wisconsin, across the Yellow
stone river, in Montana; across the Missouri
river, at Pierre, d. IT,; across the Mississippi
river, from Red Wing, Mimi, to the opposite
shore in Wisconsin; across Red river, at or near
Browns Ferry, Cook county, Tex; across Red
river. near Denison, Tex; across the Illinois
river, at or near Lacon, Ill; across the Des
Moines river, in Iowa, at such point as may be
selected by the New York & Council Bluffs
Railway Company; across the Tennessee river,
in Perry and Decatur counties, at such point as
may be selected by the Nashville, jackson &
Memphis Railroad Company for the location of
its line; across the Kansas river, between the
city of Wyannotte and the city of Kansas City
Mr.. Mitchell then spoke on the memorial sub
mitted BY the conference of the New York Meth
odist Episcopal Church, praying for the protec-
tion of Chinese in the United States. He recited
the statements the memorial refers to, among
other things. charging that Chinese had been
beaten to death, and their property destroyed In
the Northwest No such thing had happened in
Oregon. The press of the country was, in the
main, he said, honest, and entitled to the conf
dence of the country, but there were exceptions.
Mr.. Mitchell attributed much of the misrepresen-
tations tc, newspaper editor in Oregon, whose pa
per no named, and whom he characterized as
distinguished politician" Referring to the al
legged insult to the new Chinese minister, he said
it would be found, on investigation, that no in
suit had been offered. There was an idea in the
East that the people of the Pacific coast were
not we'll disposed to the Chinese government
This another Misrepresentation. There had
been proposition made in the press, Mr.. Mitch-
ell said, that the chairman of the foreign rela-
tons committee of the Senate should go to the
railroad depot to receive the new Chinese min
lister. Had such thing ever been done beforeY
Had anyone ever proposed that our officials
should meet new British minister on his ar
rival2 Had any ''hullabaloo" been raised about
other ministefs9 He criticised the committee on
foreign relations for not having yet reported his
prohibitory immigration bill, and warned Sem
ators on both sides of the chamber that he
would press that bill, and that they would have
to come squarely up to the mark, and could not
escape the question.
The postoffice appropriation bill was then
taken up Some debate arose on the amendment
proposed by the Senate committee appropriating
$500, 900 for carrying South and Central Ameri
can, Chinese and Australian mails, and author
zing the Postmaster-gener to make, after due
advertisement. contracts for FIVE years with
American steamships. at rate not to exceed for
each outward trip ST. per nautical mile of dis
lance by the most direct aad feasible course be-
tween terminal points
Mr. Beck thought the amendment subject to
also as limiting the Postmaster general for a
term Of years not heretofore contemplated By
the law.
On the suggestion of Mr.. Plumb, however,
Mr.. Beck withdrew the point of order for the
present.
Mr.. Plumb explained the purpose Of the
amendment. 1t was similar in character, he
said, to the provision of last years bill, to which
the Postmaster general had not given effect
All extended debate ensued participated in by
linn RncE and Ervn lat
said he now saw the workingmen of the Repub-
lie in great confusion-in a sort of dazed state.
We heard Of strikes and other disturbances
every day. Congress and the President had rem
edies, but they did no good. What was the dis
easel According to Col. Carroll Dwight we had
million Of idle laborers. Consequently, when
the Knights of Labor stopped work-which they
had right to do-they found, to their amaze
ment just as many mon reaoy to take the va
cant places as there were places vacant. Then,
among the more thoughtless of the idle men.
came the temptation to violence, then to riot,
then came an appeal perhaps to courts or to ar
bitratOn, but possibly to arms The great ques-
ton was, how did it happen that there were
enough men to take the place of the strikersl
It came from the fact that the product of our
factories, farms and mines was more than we
could use. Last year we produced fifteen billion
dollars worth of goods and exported only 2 per
cent. of the whole. We imported from Great
Britain last year thirty-seven million dollars
been raised in the United States. Every dollars
worth of those goods might as well have been
made in the United States If it had been, we
could give employment to hundred thousand
more men than had found employment. The
last tariff commission made reduction of from
16 to 33 per cent in the duty cotton
goods. That increased the importations
but stopped work. The present Morrison
tariff bill proposed another reduction of from 16
to 33 per cent of the duty, and if it passes. the
imnOrtatiOpS Of cOtt0n pOOdQ in9t6ad of SRI ono
900, will become $75, 000.0 C0 year; and there
will then be two hundred thousand men less at
work here. and SD many more to engage in
strikes. The President of the United States
with one hand held out a message recommending
arbitration to relieve strikes; and with the other
held out demand to the House of Representa-
tives that it should turn two three or four hun
dred thousand more American workingmen out
of employment.
Mr.. Beck thought he would help Mr.. Frye
little in his argument
Dir. Frye replied that he did not want any
help
Mr.. Beck said Great Britain took from us ev-
cry year $500, 900, 900 of our products.
Mr.. Frye said that he would not discuss that.
1t had been discussed by the Senator from Ken
lucky for many years He hated to start that
Senator a tariff speech. Continuing. Mr.
Frye said we imported last year 8,0000 600 of
WOODEN goods, $40, 000 900 of iron and steel man
ufactures and SIT, 900, 900 of linen goods, every
dollars worth of which we might just as we'll
have made in the United States. If we had
made these goods here, Colonel Dwight would
not have been able to say that one million of our
people were out of employment. and the Presi-
dent would not have been obliged to send
message to Congress for commission of arbi-
tration. Mr.. Frye then proceeded to show that
for every surplus yard of cloth in the United
States, there surplus of ten yards in Eng
land; that France, Germany and Russia had tar
ifs against u.s. Where, then. he asked, could
we sell our surplus manufactured We could
send them to Mexico and Central and South
America which needed them, and whose prod
ucts we needed In return
When Mr. Frye had eulogized the progress
and activity of the Argentine Republic Mr.. Beck
asked him why that republic did not buy of the
United States the goods IL needed.
Mr. Frye said it was because the Senator from
Kentucky, like watch dog stood between the
Treasury and an honest payment for carrying
the mails. The Argentine Republic. three years
ago, appropriated 500 600 for the carrying Of its