Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1888-04-26
CONGRESSIONAL.
Work Of the Senate and the House
of Representatives.

VI representatives
THE galleries OF the House were crowded and
every member was In his seat ON the floor tc
witness the opening OF the tariff discussion on
the 18th inst. Mr.. Mills. Of Texas, arose and
moved that the House resolve itself into com.
mittee of the whole for tho purpose OF consider
ing the tariff bill, whose title he read There
being no objection. sthe Speaker announced
that the House was in committee OF the
whole, and called to the chair William
the floor and proceeded to ad-
dress the House. He opened hts speech by re-
necessary by the war. These taxes. however,
/ were, In the langua OF the gentleman who in-
troduced the original measure, intended as a
I temporary war measure More than twenty
years has elapsed since the war ended, but
these war taxes still remained, and they were
heavier to-day than they were on the average
tiles. Mr.. Mills then referred to the Internal
revenue and income taxes, which, he said.
had been abolished because they We're
clothing. food, and labor still remained.
Every effort that had been made to
bring the exactions OF the Government down
to peace establishment had been defeated.
There had been a tax on railroads, express and
insurance companies, but they were tax on
wealth and had bsen abolished. Three hundred
millions that had been paid by the wealth OF
the country had been swept away and the bur-
den OF taxation had been made heavier, but IL
TO q
emment All the taxes wealth had gone,
but the burdens on the poor still remained,
and the Republicans boasted that they had
reduced taxes s3Gc. 100000 while Democrats
had done practically nothing. The tax
on consumption was paid by hard daily
toll. Suppose a laborer with 81 q day
could buy woolen suit OF clothes for SO. It
required ten days labor to purchase IL, but
when the tariff put duty OF 100 per cent. the
aNasN 4--Ak
days labor for the man to secure what he
could otherwise have secured for ten days'
labor had not ten days OF labor been anni-
hilated: But the greatest evil inflicted upon the
people by the excessive taxation ON the con-
suniers was in the destruction OF the values
OF exports. From rs to 30 per cent Of the
exports were agricultural products. War
duties limited importation, and that limited
expectation. The surplus productions were
therefore thrown upon the home market It
down. The speaker denied that II duties were
lower and foreign goods were imported our
and the rates Of wages would be reduced. II
we had no tariff, IL all the custom houses were
torn down, and the Government supported by
direct taxes, there would not bs exceeding 10
per cent Of imported manufactured prod ucts
consumed by the people Of this country. It
was asserted that Congress had intended TO
benett the laborer by the tariff It had failed,
and not dollar OF the protection got beyond
the manufacturer. He, however, hired his
labor at the lowest rate In the open market
labor and bonus besides. Mr.. Keney,
Of Pennsylvania, followed Mr.. Mills. He de-
olared that the passage Of this bill would par
alyZe the enterprise and energy Of the people.
The gentlemen who framed this Dill and could
brook neither modification nor discussion Of
its provisions by their associates In the com.
mittee, were With but two exceptions repre-
sentatives Of what was slave territory. BY
putting wool on tho free list IL would abolish
sheep husbandry and impoverish the moro
than million men who own iocks or are en-
ployed In their care and by working this ruin
cheap. and healthful animal food now
furnished by wool-Rrowers to the min
ing and manufacturing laborers of the
country. II would also render the production
OF American tin plates and cotton ties impossi-
BILE by placing those articles ON the free list
with WOOL BY the transfer Of these and other
products Of GOAL and iron ore to the free list
and by reducing the duties on steel rails struct,
ural iron, and many other forms OF iron and
steel sufficiently to withdraw protection from
them, and permit foreign producers to iood our
markets, il would, though it maintained existing
duties on coal and iron ore, close majority
OF the bituminous coal fields and ore banks
President Cleveland's free trade message by
it's assumption that the duty was always added
70 the cost not only OF imported commodities
but TO the price Of like commodities produced
in this country. showed how profoundly ignor-
ant he was Of economic science. To illustrate
the puerile abeurditJ Of this assumption he
Kelley invited the Presidents attention to
the fact that though the duties imposed on
sugar when reduced TO ad valorem standards
were never so high ss they now are, the price
OF sugar was never so low In this country as il
is now. The progress Of sugar making in
Louisiana since 1897 might be cited ms q vital
izing influence of protection duties. In spite
sugar, the poverty Of her people, and
the Generalization Of her plantations at
the close Of the war, Louisiana. enoour-
tlrially to the worlds supply OF cane sugar.
THE Committee on Labor secured the floor of
the House on the 10th inst. and the bill Great
ing a Department Of Labor was taken up and
passed. The House then went into committee
of the whole on the bill to create boards Of ar
bitration to settle differences between inter.
state common carriers and their employers.
After q somewhat protracted debate the
the sSS: Of S
In the evening the Depocratic Representatives,
TO the number OF ll0. met In caucus to consider
the question Of limiting the debate on the tariff
pressions OF opinion, which were gener-
ally against the adoption Of a cast-iron
thee the Republicsn minority minority sSouls i'od be 'ns.
forded the fullest and freest opportunity to
discuss and amend the pending bill, and the
tion: -ResolUed. That the Demoeratic mem
bers Of the Ways and Meana Committee be re-
quested to confer with their associates ON the
as to the time during which debate ON the tariff
bill shall continue"
The bill for the admission OF South Dakota
passed the Senate by strict party vote. after
a long debate, on the 18th inst. The bill to re.
tire Gen. John @. Fremont as major- general
was reported to the Senate and placed ON the
calendar. The House spent the day. In com
mittee OF the whole, on the Indian appropria-
tion bill. The House Judiciary COMMITTEES has |
reported q bill for the construction of two |
United States penitentiarles, to cost not to ex-
oeed s5OO,OOo each, one to be located north and
the other south Of the seth degree north lati- |
tude. caucus of Democratic Senators de- |
oided against constdering the fisheries treaty |
In open session The sentiment Of the caucus |
was favorable to the ratification Of the treaty. |
The pension appropriation bill passed the |
House ON the 2Oth OF April The amount to be |
distributed under tho bill is $50. 900. Tho |
Indian appropriation bill also passed the House. |
Mr. Anderson Of Kansas, one Of the committee |
that Investigated the Reading strike. intro. |
duoed in the House bill for securing to the |
~ provides that the juriadiction OF q State /
ceases with tts territory. No State railroad can /
become carrier Of interstate commerce except |
:nS q tn; United
bill for which private property has
been been taken S,,. sy eminent domain is
quired to execute the provisions Of the bill, ami
is given corps OF inspectors. In the event OF |
q failure by company TO run it's regular trains
Ilgste the facts and TO issue such orders to the
company as will secure the regular service
n after seven days the service IL not performed
ne me Attorney General is required 70 procure
ate the road as for the United States, and may
smploy the old force.
=-=-
GENEROSITY Of gambler who was Nd.