The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-12-11
CUSTOM HOUSE CHARGES.
THE SENATE STILL BUSY WITH
THE METAL SCHEDULE.
MIR. Harris Offers Number of Amend

neg e'5 Big Profits Held up as an
Example of the Results of High
Tariff.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 10.-At O'Clock this
afternoon the senate resumed consideration
of the tariff bill, the pending question being
on Mr.. Harris amendment to reduce the
duty on beams, girders, joists, angles, etc, 4,
and all structural shapes of iron or steel'
from l. l cents per pound to 0,6 cents per
pound. The amendment was advocated by
Mr.. Reagan, but as Mr.. MCPHERSON de-
sired to offer some amen dments at the be-
ginning of the metal schedules, Mr. Harris
temporarily withdrew tho amendment.
Mr.. Mcpherson thereupon moved to
amend paragraph 100, as to iron In pig, etc, ,
By reducing the rate of duty from 0.3 cents
per pound to ST ton. He said that the
rate proposed by him was that contained in
the House bill; that it was high enough, and
that its adoption would allow further re-
ductions to be made without any injury to
the industry. Mr.. Allison opposed the
amendment, and it was rejected by vote
of 20 yeas to % nays,
Mr.. Plumb voted with the republicans in
the negative
Mr.. Mcpherson moved to amend the pro-
viso in paragraph 122 referring to iron
bars, blooms, or billets, In which charcoal
is used as fuel, by reducing the duty from
$22 per ton to $50 per ton. The motion was
rejected by 20 yeas to p nays.
CAST IRON PIPE.
Mr.. Mcpherson moved to reduce the duty
on cast iron pipes paragraph l23) from 0 90
cents per pound to 0.66 cents. lie stated that
the cast iron pipe industry has formed u
trust or combination, under which the price
was the foreign cost plus the duty and all
expenses. He thought that little less pro-
lection would answer that industry. The
amendment was rejected by 10 yeas to "a
nays.
These votes being all strictly party votes,
Mr.. Mcpherson intimated that it seemed as
if all opposition to the bill might as well
cease if amendments so reasonable were to
receive the united opposition Of the repub-
lican side of the chamber.
Mr.. Allison nodded his head.
"Then," said Mcpherson, we are to un-
derstand, suppose, that the manufacturers
of iron pipe may appear before the com
mittee of the Senate and fix any rate they
choose on their production without auy
regard to what consumers may say about it,
Here is an absolutely prohibitory duty
duty of S22 40 per ton, two more to re-
duce it to 0.S cents per pound The amend
ment was rejected, by vote Of 81 yeas to
% nays.
Mr.. Mop n erson then moved to reduce the
rate on anvils. paragraph 1870 from cents
to Ia cents per pound. The motion was
rejected by II yeas to 81 nays
Mr.. Mcpherson then moved to reiuces the
rate on iron or steel anchors, ETC. (paragraph
120 from one is cents per pound to IL
cents. Mr.. Salisbury moved to reduce it
to l cent. The motion was rejected by
% yeas to "a nays. Mr.. McPhersons
amendment was also rejected by a vote of
Is yeas TO 81 nays.
THE DEMOCRATIC OPPOSITION.
Mr.. MCPHERSON alluded to criticisms in
the public press on the democratic senators
for their remissness in opposing the substi-
tute and exposing its weak points, and he
explained that the substitute had been ar
ranged by the republican senator's of the
committee of finance, and that the demo-
cratic senators of that committee knew
nothing about it except from cursory read
ing Just before ii was reported
They had had no opportunity since
to examine it. Therefore, it was
that opposition had not been made to such
an extent as to show the errors, faults and
misfortunes of the substitute. In his opin-
ion, if it were to become a law, it would
bankrupt the whole country In less than
five years. He therefore moved that con-
sideration of the bill be postponed until
Jan. 10 next. At the suggestion of Mr..
Harris, Mr.. Mcpherson withdrew his motion
for a postponement; at which there was
some quiet laughter on the republican side
of the chamber.
Mr.. Mcpherson then moved to reduce the
rate on axles. etc, paragraph 124), from
cents to / cent per pound. The motion was
rejected by vote of % yeas to % nays.
Mr. Harris renewed his amendment to
reduce the duty on beams, girders, ioists,
angles, etc, from IL cents per pound to
06 cents.
CARNEGIEs BIG PROFITS.
Mr.. Vest argued in support of the amend
ment and said there was no item in the bill
on which the two parties could better join
issues than this one. He spoke of Mr.
Carnegie's profit on 10000 tons of steel
beams manufactured in one year as over
81 .000, 900, and described the s.e,l trust in
this country as lone hoary with age" How
long, we asked, was that trust to last!
Mr.. Sherman desired 10 state, once for
ALL the grounds of his several votes on the
bill, because it was neither matter of pleas
ure for the Senate, nor "a matter OF public
utility, TO waste time in repeating over and
ever again the same argument on different
clauses of the bill. Undoubtedly the Mills
bill represented the general sentiment Of the
Democratic party while the Senate substi-
tute had been carried before the people OF
the United States aud there debated, advo-
Gated and supported. One bill looked to
q tariff for revenue only; the other to a
tariff for protection. He would not under
take to define what tariff for revenue only
meant, but a tariff for protection meant a
tariff where the rates were so fixed as not
only to give reasonable revenue (noU pro-
hibiting importations, but also, IN every
feature of it, TO extend protection, encour-
agement, hope and competition among
American producers. The Senate substi-
tute represented the latter sentiment. The
paragraph proposed to the amendment in
cluded great variety Of articles, some OF
which could be produced in this country
for $40 or $50 ton. while others could not
be produced for less than $40 ton.
THE AID vALoREM PxINcIPLE.
II ii were possible TO make discrimination
in the duty on these articles. it should be
done, but it was impossible without recur-
ring to the ad valorem principle, and ex-
perience was not favorable to that principle
in imposing duties on iron and steel. Ono
and one-tenth cents per pound might be
little too high on some articles, but IL had
been fixed upon by the finance committee
as fair average rate. As to Mr.. Car
negie's monopoly ,the (Mr. Sherman) knew
nothing about IL, except that Mr.. Carnegie
had been the first in this country 70 apply
the continuous process In the manufacture
of steel beams. Mr.. Carnegie, he presumed,
had patents which could not be taken away
from him, but they would soon expire. The
time was not far distant when
all structufal forms OF steel