Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-12-13
CONGRESSIONAL.
The Senate Went Into the Tariff Early
i'll the Session.
The Tax on Cotton Ties Discussed and Acted
UpOn-The River and HarbOr
Bill Reported.
FiftieM Congress.
THE SENATE.

WASHINGTON, Dec. u There was but
little morning business, so the tariff bill
was quickly taken up, the question being
on the amendment offered by Mr.. Jones
o f Arkansas, to admit hoop or band iron,
cotton ties, etc. free of duty, instead of
taxing it 2-10 of l cent per pound adj
ditiOnal.
Mr.. Berry said the proposed tax il
lustrated the useless injustice of the
whole protective idea running through
the senate substitute. The article in
question was not manufactured i'll the
United States. If the tax was removed
that article would not injure any business
interest III the United States. 1t was
mere proposition to see the farmers of the
country pay los per cent. duty on the
value of the article. The tax was dis
elimination against the farmers of the
country. For himself he would not vote
a dollar more revenue than was necessary
for an economic administration of the
government.
Mr.. Hiscock, member of the finance
committee, avowed his own understand
ing that the substitute was a political
measure. The division between the par
ties upon the tariff was a political di-
vision. The Republican senators on the
finance committee had prepared sub
stitute from the Republican standpoint,
illustrating by it the principles of their
party He believed III bill that would
afford adequate and complete protection
to all American industries that might be
so successfully prosecuted in this coun-
try so as to supply the American market.
More than that, he was willing to depend
on American competition to force down
prices. But he was not compelled
to rely on that principle in Justification of
his opposition to the proposed amend
ment. He called attention to the pro-
visions of the Mills bill OH the question,
and claimed that the substitute pro-
vided a less rate of duty on these cotton
ties than the Mills bill did. He would
cOncede for the sake of argument that
the cost of cotton ties i'll bales at Liver
pool had to be borne by the planter; but,
| he said when ties were taken from the
bales at Liverpool they could be sold there
for two thirds of their original cost; so
| that the cost to the planter of baiing 800
pounds of cotton was less than cents.
Mr.. Berry remarked that the latter
| statement simply meant that instead of
| robbing the planters 20 cents per bale
they were merely robbing him of cents.
VI
with the canvass III which on the Demo-
cratic hustings throughout the: country
| we have heard this cry about robbery by
means of the tariff. The Northern states
that favor protectSfs7Fere especially in
vaded by the gentlemen who INDUCED i'll
| that sort of defamation. The verdict
has been taken on it.
After long debate the cotton tie tax
| amendment was rejected-yeas, Is;
| nays, %.
Mr.. Coke moved an amendment re-
ducing the duty on cotton ties to 30 per
| cent. advalorem. The clause in the stl9=
stitute reads: "Provided, that hoop or
| band iron, or hoop or band steel, cut to
| lengths or wholly or partially mailufac-
| tured into hoops or ties for baling pur-
poses, barrel hoops of iron or steel, and
| hoop or band iron or hoop or
band of steel, shall pay 10 of l
cent per pound more duty than
| that imposed on hoop or band 4ron or.
steel from which they are made. - And
| Mr.. Coke's amendments is to strike out
all after the word 'tshall'' and to insert
the words ''be ADMITTED on payment
| of So per cent. ad valorem II He made
an argument in support of ut He de-
| clared the substitute went out of its way
q
the cotton planters by raising the existing
tax of 30 per cent. to tax of los per
| cent.
,2:9Nithout action on Mr.. Coke S amend
| meut the senate adjourned.
THE HOUSE.
WASHINGTON, Dec. Pin the house.
to-day Mr.. Burchard of Louisiana re-
| ported the river and harbor bill, and it.
was referred to the committee of the
whole.
On motion of Mr.. Hatch of Missouri
the senate amendments to the depart
ment of agriculture bill were non-con-
Cured in, and a conference was ordered.
Mr.. Q 'Neill of Indiana submitted the
report-.of the committee on elections in
the california contested election case of,
Sullivan against. FELTON,. The report,
which finds in favor of Sullivan, together
with the views of the minority confirming
Felton's title to the seat, was placed on
the calendar
The house then went into committee of
the whole on theedirect tax hill. The
committee reported the bill to tie house.
1t was passed-yeas, 17S; nays, 90.
Adjourned.