The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-12-13
DUTIES ON COTTON TIES.
NO VOTE REACHED ON THE
AMENDMENT OF MR.. JONES.

Mr.. Morgan Characterizes the PROPOSE
ton of the Senate Bill as Heartless-
ness Toward the South-Mr. Call
Declares the Tax Unconstitutional
Mr. Coke Offers an Amendment.
WASHINGTON. Dec. 12.-In the Senate
to-day, there was but little morning bust
ness, SO the tariff bill was quickly taken up,
the question being on the amendment
offered by Mr. Jones of Arkansas to admit
"hoOp or band ironn cotton ties, etc., free
of duty, instead of taxing it two-tenths Of
one cent per pound additional.
A POLITICAL DIVISION.
Mr. Hiscock, member of the finance com
mittee, avowed his own understanding
that the substitute was political measure.
The division between the parties upon the
tariff was political division. The repub-
lican senators on the finance committee had
prepared the substitute from the republican
standpoint, illustrating by it the principles
of their party.
The tariff discussion was temporarily in
terrupted and, on motion of Mr.. Hale, the
House bill making an appropriation for the
contingent fund of the House was passed.
The presiding officer at 2 O'Clock pre-
sented, as the special order for that hour,
the Union Pacific funding bill; but as Mr..
Allison insisted on proceeding with the
tariff bill (and said be would do SO until it
was concluded, the funding bill went over,
retaining al its rights as a sp scial order.
Mr.. Riddleberger gave notice that he
would move every morning to take up his
resolution for co sideration in open session
of the British extradition treaty.
A HARDSHIP ON THE SOUTH
Mr. Morgan characterized the proposition
to tax cotton ties as very hearte's and
cruel thing. 1t was the duty of the Senate
to try and lift the burdens off the southern
people, instead of raising las the substitute
proposed) the duty on cotton ties 100 per
cent. He spoke of the increase of the cotton
product of the south from 100000 ales in
1860 to over !, 900, 900 bales in 1888, and said
that the increase was the product of the
labor of white men, white women and white
children. Black women no longer worked
in the cotton fields as they did before tn
war; and black boys no longer worked at
that or at any other industry. In fact, the
Bedouins in the streets of Alexandria. in
Egypt were a more promising race of peo-
pie to-day than were the young negroes of
the south and that was not the fault of the
white people of the south.
TWO GLASSES IN ALABAMA.
Referring to the suggestion that the
cotton ties industry might be successfully
pr secuted in Alabama, he said tnat there
was no doubt of that, ltut he found two
classes of people in his state-one class pros
pering and the other class continually going
down; one earning money by tariffs or
independent of the tariffs, and the othe
losing money by the drainage Of the tariffs;
and that it was his duty as legislator to
relieve those in distress first. to
try to build up the indus
tries that need help, before trying
to make men rich who now got rich in spite
of competition from Pennsylvania or Eng
land. That was the situation of the iro
industry in Alabama 1t did not need tariff
legislation. He besought the Senate, in
behalf of the great cotton industry, not to
impose higher burdens upon it than now
existed. but to reduce such burdens. But
here was bill, he said, that raised the duty
on cotton ties 100 per cent.
TAX ON EXPORTS.
Mr.. Call argued that the tax on cotton ties
come within the consti utional inhibition
of laying tax on exports Finally the
amendment was voted on and was rejected
by a strict party vote. Yeas IS, nays 90.
Mr.. Coke moved an amendment reducing
the duty on cotton ties to 35 per cent
ad valorem. The clause in the substitute
reads provided that hoop or band iron, o.
wholly or partially manufactured into
hoops or ties fer baling purposes, barrel
hoops of iron or steel, and hoop or band
iron, and hoop or band steel
shall pay two tenths of one cent
per pound more duty than
that imposed on hoop or band iron or steel
from which they are made . and Mr.. Coke's
amendment is to strike out all after the
word "shalr and to insert the words, "be
admitted on the payment of IS per cent. ad
valorem.n
A GLARING INEQUALITY.
He made an argument in support of it.
He declared that the substitute went out of
its way to create most glaring inequality
against the cotton planters, by raising the
existing tax of 50 per cent. to a tax Of los
per cent. Without action on Mr.. Coke'S
amendment, the Senate, at 5 o'clock, ad-
journed, after agreeing to a request
by Mr.. Platt that if the paragraphs on
cutlery and firearms should be reached be-
fore Monday, they should be passed over
informally, as he would be absent from the
Senate until then.