Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-12-12
WASHINGTON.
Debate on the Senate Tariff
Bill Continued.
VEST REPLIES TO SHERMAN
The Direct Tax Bill Under COnsid-
GRAFTON in the House.
Notes.
Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD

Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD.
WASHINGTON, December lin the
Senate to-day, Frye's resolution of yes
-terday instructing tie Committee on For
eign Relations to inquire into the state Of
affairs at the Samoan Islands was re-
ported back from the Committee on Con-
tingent Expenses and agreed to.
The Senate then resumed consideration
of the Tariff bill, the pending question
being the Harris amendment to reduce
the duty on beams and girders from
1-10 cents per pound to 6-10 of a cent.
Senator sst, referring to Sherman's
speech of yesterday, denied the assertion
that the late election settled the ques-
ton Of tariff legislation. He, (Vest) did
was not disheartened by that result. The
question would last as long as the country
endured, because it involved funde-
mental difference in the construction of
the constitution aside from policies of
government. If the position Of the Re-
publican party to-day was correct (un-
limited taxation for the purpose of pro-
tection) the war wonld never cease, be-
cause it was, in his judgment, subver-
blOA VI tuo pilHCiPico VI SONCIuucut auu
its autonomy. Although the Senator
the election was triumph of the protec-
ton principle, he absolutely denied in
the most emphatic terms that it settled
the question as to the details of the bill.
The people had not meant to endorse the
Senate substitute. For himself he would
exercise his right to criticise and oppose
every single provision of the substitute,
although it should take up the balance of
the session.
Vest denied the accuracy of the state
ment made by Sherman yesterday that
there was reduction of 10 per cent. in
the metal schedule by the Senate substi-
tute.
Sherman reaffirmed his statement,
and said the reduction was over 10 per
cent.
Vest continued to discuss the metal
schedule in detail, characterizing the
steel trust as "a gigantic devil-fish COM
bination, which puts an immense amount
Of money into the pockets of its members
in the name of American labor and the
protection of our infant industries"
German spoke at length on the matter
and said they all understood very we'll
that the Senate substitute was framed
during the campaign for political pur-
pose.
The debate was continued at great
length by Mcpherson, Allison, Vest,
Aldrich, Fvre and German. In the course
of it Allison disclaimed the idea that the
Senate substitute had been prepared for
q political purpose. There never had
been time when the Finance Commit
tee did not know that revision of the
tariff and reduction of the revenue was
absolutely necessary. The bill had been
prepared by the Finance Committee on
their responsibility as Senators, and not
for the base purpose of making party
capital. They did not claim that it was
perfect, but knew it was open to revision.
The debate then drifted into a dis.
cussion of a political nature, which
finally closed, and Harris amendment
was rejected 20 to 20; all the Republican
Senators voted in the negative, and with
them voted Senators Mcpherson and
Payne; German did not vote at all.
Vest then moved to fix the rate on
steel beams at one cent per pound. AL
lison assented to that on part Of the
Finance Committee, saying he had been
instructed to offer the amendment, and
would have done so if he had been rec
ognized by the Chair.
The amendment was agreed to without
division, and steel beams, ETC., stands at
one cent per pound.
An amendment offered by Vance to re-
duce the rate on trace-chaips from three
cents to two cents per pound was reject
ed, but on suggestion of Allison the item
was passed over without final action.
An amendment offered by Jones, OF
AL - n1x frnA r,f
duty, gave rise to much discussion. 1t
was not disposed of, the Senate going
into executive session, and soon ad-
iOurned