Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-06-13
THE CAPITAL.
FULLER'S CONFIRMATION SAID no
BE ASSURED.
California Congressman Placed ON
the Record-Vandever Holds
His seat-Etc.
ESPECIAL DISPATCHES TO TEE REcoRD-ua1os. 7
CALIFORNIA INDUSTRIES.
interesting Debate Between Our Cor
gressmen on the Tariff Rill

interesting Debate Between Our Con-
gressmen on the Tariff Bill,
WASHINGTON, June 12th.-It is unfortu.
maze that In the discussion of the Mills
Dill an aye-and-no vote is not taken on tbe
various clauses as they are Considered
separately. 1t is impossible to get the
members on record in many important
items, but occasionally things happen
which put the Representatives on record.
recently during the discussio On of the Mills
Dill the two Democratic members of the
House from California committed them
selves irrevocably. When the clause put-
ting lumber on the free list was being con.
sldered Vandever of California offered the
following amendment:
Provided, further, that if the above
mentioned articles, or either of them, are
the product of Chinese labor in the country
whence imported, thev shall be suhiect ~
duty as now provided by law, under such
regulations as may be prescribed by the
Secretary of the Treasury"
Nandever intended that all lumber man.
ufactured by Chinese labor in British
Columbia should be subject to duty, even
II lumber manufactured by white labor
should be admitted free. A spirited dis
cusslon ensued, and rising vote was taken.
Blggs of California was one of the few
Democrats who voted in favor of the
amendment on the rising vote. Thomson
voted against it. Springer, a Democrat.
who was in the chair, decided that the
amendment was lost, and then vote by
tellers was demanded. Then Mr.. Biggs
and Mr.. Thompson both walked between
the tellers and voted against the amend
ment. The sudden change in Mr.. Biggs
decision was brought about by his subjec-
ton to his party, which demands that there
snail be Tree trade in lumber without any
restrictions whatever. Biggs and Thomp-
son thus recorded themselves in obedience
to the free-trade leaders as opposed to pro-
tecting the white labor of California and
oregon against the coolie labor in British
Columbia.
MKENNA TAKES THE FLOOR
Another occasion arose in which Mr..
blggs mad an opportunity to express his
great admiration for the wonderful free.
trade measure of Mr.. Mills. The salt
schedule was under consideration, and Mr..
Mckenna made speech in favor of strik-
ing 1t from the list and restoring it to the
dutiable list. McKenna said: 1.-THE bill
carefully enthusiastically cruelty iiscrimi-
mates against every California industry.
Wool, lumber, salt, borax, fruit marble. all
these industries of my State, although most
OF them are in a nascient condition, have
been put upon the free list-all taken from
the labor and the profit of Americans and
gwen to the labor and the profit of foreign
ers. MIR. Chairman, it is whispered that
my colleagues on the other side have saved
prunes. Laughter Well, sir, prunes are
something, and be we should be thank
ful for that something whether fear or
favor or mercy or a satiated free-trade appe-
ute has granted it to us; but would like
TO ask the Democrats of this House, and
especially my Democratic colleagues, to an.
swer this question: Why so lndulgent to
prunes and so rigorous to other fruits. to
wool, to lumber, to salt, to borax? What
virtue Is there in prunes and the producers
OF them that is not in wool, lumber, borax,
salt and the producers of them?
10 my crude legislative notion, Mr..
Chairman, if any one of these things is
entitled to protection, all are, and a Demo-
cratic legislator from California, if he
dared to discriminate, might find a war
rant and guaranty il the sentiment of the
party in that State in favoripg wool instead
of prunes. | will read the Democratic
platform of 1884, upon which my two col
leagues were elected. l wish to see whether
that portion of the Democratic party was
represented upon the Committee on Ways
and Means, as its Chairman says the Dem
ocratic party was represented
" 'ResotUed, That the present tariff on wool pre-
pared by a Republican Commission, appointed
by Republican President, is an unjust dis
examination against great industry, and we
denounee the same and demand restoration of
the tariff of 1867
Mr.. Chairman, if concessions are to be
made by Democrats because they are Dem
ocrats, why should not California Demo-
crat demand favor for wool? When a Cal
ifornia Democrat begged aims or forced
concessions, why did he not beg aims and
force concessions for wool and lumber and
for those other things in which his State is
so largely interested ?"