Omaha daily bee., 1888-12-11
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS
Mr.. Frye Refers Sarcastically to the
Present Foreign Policy.
THE TARIFF BILL DISCUSSED.
Members of tho Senate stu Hammer
ing on the Metal Schcdule-lm-
portant Measures in
the House.
Senate.

one from the secretary of the interior in re-
sponse TO a resolution recently offered by
Mr.. Dawes, requiring information as to the
alleged outrages and restraints of liberty
practIced against Indian women in Alaska.
The secretary says that the department has
no information on the subject, except 'news-
paper reports of uncertain Value He init
mates that the stories have arisen from the
highly magnifying power in the visual lens
of travellers.
MIR. Edmunds, from the judiciary commit
tee, reported a resolution, which was agreed
TO, calling on the attorney general for in
formation concerning the execution of the
act of March 3, 1887, in reference to bigamy;
the sale of property reported cxosoitaut
fees, etc.
Mr.. Fry offered a resolution instructing
the committee on foreign affairs to
inquire into the condition of affairs
at the Samoan Islands as far as the
interests and rights of American residents
there are affected the relations OF the United
states to the islands, and her obligations
under the existing treaties; the necessity of
maintaining the neutrality or Independence
of the islands; what steps have been taken
IN that regard by the United States govern
ment, and whattaction, If any, was demanded.
In his (trye's) judgment, the existing state
OF things at those islands made inquiry an
IMPERATIVE necessity at this time, although
| . 'H'Ih II uioNlpoN al tNItNullSlA ui0itIubiblC
chapter of history in American diplomacy.
He spoke at length, reviewing the Samoan
situation from the time of making the treaty
with.Eing Maiietoa down to the present. He
referred sarcastically To the expedition
against Hayti and the threats to Mexico in
the last difficulty with that government.
Would it not, he said, be more consistent
with the dignity and power of this great
republic to protect the rights of her
citizens against her equais-agaiust
a country like England or a country like
Germany! One vessel, he said, was seized
in Hayti, and a hundred vessels seized by
Canada-one backed by Great Britain, the
other backed by no one. In his opinion the
American people demanded that If its power
was to be shown, it should be shown against
It's equals, not against Its interiors.
Mr.. Gray moved that the resolution be re-
ferred to the committee on contingent OK
penses, and il was referred. He would not,
he said, have objected to its immediate CON
sideration but for the attitude assumed by
the senator from Massachusetts and the re-
marks with which he had chosen TO accom-
pany the resolution. Whether the govern
mcnt of the United States, under the i'm
pulse of jingoism, should embroil itself with
those European powers whose foreign af-
fairs are governed by the eXecutiveES gen
tirely without the intervention of the
Legislative, or other popular branches of the
government, was a question to be deter
mined by the Legislative power of the United
States. The state department could not,
without the most fragrant usurpation, pre-
tend to commit the government or the people
of the United States to a policy which an
tagonized all its former traditions and his
tory.
At ! o'clock the senate resumed considera-
ton of the tariff bill, the pending question
being on Mr.. Harris amendment to reduce
the duty on beams, girders, %ioists, angles,
etc, and all structural shapes of iron or
steel, from | ITO cents per pound TO 6-l0
cents per pound. AS Mir. Mcpherson de-
sired to offer some amendment at the begiu-
ming of the metal schedules, Mr.. Harris
temporarily withdrew the amendment. MIR.
Mcpherson thereupOn moved to amend para
graph 120 as to iron in pigs, etc, by reducing
the rate of duty from $40 of a cent per pound
to ST per ton.
MIR. Allison opposed tho amendment, and
it was rejccted-yeas 20, nays -.
MIR. Plumb voted with the republicans in
the negative.
Mr. Mcpherson moved to amend the pro-
vison in paragraph l22 (refcrrlng to iron bars, |
blooms or bilIets, in which charcoal is used
as fuel by reducing the duty from $22 per
ton to $50 per ton. Rejected.
Mr.. Mcpherson moved to reduce the duty |
on cast iron pipe paragraph 1881 from $40 |
of q cent per pound to Clio of a cent. He |
stated that the cast iron pipe industry had
formed a trust or combination, under which
the price was the foreign cost plus the duty
and all expenses. He thought that less pro
lection would answer that industry. The
amendment was reiected-yeas 10, nays "a.
These votes beng strictly party votes, MIR.
Mcpherson intinatcd that it seemed that all
opposition to the bill might as well cease, if
amendments SO reasonable Were to receive
the united opposition of the republican side
of the
MIR. Allison nodded his head.
Then, said Mr.. Mcpherson, we are TO I'M
derstand, | suppose, that the manufacturers
of iron pipe may appear before a committee
of the senate aud fix any rate they choose
on their production without any regard to
what the consumers may say about itf Here
10 m nhGN1DTniV urpDInitnrV duty nf SDD Al
per ton. / move to reduce it TO $40 of IL cent
per pound. The amendment was rejected
yeas 81, nays -.
MIR. Mcpherson then moved to reduce the
rate on anvils paragraph 1850 from ? TO ~
cents per pound. Rejected.
Mr.. Mcpherson moved to reduce the rate
on iron or steel anchor, etc, paragraph 800,
from | $40 cents per pound 10 ~ cents. Re
jcctcd.
MIR. Mcpherson alluded 10 the criticisms in
the press on Che democratic senators for their
in opposing the substitute, and eX'
posing its weak points, and he explained that
the subject had been arranged by the
republican senators OF the committee
on finance, and that the democratic
senators knew nothing about it oXcspt
from cursOry reading just before it was re-
ported. In his opinion, If il were TO become
a law it would bankrupt the whole country
in less than five years, and he moved that
consideration be postponed until January 10.
Mir. Dawes asked satirically whether the
~ iAth ~ 'N'1N 49, ~ NGt'
sive that disaster might come to the country
from the treasury surplus if the matter was
delayed.
After some further remarks of a political
Mr.. Mcpherson withdrew his mo.
ton. He then moved to reduce the rate on
axles, etc, (paragraph 1881 from 2 cents to
l cent per pound. Rejected.
Mr.. Harris renewed the amendment to re-
duce the duty or beams, Orders, j~oists,
angles, etc, from l 10 cents per pound to
$40 cents.
Mr.. Vest argued in support of the amend.
ment and said that there was no item in
the bill on which the two par.
ties could better join issues than
this one. He spoke of CarncgIe's
profit on 10000 tons of stool beams manufac-
tured in one year as over 81 ,O0O. 900, and de-
scribed the steel trust in this country as one
'hoary with age.' How long, he asked, was
that trust to exist!
MIR. Sherman desired TO state, once for all,
the ground Of his several votes on the bill,
because IL was neither a matter Of pleasure
for the senate nor a matter of public utility
10 waste time in repeating over aud over
again the same argument on different clauses
OF the bill. Undoubtedly the Mills bill repre-
scented the general sentiment of the demo.
cratic party, while the senate substitute had
been carried before the United States and