The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-12-20
yesterday AT THE NATIONAL CAPITAL
Mr.. Vest Wastes Valuable Time
With Political Aarangue.
consuIs in HaytI send Word that No
Real Blockade Exists.
Representative Devote Themselves
to the River and Harbor Bill.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19.-During the con
sideration of the section Of the tariff bill
fixing the duties on lead, in the Senate to-
day. Mr.. Voorhees, made speech on the bill,
declaring that its object was not the general
welfare nor the reduction Of taxation, but
merely to gain temporary political success.
The bill was in every part of it a cheat and
fraud. He then deprecated the formation of
salt and other trusts Quoting saying of
Mr.. Lincoln's, that this is world of compen-
sations, Mr.. Voorhees, said that IL Lincoln
had lived to see the Senate bill he would
have regarded it as an exception to the gen.
eral rule, because there were neither COM
pensations nor consultations in it except such
as the privileged few found In depressing
the humble fresides of toiling millions. The
panacea proposed In the substitute for all
the evils IL embraced was free whskey and
tobacco. OF course IL was only proposed to
remove the tax on spirits used in the indus
trial arts, but they had the authority of Mr..
Sherman that that would practically result
in free whiskey. The people were in need
Of cheaper clothing, cheaper blankets,
cheaper ploughs, cheaper agricultural inn
pements, cheaper household goods and
kitchen ware, but on these the rates were to
be Increased and people were to have
cheap whiskey and tobacco. Only
q short time ago, the Senator from
Iowa, Mr.. Allisonl had been in favor of
general reduction Of duties equal to 20 per
cent. The Senator from Vermont Mr.. Nor
rilll had repeatedly announced that high
duties laid for war revenues were to be but
temporary, and the Senator from Ohio [Mr.
Shernanl had declared with emphasis that
taxes on whiskey and tobacco should be re-
tanned. But now these distinguished SEN
ators had entirely reversed their positions
"a change had come over the spirits of their
)inanciaD dream" Well had it been said, as
ne quoted in conclusion, that the OK knoweth
his owner and the ass his masters crib"
Mr.. Hawley replied to Mr.. Voorhees,
speech to which he said he had listened with
interest, not because it contained anything
new but as an effort Of the imagination in
portraying the sufferings Of the people, sus-
tained as It had been by the prophetic tones
and sounding voice of the Senator from In
diana. 1t had been really master piece
As matter Of fact, he Mr.. Hawley did not
know any such people and did not know any
that after all which the Senator had said
about the great evils of the tariff the DEM
ocracy had not during the last 20 years passed
a tariff bill through Congress and had never
passed one through its own House Of Repre-
sentatives until last July.
Paragraphs 178 to 1872 were passed without
change. As to paragraph 1873 relating to
needles for sewing, darning or knitting, Mr.
Vance moved to strike out the words s'25 per
cent. advalorem" and insert the words free
of duty" He spoke in favor of the amend
ment. saying that if there was one class of
working people more under paid and more
over worked than another, it was the sewing
women and they certainly should have their
needles free of duty. The amendment was
rejected, yeas, 20; nays, %.
Various amendments were offered to sue
ceeding paragraphs and rejected, some para
graphs being passed for future action. AT
ter considering about three pages of the bill,
the Senate proceeded to executive business
and adjourned to II a. m tomorrow.