Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-08-21


treaty. He also said the Senate had acte
well and promptly in dealing with the CHI
nese question and he only regretted the Hous
had not done the same.
Mekenna of California. replying to th
speech of Bynum of Indiana Saturday, sal
that the gentleman from Indiana need no
worry about the record of Harrison, b.
might be assured that the people we're con
cerDed not in what Harrison had been bu
what ne was and would be, not in what tn
democratic party had been but what it was an,
would be, and that they couldn't be juggled
I from that concern by any artful policy o
or artfnl politicians. He then proceeded t.
critic the democratic majority of the Hous,
in the 43th Congress for its lack of action
upon the Chinese question and for its dila
toriness during tbe present session. The Ad-
mnistration was also open to criticism fo
delay. For three years Bayard has no
| given a sign of action. There WAS not
sound except the sound of revelry and mu
sic at the residence of the Chinese Minister
with the democratic Secretary of State in
attendance.
Thompson Of California, advocated the
bill.
Nandever of California, also depicted the
evils which resulted from Chinese immigra.
ton and the necessity which existed for its
prohibition, and defended Harrison from the
charge of entertaining pro-Chinese senti-
ments.
Dingley of Maine characterized it as a
thorough and complete Misrepresentation of
the statement made by Bynum that the poll
cy of the republican party was to open the
doors to the importation of cheap labor and
close them to the importation of cheap food
and cheap clothing. 1t took some hardhood
on the part of the gentleman TO make that
charge in view of that as member of the
ways and means committee he had advocated
the bill which placed the duty of IS per
cent. on sugar, and 100 per cent. on rice,
two necessities of the poor. The bill kept a
duty OF 10 per cent Oh clothing and 40 per
cent. upon wooden cloth, precisely the same du-
ty that was now imposed. Yet that gentle
man had temerity to claim that the democratic
party was in favor of cheap food and cloth
ing. The gentleman relied for his state
ment that the republicans wanted to open the
doors to cheap labor, upon the fact that
when the country was in the throes of war,
a law was passed to encourage immigration.
When the necessity for the law ceased the law
was repealed, although in the 10Th Congress,
in both branches, no action was
taken to that end. Referring to the violation
of the contract labor law, he asserted that
the republican party stood committed to
strengthening any law upon the subject, in
any manner the President might propose 1t
was duty of the President if the law was not
strong enough, to call atteuton to its weak
ness, and ask that it be amended. Touching
upon the tariff question contended that the
democratic party, being in favor of free
importation of products of labor, was log
ically in favor of free importation of labor
Mcmillan, of Tennessee, suggested that if
the proposition of the gentleman from Maine
was true, therefore the gentleman from
Maine was a free trader, for when the
question of resisting Chinese migration was
up, the gentleman had said it was wrong to
keep out Mongolians.
Dingley II said nothing of the kind
McMilan.-"Y voted for it, and that is
stronger than saying it."
Dingley Il declined to vote for the bill
as long as long as believed it contravened
treaty"
McMillan-Ah, my friend, SO long as it
a treaty then you are in this pre-
hcament. Whenever you hold that a treaty
once established cannot be abrogated with
out the consent of the nation making it, you
make it an eveslasting treaty And more,
when you critcise the democratic party and
say it is for the free importation of labor,
see that your own skirts are clear. 1t was a
treaty made by the gentlemans party and
the gentleman voted against excluding the
Chinese.
Dngley-I have three times voted to ex-
,lude the Chinese.
Nc Mlllan-The treaty was the same all
he time.
Dngley-An amenlatory bill to make it
conform to the treaty.
McMillan-The gentleman has done what
his present candidate for President is doing,
has heard from the people on the question.
Cannon of Illinois, referred to the passage
in 1864 of bill to encourage immigration,
and its repeal by subsequent Congress when
the repeal bill passed the House unanimously
and received only nine dissenting votes, all
of which were cast by democrats. In the
Senate among those senators voting in favor
to repeal it has been Harrison, and yet men,
after sleeping their to igues in gall, had got
up and denounced Harrison and criticised
bis record on the subject of immigration.
They were pretty set of ducks. In the
44th Congress such resolution had been
adopted and had died in the Senate. In the
46 Congress, Willis of Kentucky had report
ed resolution calling attention to the fact
that the republican administration had re-
fused to take any steps in the matter, and
before breakfast Wednesday, Evarts was at
Willis rooms begging him not to push the
resolution. 1t was not till after that time
that the administration took steps to ap-
point commissioners. The treaty was nego-
tiated in 1880 but was not promulgated by
the President until 1881. If the gentleman
from Maine in order to know why it was
that bills were not introduced during the
46th Congress, he would reply that Hayes
vetoed that bill in 1879 and had remained in
the presidential chair until 1881. The gen.
tleman from Illinois, Cannon had
attempted to defend Harrison's record.
gentleman W, uid have to defend his own.
In the 46th Congress when the resolution was
be fore the House to enforce the S-hour law,
the gentleman from Illinois opposed it and
upon his motion it had been tabled and such
men as Reed and Mckinley, Reed and Nor
ton had voted to table it. Referring TO Ding
leys remark, relative TO the duty on sugar,
and rice, Bynum said that the gentleman
would have been more fair if he had stated
that the duty had been reduced on sugar
from 50 to IS per cent; on rice, from lib
to 100.
Dingley-You voted down the amendment
fixing the duty on sugar at II per cent, and
on rice at 80 per cent.
Bynum-The gentleman on that side has
been crying out all the time that the Mills
bill was sectional bill and the only two
items they were understood to
attack were the items of sugar and
rice which are raised in the Southern states.
McCaeary of Kentucky closed the debate
with defence of the committee on foreign
affairs from the charge of dilatoriness and
the bill was then passed without division with
the amendment providing for repeating
cause to go into effect upon the ratification
of the pending treaty. The House at 5.35
adjourned
General Congressional News.
Mrs. Charlotte Smith, president of the
Woman's National Industrial Union, has
written a letter to Chairman Ford of the
House Committee on immigration, stating
that during her investigation of the condit on
of the wage earners for the Senate commit
tee on Education and Labor. She found in
New York and Boston syndicates composed
h~l