The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-04-16
Lth CONGRESS.-.FIRST SESSION.
HOUSE..

WASHINGTON, April IA.
Mr.. Randall of Pennsylvania, from the
committee ON appropriations, reported the
legislative, executive and judicial appropria-
tions bill today, and it was referred to the
committee of the whole.
Mr.. Robertson reported bill for the relief
of soldiers and sailors who enlisted and
served in the army or navy during the rebel
lion, under assumed names Placed on the
calendar.
Mr. Gallinger of New Hampshire, from
the committee en- invalid pensions, reported
the bill granting increased pensions to SOL
diers who lost both hands. Referred to COM
miltee of the whole.
Mr.. Bynum of Indiana, from the same
committee, reported with amendment, the
Senate bill granting pensions to ex-soldiers
and sailors who are incapacitated for the
performance of manual labor, and providing
pensions for the dependant relatives OF de-
ceased soldiers and sailors. Referred to
committee of the whole.
The House then went into committee of
the WHOLE Mr. McCreary of Kentucky in
the chair, ON the Indian appropriation bill.
Mr.. Perkins of Kansas, spoke upon the bill.
Passing from the subject of Indians, Mr..
Perkins addressed himself to the tariff. He
criticised the Mills bill, because almost every
article raised by the. American farmer was
put upon the free list, while whatever pro-
lection was left was lett for capital. he
hoped that in the coming debate the mask of
hypocrisy would be removed and the hldeous
face of free trade exposed. While the
Townshends, Springers and others had been
allowed to indulge in platitudes, the gentle
men from the South had been admo nlshed to
sit still, but he hoped that now they would
demand to be heard. They gave the Demo-
cratic party 1853 electoral votes, and 1t was
we'll that they should be consulted. After
they had filibustered against bill which
proposed to pay $17,000,C00 to the Northern
States, it was not right that Democratic
House should surrender to them. IApplauseJ.
Mr.. Allen of Mississippi thought it was
great pity that the gentleman from Kansas
Mr.. Perkinsl could not get his, head out OF
the cupboard and walk sQuarely up to the
issues of today, instead of going back to
slavery and rebellion. The gentleman had
read from the Confederate constitution. Did
the gentleman know that it was q years since
that constitution had been adopted? That
constitution and what it contained were not
matters of interest, even to the people he
represented and to the people represented
by the gentleman who had reported the bill.
Mr.. Perkins suggested that these gentle
men had been born when the constitution
was suggested, and he simply wanted to
know whether their sentiments had changed
on the question of free trade and labor.
MIR. Allen declared tnaI no man Oh Ilt
ways and means committee was in favor OF
slave labsr. They all had as much respect
for white labor in this country as had the
gentleman from Kansas or any other person
who would vote against the bill.
"How about black labor?" asked Mr.. Per-
kins.
''It is as free and Independent as white la
Dor in Kansas" replied Mr.. Allen
''How about voting?" then queried Mr..
Perkins.
Mr.. Mcmillan of Tennessee-They vote as
they please.
MIR. Perkins-How about the chain gangs
in Arkansas and Texas?
Mr. Allen-I know this; that there is no
law in Mississippi or Arkansas that does not
consign white felon tor the chain gang just
as quickly as black one and if the gentle
man were there don't know what his pros
poets would be. Langhterl.
Mr. Adams of Illinois said that the object
of the gentleman from Kansas in quoting
from the Confederate constitution was not
to awaken bitter memories of the war, but
to remind the country that the gentlemen
who reported the bill had believed in free
trade. The proper answer to that would
have been for them to say that they had
changed their sentiments, but that answer
had not been made