The Portland daily press., 1888-06-30
BIG GUNS AND THE TARIFF
The Subjects Of Yesterdays Flow of
Congressional Eloquence.
Fourth Rate Powers Better Equipped
than the United States.
Patchwork on the Free Trade Sec
ton Of the Mills Sill Completed.

WASHINGTON, June 29.-The Senate re-
sumed consideration of the army appropria
tion bill today. The pending question was
on Senator Hawley's amendment, Offered
yesterday, appropriating $4,000 for an army
gun factory at Watervliet arsenal, West
Troy, N. Y; $5,000,000 for the purchase ei
steel for high power coast defence guns of II
and II inch calibre; $5OO.0O0 for the purchase
of submarine mines, cable galleries and ap.
pliances to operate such mines, and $1O0,0O(
for the purchase of submarine comfortable
torpedoes and torpedo boats.
Senator German said the reason why he
raised the point of order yesterday on the
amendment was that he thought that this
was not the proper time and place for such a
proposition. He did not believe that the
terms of the amendment were sufficiently
guarded to protect the interests of the coun-
try in beginning such great enterprise.
Senator Hawley said that he was not only
-1urv.ss.s, ~ was now thir-
teen years since dollar had been spent in
the construction OF coast defences. The
United States land forces had but one mod
ern seige gun and that had not yet been ac-
Ctpttu. utIt WtIt 20 VI OU tACtlltub Stttl
guns for light artillery. After the harassing
times of old John Roach. man who did
honor to his country, not one manufacturer
would spend a million dollars in making a
gun. As to the dynamite gun, which the
Senator from Maryland represented as a
ley) did not know it was. Yet it was
largely success and bad, he thought,
come to stay. He defended the ordnance
officers of the army and navy, to whom the
grossest injustice had been done.
Senator Butler argued in favor of the
amendment to the appropriation. He said it
should be made promptly and without fur
ther delay.
Senator Beck said that no Senator was
more willing than he to vote money for guns,
but he objected to spending millions for a
navy, and then getting no navy and spending
millions for guns and getting no guns.
Senators Reagan, Stewart and Chandler
advocated the amendment.
Senator Evarts advocated the amendment,
and Senator Hawley stated that with an ap-
preparation of 5000, 900, 270 guns would be
constructed, but that it would take i've or
six years to expend the money.
Senator Plumb suggested that the gun of
the future would not be made of steel at all,
but of metal composed OF iron and aluminium
in combination, aluminium being the univer-
sal metal. He predicted the proposed plan
would be abandoned within five years.
Senator Stewart asked how it would be if
the United States should be at war tomor-
row.
How would it be, was his reply, if the
stars should fall! We should catch larks.
The man does not live who will hear the
first hostile shot fired on the American coast.
Senator Hawley, replying, appealed to
Senator Plumb'5 common sense whether an
Is inch gun or a IL inch gun, or 6 inch gun,
that would throw an 100 pound ball, would
likely be ever superseded. As to Senator
H. sotsA hat
hear hostile shot on the American conti-
nent, he asked who could prophesy the
touch of the electric signal that would
plunge Europe into war, and might involve
the United States. Great Britain, he said,
had 275 vessels that could sail out today TO
luake war upon the United States and she
had Al vessels drawing less than seven feet
of water, with ten inch guns that could walk
up the Welland canal and into Lake Erie.
The superficial observer could see only clear
skies over the United States In 1860. yet
within year war had broken out. Congress
dare not invite quarrel with any foreign
nation. No Congresr could be assembled
idiotic enough to declare war against
imaginable insult. other nations had had
this country at their mercy.
The English themselves were surprised a
gard to war preparation and asked was there
ever such happy, go-lucky reliance on luck
since the world began. The country with
its sixty million of people was monstrous
modern steel guns it was no more effective
than a dead whale.
Senator Plumb ridiculed the suggestion as
to what English opinion was.
Senator COckrell spoke sarcastically of the
frenzy exhibited by Senators from Connecti-
the British red coats coming down from the
skies, landing on American soil, driving
back the timid Yankees and levying contri-
buttons on American cities.
"They burned this Capitol once" Senatot
Hawley suggested.
lI"Yes. they burned this Capitol once" said
Senator Cockrell, land they regret it to this
day.
$50 do we," was Senator Hawley's laconic
rejoinder. :,
not regret it. | do not regret it, and the
American people do not regret it." He said
the American people feared nobody. 1t
worshipped at the shrine of the everlasting
and almighty Jehovah, not at that of any
single power on the earth.
Without coming to vote, the Senate ad-
j0urned until II a. m. tomorrow.
In the House.
The House went into committee of the
whole on the tariff bill.
Mr.. Dingley, of Maine, moved to strike
from the free list rags of whatever material
composed. The motion was lost
Mr.. Lodge, of Massachusetts, moved to
strike from the free list reeds manufactured
or made up into finished articles.
Mr.. breckenridge of Arkansas, opposed the
motion. The motion was lost.
On motion oflMr. Breckenridge, of Arkan-
sas, paintings in oil, or water colors, and
statuary not otherwise provided for, were
stricken from the free list.
Mr. Leh.bach, of New Jersey, moved to
strike from the free list stone manufactured,
freestone, granite, sandstone and all building
or monumental stone.
Mr. Milliken, of Maine, pointed out the in
furious effect which the free entry of stone
would have upon stone quarrying in his
State, where it would be difficult to compete
with the stone industry of Canada, where
the rate OF wages was much lower than in
Maine. Mr.. Lehlbach's amendment was re-
jected.
Mr.. Russell, of Massachusetts. moved to
place pumuline on the free list He said il
was not produced in this country The
motion was agreed to. This completed the
consideration of the free list section and the
clerk proceeded to read the dutiable portion
of the bill. The clause providing that the
change in the rate of duties shall take effect
the first OF July 1, 1888, was passed in
formally.
Mr.. Dingley moved to lay duty of fifteen
cents cask on lime, which was yesterday
struck from the free list This rate of duty,
he contended, would only compensate for
the difference in the rate of wages paid in
this country, and Canada. Mr.. Dingley' /
motion was lost.
Mr.. Adams moved to strike out the clause
fixing the rate of duty on refined glycerine
at cents pound. This led to a long dis
cussion in which Mr.. Reed criticized the
majority of the ways and means committe e
for attempting to mislead the country by
statements as ito the effect the bill would
have on the government revenue. Mr.. Will
son of West Virginia and Mr.. Breckenridge,
of Arkansas, defended the committee The
amendment was lost
AT p. m. the House took recess until s.
The Pension List.
The following Maine pensions were grant
today:
ORIGINAL, INVALID.
Henry w. Tucker, Whitefeld.
Elias L. Jordan, DamarscOtta.
Samuel S. Clark. Franklin