The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-10-20
McCOmas's Good Work
A special dispatch from Washing.
ton under date of the 18th saws.

had long interview with Senator
Allison and other members If the
Finance Committee. He called the
attention of the trainers of the riff
bill to the grave error in the now
bill, whereby coal-slack and culn was
on the free list. He also sDOko to
Senator Dolph about it, and round
that the people on the Pacific Stone
were also deeply interested. After
a conference with Senator Allkon II
was decided that not only should
cOal-sIack and culm be stricken from
the free list, but that the duties on
those articles should be Increased.
Mr.. McC0mas fully explaind the
necessity for his prompt insistnce of
the correction of the AmeTicdT, cor
respondent. He first explainsd the
nature of the articles under discuss
sion - familiar enough, however,
throughout all the vast coal igions
of ryland, Virginia, va -
ginia and Pennsylvania. I y 81
$50 far from intending to make
coal free" continued Nh McComas,
"the purpose of the coumittee, SO
soon as the matter was understood,
| is to make safer our hitIQinOuS coal
miners by preventing te fraudulent
invoicing of bituminuS coal at a
lower rate. [ am mud gratlf1ed at
the result of my labfs. Instead OF
as our Democratic fire. thrade breth-
ern in Western Maryland claim, BIZ
luminous coal being free, not only is
it not free bat by the amendment
proposed, ID bitiminOus coal can
come in as slack Or culm. At the
same time the Senate has greatly
benefited the biuminous coal min
ers of theAtlanto slope by striking
out the drawback proViso, This pro-
yiso slipped into the tariff revision
of 1888 without a sponsor, and has
injuriolsIy affected the bituminOus
coal trade, and especially the steam
Goals Of our Cumberland region. The
allowance of a drawback Of seventy
five cents to American vessels has
been abused, and foreign vessels in
foreign trade have gotten from collier
ships foreign Goals and lessened the
American market and reduced the
price in competition with them.
In the last three years." Mr.. Nc
COmas went on, sit amounted TO
considerabIe-Sl24,0 600 drawbacks in
1885, and S109, 900 drawbacks in 1887,
In the forty-eighth Congress / made
speech against it, and introduced a
resolution to repeal this provis4 N
the Forty ninth, and this SeSs0l of
the Fiftieth, Congress | renewed this
resolution, and Mr.. Hiscock, now
Senator, was much impressed with
the Justice of my claim, What the
Democratic House has thrice failed
to do during my service in favor of
protection to coal, the Republican
Senate has this time done by its bill.
which repeats this drawback clause.
Though [ was much disturbed by
this error in the bill, yet l am now
glad that this episode occurred and
particularly pleased to have been in
strumental in having the correction
so promptly made, for the Senate's
action of the matter shows the ear
nest and yigilant desire of the Re-
publican majority to protect the coal
miner in every way, and Senator AL
lison, in behalf of the committee,
was good enough to announce in ad-
vance that the committee will make
this amendment, which will really
increase the duty on refuse coal. leay-
ing to our own market the whole
benefit Of the duty of seventy-fye
cents per ton.
"A Democratic success" said Mr..
McComas in coclusion, "meanS free
coal and iron. A Republican success
means, as this action of the Senate
committee demonstrates, greater pro.
lection and increased security to the
coal miners. This news will be par
ticularly pleasing to the intelligent
miners of the Maryland coal regions
and we'll gladden. the friends of nrQ
lection to coal throughout West Vir.
ginia, the Pocahontas coal region OF
old Virgins, as well as the CIear6eId
region, Blossburg and Westmore.
land region of PennsylYania-the re-.
gionS of the Appalachian coal fields
near enough to tidewater to be affect.
ed by the tariff on coal"
When the Senators afterward re.
entered the Senate chamber, Mr.. AL.
lison, as being IN charge of the Sen.
ate bill, announced officially, in re.
Spouse to question from Mr.. DoIph,
that there had been an error in the
bill, and that the coal slack or culm
would be stricken from the free list
and the old rates rnim nnspd Mr. Al