Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-01-10

MR. vEsT's AMENDMENT TO TAKE THE DUTY OFF
COAL NOT ACCEPTABLE TO HIS DEMOCRATIC
ooLLEAoUEs--HE TELLS THEM IT rs TOO LATE
TO CHANGE 'FRONT.'
There was very interesting scrap Of debate
in the Senate yesterday afternoon, caused by
Mr.. Vests motion to put bituminous coal on
the free list In defending his position Mr..
Vest said that he made the motion upon his
own responsibility and upon his personal con-
victions Of what was right He did not make
it as politician or with view to any local or
sectional effect. He objected to the existing
special exemption which allowed owners of
steamers in the coasting-trade q rebate of
the duty (75 cents per toni on all coal inn
ported into the United States by them for use
on their steamers. 1t was an unfair discrimi-
nation against the people of the United States.
MIR. Aldrich and Mr.. Allison assured him that
the proposition In the bill TO lay duty OF IS
cents per ton would repeal all existing law
and do away with the discrimination he re-
ferred to.
MR.. FAULKNER AGAINST CHANGE.
Mr.. Faulkner held that the duty should re-
main just as it is. He was interested in seeing
it so. No area of country in the United States
surpassed West Virginia in its deposits Of BIZ
luminous coal. the coal area Of that state COW
ering $1,000 square miles in total area Of
24.645 square miles embraced within her limits.
reduction of the duty on coal could not be
prompted by "a spirit of fairness to all inter
ests." None of the benefits of a reduction
would reach the people Of the interior, and the
only way in which fuel would be cheapened for
those who live on the seaboard would be by
their purchasing the coal which would come in
free of duty; coal which was brought either
as ballast or at ridiculously low freight rates.
In opposing the amendment Of the Senator
from Missouri, Mr.. Faulkner claimed to be
standing on firm, solid democratic doctrine.
MR. GoRMAN OPPOSES THE AMENDMENT.
Mr.. German opposed Mr.. Vests amendment.
The Senator from Missouri had. he said, gone
beyond nearly everybody on the democratic
side of the chamber. To put coal on the free
list would be to strike blow at a great eastern
industry, and Mr.. Vest well knew that when the
coal reached his own state and Illinois and In
diana, where there are immense deposits of it,
the cost of transportation by rail would pre-
vent English coal from hurting their interests,
while it would seriously impair, if not destroy,
the interest east of the Ohio river. Neither
the democratic party nor any other party that
openly advocated the putting of coal on the
free list could maintain its supremacy in the
great coal-producing states on the Atlantic
seaboard. In conclusion Mr.. German said:
There never was democratic statesman;
there never has been President elected by the
democratic party. or a Secretary of the Treas
ury, or a committee of either branch of Con-
gress that was controlled by democrats. know
ing that revenue must be raised from the tariff,
who ever dreamed of putting coal on the free
list My friend wishes to reverse all prece-
dents. No, Mr.. President, the democratic party
is not free-trade party"
MIR. VEST SAID IT WAS TOO LATE FOR DEMOCRATS
TO CHANGE FRONT.
Mr.. Vest said. in reply, that the democrat
who finches now in the condition of the par
ties from the broad principle that this system
of unlimited taxation is wrong, gives up his po-
sition and abandons his flag. He cannot justify
himself before the country. He surrenders at
once every argument that we made in the last
canvass, and upon which We must stand in the
future whether we are willing not 1t is too
late, Mr.. President, to change front"
This statement of Mr.. Vests was greeted
with laughter by republicans.
The amendment was defeated-31 to IL. The
democrats who voted against it were Messrs.
Bate, Brown. Daniel, Faulkner, German, Payne
Pugh, Turpie, Voorhees,, and Wilson, of Mary
land