Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-01-04
MMLI0NAIRES' BILL.
THB SENATE BILL ROUNDLY SCOTCHRD BY
YBST AND NPHRRSON.
The Duty on the Poor Sewing Womsns Thread
The Senate Refuses to Reduce It While
They Give BOodler Wannamaker 40 Per
Cent Protection on the Shirts.

WASHINGTON, January 3.-The Senate
at 1920 resumed consideration Of the
tariff bill, the pending question being on
Mr.. Vests amendment TO paragraph 312
to change the duty on cotton thread, yarn,
wrsps, etc, valued at not exceeding 25c
per pound from 10c per pourd to 30 per
cent. ad vGlorem.
After a speech of tome length by Mr..
Vance, Mr. Vets amendment was re-
iected by the usual party vote. Yeas 20;
nays 81.
Mr. Vest called attention 10 other items
in paragraph 3l3, but said he Nonld not
offer any amtndment or ask yea and nsy
vote upon them, but be would simply re-
mark that the duty ON these items WAS in
Cr, ssed in order to exclude all foreign
cOmpe, ,ition as far as possible, 20 as TO
enable the American manufacturers to
hold the market at
WHATRVER PRICE THEY SAW FIT
to impose. he moved, however, to
amend paragraph 3l4 relating to spool
thread Of cotton by striking out ''cents per
dcz'n spoos" and inserting 40 per cent.
aiyalOrsm. lie quoted from spool cotton
manufacturers J. z. Coates, Clark, and
others before the Tariff Commission in
1852, and before the Ways and Means
Committee in 'Si, TO show that they asked
lees rate Of protection in 'Si than in 's2.
Mr.. Hswley said he did 70, understand
why the Senator from Missouri was criti-
cising spool thread manufacturers for their
willingness TO accept lower rate He
did not understa that they Weie now
asking sny change in the existing law.
Mr.. Wsst suggested that there was good
deal OF money for them in the existing Law.
He IrOce sded to criticise the statement Of
cotton thread manufacturer, MIR. Fer
guson, b, fore the ways and mssn3 COM
mittee Ofthe House, to the effect that the
poor sewing women Of the United States
were benefited by the superior quality of
American thread, and he cOntrasted his
statement with extracts from Helen Camp
BELLS book descibing the condition OF the
sewing women Of the city Of New York.
Mr.. McPh5rsOn character ID the duty
on spool cotton as
A TAX on LABOR,
and he read from the affidavit of sewing
woman in Atlantic county, n. j., Mrs.
Ellen Strickland, showing that she worked
for a Philadelphia firm, which he would
rot rame, lest il might interfere with the
construction Of the new Cabinet; that for
common shirts she received IS ceht7 per
dCzan; that a good, quick needle woman,
working from O. m. till l0p m, might he
able 70 make & dozen such shirts. but no
more; that she WAS engaged in making
fiue shirts ut 81 per dozen; that the great
est number OF such shirts that she Can
make, working from a. IL. till 10 p. m,
il six; that she has TO supply her own
thread and to pay expressags one way, aud
that Therefore her sntiIe remuneration for
tRO days work is but seyenty-fve cents,
while the manufacturer had the benefit Of
40 per cent. On such shirts.
Mr.. Aldrich asked Mr.. Mcpherson wba.
rate he would propose on cotton thread.
Mr.. McPherson-' an voting with the
Senator from Mnsouri Sir. Vest) to reduce
II from the high plano on which It II
placed by the Senator from Rhode Island
and his associates"
REJECTED, OF COURSE.
Afle- further discussion, the amendment
was rejected, ayes lS, days 2l.
Mr. Pugh proceeded to address the
Senate 10 a set speech on the tariff.
In concluding his remarks he adverted |
TO the question of race supremacy in the
South and said that as TO that there could |
be no concession or nc compromise among
white people. Whoever was the friend OF
he white race in regard to supremacy IN
was his friend, ire 'pective
of politics, and whoever was the enemy OF
the white race on questions involving race |
was his enemy.
Tue Senate, having disposed Of b pages