The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-01-09
PROCEEDINGS OF CONGRESS
CottOn-Bagging Trust Claims the Atten-
ton of the Senate Most of the Day.
Democrats Carry Out the Instructions of Their
Caucus and Are Successful i'm RecOmmit-
ting the Proposed Change of Rules.

amendment to the Panama resolution and
the action of the Senate thereon at yester-
days session be printed in the Record.
Mr.. Sawyer, from the postofice commit
| tee, reported the bill providing that the
omission to pay the lawful postage on
special delivery" letter should not pre-
vent or delay its transmission and delivery,
but that the lawful postage shall be col
lected on its delivery. Passed.
Mr.. Sherman introduced bill to make
| and alter regulations as to the time, place
and manner of holding elections for repre-
sentatives in Congress, which was referred
| to the committee on privileges and cleo
tions. He said the bill had been prepared
| by gentleman who was familiar wi TIL the
subject, but did not care to have his name
published. The bill was nom partisan in It's
character, and was calculated to insure abb
solutely fair elections in every part of the
United States. 1t was confined to elections
of members of Congress. Many of its pro-
visions were rather novel to him, because
| they were modelled on laws in Southern
States, with which he was not familiar
Many of them were drawn from laws in
Northern States.
Mr. Hoar offered resolution, which was
agreed to, calling ON the Secretary of the
Treasury for the report of Special Treasury
Officer Byrne, made in November, 1887, in
regard to the evasion of sugar duties In
New York.
The Senate then, at 1870, resumed consid-
GRAFTON of the tariff bill at Paragraph S37,
relating TO collars and cuffs for mems wear,
and fixing the duty on those composed en-
tirely of cotton at fifteen cents per dozen
pieces and 80 per cent ad valorem, and on
those composed entirely or partly of linen,
at thirty cents per dozen pieces and 30 per
cent. ad valOrem.
Mr.. Vance moved to strike out those rates
and to insert 40 per cent. advalorem.
The amendment was rejected by the usual
party vOte--yeas, 10; nays, "a.
An amendment was offered to Paragraph
33S, taxing hemp or jute carpeting cents
per square yard.
Mr.. Jones, of Arkansas, moved to amend
Paragraph 339, which taxes bagging for cot
ton, gunny-cloth, etc., for covering cotton,
composed wholly or partly OF hemp, lute, or
jute butts valued at no more than cents
per poundl, "a of a cent per pound, by put
ting it on the free list.
A protracted debate followed, particl-
pated in by Messrs. Berry, Jones, of Arkan-
sas, Allison, George, Platt, Butler, Aldrich,
Hiscock and Vance.
Mr.. Sherman remarked that cotton-bag-
| gingw one of the industries Ofthe country.
and should be dealt with precisely as other
manufactures are. He thought that South
ern Senators greatly misrepresented their
ment. Their remedy would be not
| in having cottOn-bagging admitted
| free of duty, but in producing jute
| and ramie, which could be produced
| lieved that if a reasonable duty were put ON
| ramie and lutte, all such raw material could
be produced in the South and would be the
| most valuable products of that section.
| The cultivation of such textile fabrics was
| the way to prosperity for the South. He
| hoped that the time would soon come when
| Southern Senators would not only be ask
| ing protection on sugar and rice, but also
| on jute and ramie. They would be thus adj
vancing the interests of their section far
| more than by abOrtive efforts to break
| down the manufacture of cotton bagging.
Mr.. Coke spoke of the great progress made
| in the South during the last fifteen years,
and said the Southern people had only Just
| They would develop the Southa lI|syyf
! would make it the great country which
nature intended it to be.
They had vast, almost unlimited re-
sources; All they wanted was light taxes
and an honest government. The rest they
| would do for themselves. They wanted no
| tariff duties for protection. They would
| pay custom-hOuse taxes for the support of
| the government, but no more than were
| absolutely necessary for that purpose. AS
to Mr.. Sherman's proposition to put duty
| on jute and ramie, he would simply sGy:
'thank you; but we will cultivate that in
due time" We are doing other things now
that are 1nore profitable. We will get to
so without protective tariff. All that we
| ask the government is to keep hands off and
let us alone. We will do the rest"
| Mr.. Sherman believed that the time was
| not far distant when the men of the South
would catch the spirit of the future; when
the South would be not only rich in agri-
| culture. but rich in manufactures; when
| jute-mills, and ramie-mills, and cOtton-mills
would be side by side in the same region
where the cotton was grown. In the mean
time and until the South was able to sell
| jute and Tamie in competition with other
countries, the South should be supported
by q reasonable, proper duty on these
articles. Such a duty would undoubtedly
not the South adopt the policy. that would
| turn the minds of her people to the manufact-
ure of cotton and other Southern productsl
He had no desire to do anything unjust to
He would be glad to see them prosperous
| Their road to prosperity was the same road
| that the people of Great Britain, of France
| and of the North had travelled, and which
| the people of Germany were now travel
Mr.. Brown inquired of Mr. Allison as to
| the existing and the proposed rates on bag
| ging, and Mr.. Allison informed him that the
existing rate was l 1-2cent a pound and
Mr.. Brown, ''the substitute reduced by one
| half the existing duty."3
| The vote was taken on Mr.. J0nes'S amend
ment, and it was rejected-yeas 10, nays "a
Mr.. Brown voting with the Republicans in
the negative.
| Mr.. Jones, of Arkansas, then moved to re-
duce the rate from "a to 3-S of q cent, and the
| motion was rejected, Mr.. Brown again vOt
ing in the negative.
On motion of Nh. Allison the value limit
| of 3 cents pound In the paragraph was re-
| duced to 1-2 cents.
Mr.. Vest moved to go back to Paragraph
"a, and put burlaps on the free list Re
jected, Mr.. Brown again voting in the mega
| tive.
Mr.. Vance moved to add proviso to the
| section that the duty on no article in the
| section should exceed the rate of SO pei
cent. ad valOrein.
No action was taken on Mr. Vance's mo
| ton, and the bill went over till tomorrow
| Mr.. Allison giving notice that unless better
| progress was made with the bill, he would
| tomorrow or next day, move evening ses
sions or to meet at IL and sit until q or 6:3(
| p. VI.
The House joint resolution, authorizing
| the Secretary of War to loan the committee
| on inaugural ceremonies flags ETC., was To-
ported by Mr.. Hawley and passed. AID
| journed.
| Proposal to Change the Rules Recommitted
WASHINGTON, Jan. 8.-As the Clerk fin
ished the reading of the journal, Mr.. Reed
of Maine, advanced to his favorite position
in the aisle, directly in front of the Speaker
| and fired the first gun of the fifth days con