Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-01-18
AT THE CAPITOL TO-DAY.
THE TERRITORIAL BILLS.
A Lively Time in the House
TARIFF BILL IN THE SENATE.
Spirited Discussion Of the Sugar Clause.
The Senate.


attendance of quorum was secured.
VETO.
The Presidents message returning without
his approval bill for the relief of william R.
Wheaton and Charles H. Chamberlain, who
had been register and receiver Of the land
office at San Francisco prior to 1877, to pay
them the salaries of two clerks to the amount
of $500, was presented and read. The bill
and message were referred to the committee
on public lands.
MR. FRYE's CREDENTIALS.
The credentials of Mr.. Frye for the senate
rial term of six years from March next were
presented by Mr.. Hale, read, and placed on
file.
THE TARIFF BILL.
The Senate, at II 80, resumed consideration
of the tariff bill, the pending question being on
the amendment reported from the finance COM
mittee, allowing bounty of cent per pound
on sugar produced from beets, sorghum, and
sugar cane grown in the United States.
OPPOSED TO THE SUGAR BOUNTY.
Mr.. Reagan opposed the amendment, and ex-
pressed his surprise that the bounty was not
also to be extended to maple sugar. He COM
mented upon Mr.. Plumb's support of the bill
in which he said Quoting Thos. H. Benton)
''the west and south are recognized in its
burdens not in its benefits" He had been
astonished to see Senators on the other side,
who represented agricultural communities,
compelled, by party exigency and party disci-
pline, to support measure which distinctly
and clearly sacrificed the interests Of the
states which they represented. He proceeded
to quote against the proposed bounty Judge
Cooley's work ION constitutional Imitation"
but was reminded by Mr.. Spooner of decision
In the Michigan courts (afterward affirmed by
the Supreme Court of the United States) hold
that a hOnnty Was if11fi iOna al
This point against his position was turned by
Mr.. Reagan with an observation that Senators
on the other side could always find arguments
to justify the plunder of other Senator's con-
stltuents for the benefit of their own.
BILL OF ROBBERY.
He spoke of the attempt to pass what he
called ''bill of robbery as '.fine frolic;'
but he warned republican Senators that they
had sixty millions of people behind them OBJ
serving their actions. He calculated last years
produce of American sugar at 290 600 hogs
heads, or 5,S00000 pounds, the bounty on
which would amount to $3.50. 900; and he asked
what price was to be paid to Iowa and Kansas
under the proposed bounty system to justify
the violation of the constitution and the adop-
ton of most pernicious policy. Would not
the people of these United States. he asked,
think that they ought to "sell for better
price?"
Mr.. MITCHELL QUESTIONS MR.. REAGAN.
Mr.. Mitchell-The Senator speaks of the pro-
tective system as not only robbery, but un-
constitutional. Does he endorse the Mills
bill?
Mr.. Reagan-If the Senator wants to known
whether endorse all the items in the Mills
bill say, unhesitatingly that there are many
items in it which do not approve, but very
greatly prefer it, as bad bill, to The still worse
bill of the Senate.
Mr.. Mitchell-Does the Senator endorse that
provision of the Mills bill that puts tax Of 60
per cent on sugar.
Mr.. Reagan-I do not know that do. I do
not believe that the duty on sugar should be as
high as it is under the existing law. I do not
believe that the duty on rice should be as high
as under existing law. l would not take the
entire duty off wool, nor off lumber. would
take the Mills bill rather than let the present
law stand. or rather than have the Senate SUBJ
stitute passed.
NOT HENRY CLAY.
Mr.. Reagan proceeded to read some extracts
from speech which he supposed to have been
made by Henry Clay, but which turned out to
have been made after Mr. Clay's death, and by
a namesake of his from Alabama.
Mr.. Teller (who detected the error) depre-
Gated the attempt to palm off, as a speech Of
Henry Clay's remarks made by a different
individual.
THE PHRASE ''PALM OFF,
T.
Teller to withdraw it, but Mr.. Teller declined
to do so, as the Senator from Texas had
charged republican Senators with not caring
whether they violated the constitution or not
Mr.. Reagan cOntented himself with remark
ing that he did not expect anything better
from the Senator from Colorado, and he pro-
ceeded with his argument.
MIR. DAWES ASKS MR.. REAGAN TO WITHDRAW HIS
CHARGE.
Mr.. Dawes spoke of his long and friendly as
sociation with Mr.. Reagan in the public SER
vice, and was not inclined now to measure
vituperation" with him, or to question the
honesty of his convictions. He (Mr. Dawes)
had never charged the Senator with indiffer-
ence to the constitution, notwithstanding the
many strange and indefensible positions which
he had taken, and yet that Senator had charged
Cthis morning) himself and the majority of the
Senate with the moral turpitude" Of indif-
ference whether they violated or not
their oath to support the constitution.
The Senator from Texas should either with
draw that charge before the Senate and the
public. or else state the evidence on which he
made it.
MR.. REAGAN DIscLAIMED ANY PERSONAL ALLUsIoN
to any Senator, and especially to the Senator
from Massachusetts, for whom he had always
the greatest personal and political respect
Mr.. Spooner read from the official report of
MI. Reagan reUdrkS tne WOrQS: II suppose 1t
is a matter of indifference to them whether
they violate the constitution Or sustain it."
MR.. REAGAN wITHDRAws HIS REMARKS.
Mr.. Reagan-My purpose was not to impute
improper motives individually, but to char
acterize the policy Of the republican party.
But 1 fear that, in doing so, I used language
not altogether justified; and SO far as my
language may be liable to such construction,
withdraw it.
MIR. CHANDLER EXPRESSED HIS REGRET
that the finance committee had not excepted
sugar-cane grown in the United States from
the proposed bounty-an industry which, ac-
cording to the committee, had been making no
progress.
Mr.. Stewart suggested to Mr. Chandler to
Mr.. Chandler declined to do So The Senator
from Nevada could make that motion if he
chose. On matters of detail he would vote with
the finance committee, though he regretted
that the committee had undertaken to encour.
age by bounty the growth of sugar cane, es-
pecially as the Senators from Louisiana op-
posed it. He intimated the possibility, how
ever, that these Senators did not represent the
good people of their state. II would
be an anomaly in legislation to insist
upon it against the opposition of the Senators,
Just as 1t would be an anomaly to retain the
enormously high duty on rice Ia product of
South Carolina) when the Senator from that
state Mr.. Butier) had stated to the Senate
that he did not desire it to be retained.
Mr.. Chandler branched of into discussion
Of
THE POLITICAL rpor,pY M IN ,or,.r.r.