Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-01-19
LAWMAKERS.
Animated Discussion on the
Sugar Bounty.
A PROTEST FROM THE SOUTH.
Springer's Omnibus Bill Passed in
the House - DakOtans Dis
satisfied with 1t.
Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD

WASHINGTON, January 1s.-The Senate
Subcommittee on Finance spent four
hours listening to opposing claims of
the wool growers and wool manu-
facturers on changes in the tariff on
wool. The impression prevails that the
committee will ask reduction on COM
mon grades of wool from IL to 10 cents.
Chandler expressed regret that the
Finance Committee had not excepted
sugar cane grown in the United States
from the proposed bounty, an industry
which, according to the committee, was
making no progress.
Stuart suggested to Chandler to move
to strike cane out of the amendment.
Chandler declined to do so. On mat
ters of detail he would vote with the
Finance Committee, although he re-
gretted that the committee had under
taken to encourage by a bounty the
growth of sugar cane land especially as the
Senators from Louisiana had opposed it.
He intimated the possibility, however,
that those Senators did not rep
resent the good people of their
State. Chandler branched off in
to discussion of political troubles
in Louisiana, stating that the colored
Knights of Labor there, who undertook
to get better wages, were shot down by
the militia, and he read letter from
Hugh M. Wallace, editor of the Terre
Bonne Times, rehearsing some of these
troubles and rejecting on Gibson.
Gibson controverted the statements
made in the letter and mentioned the
fact that the colored people, whom he
had inherited, were now working his
plantation for their own benefit, without
paying sou of rent or sou of taxes.
He resented, as something which passed
his understanding, the insinuation that
his colleague and himself did not repre-
sent the good people of Louisiana. This
colloquy continued some time.
Spooner favored the amendment. He
said to the Senator from Texas (Reagan)
| that not only was that Senator mot alto
gether justified" in the language he had
used, but was altogether uniustified in
using it. Such language would come
with an ill grace from any Senator, but
it came with particularly ill grace from q
| Senator who, having cnce taken an oath
to support and defend the Constitution,
| Joined afterwards with those who sought
to destroy and overturn it.
Spooner was asked as to the estimated
annual amount of the proposed bounty.
He gave the figures at between five and
six millions, but Allison interpreted and
gave the figures on the basis Of the pres
ent production at not more than three
and half millions.
Gibson predicted that under the bounty
the production of sugar would increase
| five-fold every year, so that, in five
years, the bounty would exceed the pres
ent revenue from sugar.
| Spooner questioned the correctness OF
| that statement. He knew of nothing
that savored more of selfishness than the
attitude of the Senators of Louisiana in
asking that the duty on sugar as fixed by
| the Mills bill should be maintained as
against the bounty proposition, and yet
| joining with their Democratic brethren
to strike down every Northern industry
on the list.
Considerable discussion then ensued
regarding the Louisiana sugar produc-
ton. Teller finally asked Eustis how he
accounted for the fact that the Louisiana
sugar crop of 1877, 1879, 1880 and 1881,
was much larger than the crop of 1887.
Eustis attributed it to the season and
said the crop OF 1878 was 200, 900 tons,
the largest sugar crop ever produced in
Louisiana except before the war. Spooner
read figures to show that, from 1851 1851
to 1887, the revenue collected from
sugar amounted $961. .31S $40, or nearly
thousand million dollars.
Butler made speech against the pro-
posed bounty on sugar, which he re.
garded as unjustifable. He did not
think any way that it should be fair
and just to confne the bounty to sugar
from beets and sorghum. He would also
extend it to sugar-cane.
Aldrich asked Butler whether he was
in favor of protecting sugar and rice by
higher duties than were imposed on any
other products.
Butler replied that he was not. In,
common fairness and common honesty
Congress ought not to select one, two or
them down an pile up the dduties on
other articles. Referring to statements
made by Republican Senators in the
degraded labor Of Europe he said he had
never seen, in this or any other country,
working people who appeared to him
more contented than those he had seen
on the continent of Europe.
A desultory discussion on this point
continued for some time. Finally the
discussion was closed and vote taken
on the sugar bounty amendment. 1t
was agreed to by vote of 27 to 25,
party lines being maintained on it except
fn the case of Payne, OF Ohio, who voted
aye with the Republicans and Quay, of
Pennsylvania, who voted with the Dem
ocrats against it. On motion of Allison
it wss ordered that on Monday next
recess shall be taken from till P. M.
Adjourned.
The Senate at $50 this afternoon
passed the sugar bounty section OF the
tariff bill, 81 to 23. Payne, of Ohio,
voted in the affirmative with the Repub-
licans. Quay, of Pennsylvania, voted
with the Democrats against it.
The House,
WASHINGTON, January 1S.-In the
House this morning consideration Of the
Territorial bills was resumed, the pend
ing question being on the Mcdonald SUBJ
stitute for Springer's Omnibus Bill"
The House proceeded Immediately to
vote upon the Mcdonald substitute, |
which was never read, but which EN-.
bodies the main features of the '"Omni-
bus Bill" except that it provides for the |
:; m n, adiata admission of South DoLoto