The National tribune., 1889-01-10
CONGRESS-
An Abstract Of the More Important
Proceedings in Both Houses.
WEDNESDAY,. JAZZ. 2.

A. had been left when last before the Senate
(Schedule ], cotton manufacturers. the question
being on the amendment offered by Ar. vest
(MO) 20 reduce the duty on cotton thread, yarn,
EFarps etc. A long discussion followed partic-
ipated in mainly by Senators Teller, vest
Vance, Coke, Allison, Chandler and Hoar. IL
nallv the bin was laid aside without action on
the pending amendment
The Senate adorned at Ais o'clock p m.
In the House there were but 70 members IN
attendance when Speaker Carlisle called the
House TO order On motion of Mr.. Richardson
Tenn bill was passed granting an annual
leave of absence of 30 days 10 employees OF the
Bureau OF Engraving and Printing. AT pres
ent these employees are granted 10 days leave
The House then went into Committee OF the
Whole on the river and harbOr appropriation
bill. The clause appr0prIating S2O8,OOu Tor the
improvement of Philadelphia Harbor and pro-
viding that no part of the money shall be eX-
pended until the title to certain islands in the
harbor shall be acquired by the United States
was, on motion Of Mr.. Blanchard La. J, amend
ed so as 10 exempt from the terms OF the pro-
Fiso the 100000 appropriation in the river ana
karbOr bin of August last. Mr.. Crisp lGa.l
made an effort to have the appropriation Tor
Savannah Harbor increased from $4,000 to
100000 but his amendment for this purpose
was rejected.
Mr.. Sowden Pa made an attack upon the
bill as being extravagant aud Easteful, and d.
rected his criticism especially against the ap-
preparations for improvements in Texas.
This brought Mr.. Grain Tex 10 his feet,
and he congratulated the gentleman that IN
delivering bis valedictory to the House he had
developed TO an extraordinary degree the
bump of economy, which had not character
lied him when he had asked Congress TO APP
propriate 100000 for postofiice at some little
place in Pennsylvania, which had caused, be
believed the downfall of the hopes of the gem
nan
was evidently desiroHs Of showing his people
that at last in the closing days Of the Doth
Congress- he had become a reformer-a stanch
Democrat Of the Homaa-Randall type.
Mr. SOwden regretted the coarse and unkind
remarks which had fallen from the gentleman
from Texas. he especially regretted the I'M
kind cut which the gentleman had admins
tered in his thOugbtless remarks upon the
distinguished gentlemen from Indiana and
Pennsylvania Holman and Randall). He
could find an excuse for the gentleman's I'M
warranted and indecent assault only in the
fact that be was still laboriRg under the seri-
Gus effects Of his New Years calls.
Mr. Grain moved to increase the appropria-
ton for Arkansas Pass from S65,000 TO s.. 470,000
In opposing the amendment Mr.. Sowden
said that the gentleman from Texas had at
attempted to hold him up TO public ridlcule
because he had not been returned to the next
Congress. lie had not been candidate for
denomination. He left Congress because he
chose TO resume his private business, and not
because he was left at the polls, as some of his
colleagues. He had no regret for the votes he
had cast since Member of the House, and his
record would bear the closest examination SO
far as his votes on economic and other ques-
tiOns were concerned.
Mr.. Cutcheon lMieh.) made an effort to Sc
cure an increase Of appropriation for the Har-
Dor Of Refuge at Portage Lake and would have
hid NJ Ia Ind in
nerjected the point of no quorum" The
committee then rose, and the House at 4:20 ad-
j0urned.
THURSDAY, JAN g.
The Senate resumed consideration Of the
tariff bill, the pending question being on Mr..
Vests No. amendment 10 change the duty on
cOtton-thread, yarn, wsrps etc, valued at not
exceeding . cents per pound. from 10 cents
per pound 10 IS per cent. ad valorem.
Mr. Aance n. c. proceeded TO give Stats
tics Of the production and consumption of cot
ton, showing an enormous increase within the
last 20 years. he said that since 1866 the in
crease Of consumption of cotton IN Northern
mills has been nearly 800 per cent, and in the
Southern mills over 600 per cent. Why,
he asked, should the United States-so admira-
bly, fitted for the production Of cotton, occupied
by people whose genius was directed to its
production, where all the elements of its sue
Cess!ul manufacture were 10 be found in a SUI
perlOr degree, and where there was almost a
monopoly Of the raw material-hamper its
statue books with laws which could only have
the effect Of restricting trade, and which could
NOT put auE money into the pockets of the " be-
loved WorkIngman." The amendment was re-
5ected by the usual party vote-yeas, 20; nays
"a
Mr.. Vest moved to amend the paragraph re-
lating 70 spool-thread of cotton, by striking out
seven cents per dozen spools and inserting
40 per cent. ad yalOrem." He quoted from
statements made by spoal-cottOn manufactur.
ers ~. z. Coats, Clark aud othersl before the
Tariff Commission in 1882 and before the WAYS
and Means Committee in 1884, TO show thai
they then asked less rate of protection In
1854 than they asked in 1882
Mr. AldTich II. /. said that the question o.
the duty Oh spool cotton had been SO often dis
cussed ia tie Senate and House that he did not
care TO continue that discussion; but some Of
Mr.. Vests statements demanded attention
Prior TO l5t7. when the first adequate duty wa.
put Oh spool cotton, il sold IN this country
lthree-cord cotton at 20 cents per dozen sBooil
wholesale and 10 cents per spool retail. Now
u sold isiX-c0rd cotton at 45 cents q dozer
wholesale aud 5 cents a spool retail. Prior I.
1867 all the spool cotton consumed in tn,
United States was made abroad principally il
Scotland and England; ROW 90 per cent. of j
was made IN the United States The difference
in the rate Of duty between that provided Il
the substitute and that proposed In Mr. Vest
amendment WAS but 2 cents a dozen spools. o
One-sixth Of a cent per spool, and that diferenc
would not 60 70 the benefit Of the workiul
women, but 10 the benefit Of the New Yori
importer.
Mr.. Mcpherson N. j. characterized the dut-
On spool cotton as a tax on labor, and he reai
from the affidavit Of a sewing woman in Allan
tic County. n. j. Mrs. Ellen Strickland) show
ing that she worked for PHILADELPHIA firm
that for common shirts she received IS cent
per dozen; that a good, quick need woman
working from IN the morning till 10 at night
might be abie 10 make dozen such shirts bu
no more; that she was now engaged in maxim
fine shirts at 81 per dozen; that the creates
number OF such shirts that she can make work
ing from IN the morning till 10 at night.
six; that she has TO supply her own thread an
10 pay ezpressage one way, and that therefor
her entire remuneration for two davs' work
but rs cents while the manufacturer had tn
benefit Of 80 per cent. on such shirts. AS IN
tariff bill was prOiessedly in behalf of America
labor, by what process Of reasoning. Mr. M,
PheFs0n asked, did the Senator from Rhod
Island impose large duty On the thread wbie
the poor sewing-w0man was forced TO buv
Alter further discussion the amendment ws
reJected-ye2s, Is; nays, 81
DIR. PnEh then proceeded to address the Ser
ste in set speech upon the tariff. Deviatin
from the line Of tariff discussion. Mr.. Pho
adFerted 10 the question Of race supremacy !
the South, and said that as TO that. there eouI
be no concession, or 10 compromise. anon
white people. Whoever was the friend of n