Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-01-15
AT THE CAPITOL TO-DAY.
THE TARIFF BILL IN THE SENATE.
Discussing the Duty on Salt.
ADMISSION OF NEW STATES
The Subject is Up in the House.
The Senate.

Reed, rs gift from his son, and providing for
the presentation to the latter of gold medal.
The joint resolution was placed on the calen-
dar, and Mr.. Voorhees, said he would call it up
on some future occasion and submit some re-
marks.
On motion of Mr.. Voorhees,. the Senate bill
referring to the Court of Claims the claim of
the state National bank of Louisiana, for cotton
taken by agents of the Treasury department
after June 30, 1865, was taken from the calen-
dar and passed.
THE TARIFF BILL.
The Senate at 2:20 resumed consideration of
the tariff bill, the pending question being on
Mr.. Vests amendment to strike from the free
list "ottar of roses" and to substitute salt"
Mr. Vest reopened the discussion and quoted
a speech made by Mr.. Hale i'll the House of
Representatives in 1871 in favor of bill intro
duced by himself to put salt on the free-list. in
which MIR. Hale declared that there should be
no tax on salt. and that the OnondaSa salt mo-
nOpOly was as great a monopoly as had ever
been granted by the 1udors i'll England. The
bill, Mr.. Vest said, WAS passed by the House
under a suspension of the rules, l47 to Al; and
among those voting yea were Messrs. Dawes,
Garfield, Hale. Hawley and Hoar, so that these
gentlemen were then according to the views
OF Mr. HiScock yesterday i'll
THE ''IDIoTIC" PART OF THE COMMUNITY.
Mr.. Frye-They have grown wiser with time.
Mr.. Vest-As the Senator from Massachusetts
(Nr. Dawes said Yesterday, there is a great
difference between now" and then" But
the difference grows not out of increase of wis.,
dom but out of the eXigencies of the republl-
can party. Mr.. Vest went on to say that he was
glad to hear the Senator from New York (Slr.
Hlscock) say yesterday that he would vote for
the removal of the drawback ON the salt used
IN curing fish.
MR.. HIsCoCK DENIED
having made any such statement He had
simply expressed his private judgment and
opinion in reference to that provision.
Mr.. Vest supposed that when the Senator de-
nounced legislation he was ready to vote to
correct it. In conclusion he quoted from
marks of ThOs III. Benton i'll his Thirty Years
In Congress-" denouncing the salt tax tax
on the entire economy of nature and of art,
tax on man and beast, on life and health, on
comfort and luxury. on want and superhuity,
on food and raiment, on washing and cleanli
ness-a heartless and tyrant tax.
Mr.. Morrill, asked Mr.. Vest whether, in the
same work, he had come across another re-
markable passage in which Mr.. Benton stated
that he had
ALMOST BECOME A FREE-TRADER,
but that when be came to the subject of put
ting duty on lead he had risen and proposed
duty of 100 per cent upon it (becagse Mis-
souri, was its chief producer) and had car
ried it.
Mr.. Vest-Yes: / remember it well. And it
haunted that distinguished statesman to the
day of his death: and as much as anything else.
brought about his political downfall. But l
also remember another statesman (alluding to
Mr.. Morrill, himselO, now covered with years
and dhOnors, when the question of taking the duty
off coal and salt was pending in this chamber
rose and said (when his name was called,
''AIr. President. the Senator from Vermont on
this question is paired with himself. He is for
free coal, but not for free salt; Or he is for free
salt but not for free coal" q am not sure
which,. He was paired with himself; and the
record stands in that way to-day.
Mr.. HIsCoCK REPLIED TO MR.. VEST.
Referring to the speeches and votes of re-
publicans in the past in favor of free salt, he
said that nothing SO completely illustrated the
progress which had been made than the fact
that II or IA years had changed the minds and
Judgment of those men on the question. When
they spoke and voted the industry was limited
to two congressional districts in the United
States. Now it extended even as far west as
California. The result of keeping salt on the
dutiable list had been to reduce the price to Il
point never before known in the history of the
business; and. in view of that fact, republicans
were now unanimously in favor of maintaining
the protection afforded by the present law.
Mr.. Palmer opposed the amendment. He
had supposed. when it was offered, that it was
that there was any serious opposition to the
tariff on salt: for, if there anything in tariff
legislation which showed clearly the benefits
of protection it was the salt industry as
developed in this country.
The present price at Saginaw, where about
one-third of the salt of the United States was
produced, only 6 cents a bushel. The
effect of protecting the home industry had
been to make the price of foreign salt come
down one-third in fifteen years. notwithstand-
xl "a Il.
declared his belief that the encouragement OF
the salt industry, by the withdrawal of protec-
ton, would
DOUBLE THE PRICE OF SALT IN FIVE YEARS,
and would compel the abandonment of many of
the salt works of Michigan. He referred to the
Saginaw Salt association, which had been char
acterized by Mr.. Vest as a trust, and said that
if Mr.. Vest
WISHED TO MAKE TRUSTS POPULAR
he could do nothing better than hold up before
the country what had been the mission of that
salt association. Business had been done more
cheaply. Instead of the various salt companies
having runners out throughout the United
States this association had its agents at differ
ent points. No salt works in Michigan had
been stopped; but the weak ones had been
helped.
MIR. Vest-Does the Senator say that the Gre
alton of the Michigan salt trust has diminished
the price of salt?
Mr.. Palmer-I do not say that that was the
intention, but that has been the practical re-
suit. In 1867, nine years prior to the organi-
cation of what the Senator from Missouri calls
a trust salt sold at sl70 barrel. In 1876 it
was S105. Since then it has run down, till it
is now only 81 cents-including the cost of the
barrel, which remains arbitrary all the time.
House of Representatives.
In his prayer the chaplain said: Almighty
God, as the state is the guardian of the home,
the school, the sanctuary, of property, of vested
and public interests and of private rights; as it
is the defense of justice and equity between
man and man, the very atmosphere of our lib
erty. We pray Thee to rouse in all our people
profounder interest in public affairs, and en-
thusiastic patriotism. Shame our people out
of the indifference and sneer Of the dilettante,
and of the fustian and frenzy of the anarchist;
and may love OF country be the distinction of
every American"
On motion of Mr.. Spinola On. Y.) bill was
passed for the establishment of a lipht-ship
with fog-signal at Sandy Hook, at a cost Of
SCI, 200.
FOR THE ADMISSION OF SOUTH DAKOTA
Mr.. Springer Qll.) called up as the special
order, the Senate bill for the admission of
South Dakota and the organization Of the ter
ritory of North Dakota
MR.. SPRINGER WANTS TO SUBSTITUTE HIS oMN1-
BUS BILL.
The bill having been read in full, Mr..
Springer Qll.) took the floor in explanation of
the measure and in advocacy Of the substitute