The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-05-13
The Bill In Detail.

The Bill In Detail.
Mr.. Covert of New York moved to strike
out the clause imposing duty of a quarter
of cent a pound on muriatic acid. Mr..
Covert entered into general criticism of the
bill as not being for the benefit of the agri-
cultural interests. His comment upon the
measure was that it held out the shadow of
benefit to the farming interests, but when
the hard hand of labor was stretched forth
to reap the benefit it would find it was
wrested from it by other provisions of the
bill. He cOntended that the farmer should
be granted cheap fertilizers.
Mr.. Allen of Michigan, argued that under
the protective tariff the farmer was enabled
TO secure his necessary articles today far
cheaper than he could 10 years ago.
Mr.; Dockery, of Missouri, instanced the
wood self binder, which he said sold for
$3.50 in the United States, and in Scotland
for $120.
Mr.. Peters of Kansas, explained that the
cause OF this was that the American market
demanded the latest product of American
genius. When agricultural machinery be-
came year old 1t was shipped to the foreign
markets for sale. He denied the statement
that the mortgages on Kansas farms amount
ed to 300.000,0O0. They would not he as
serted, amount to $5O,oOO,oOO.
ferred to 'e' the Democratic u'soi soiicitude de-
concerning the welfare Of the farmers of
Kansas. He was satisfied that the arguments
would not deceive the farmers 1t was un-
fortunately true that for five years or more
agricultural interests had been depressed.
Every day that Mr.. Cleveland was President
farms deprecated in value. [Applause on
the Republican side.l There were now
signs Of the removal of that depression in
agriculture by the inspiration of the pro-
prosed legislation of the Republican Con-
gress. There were strikes existing, but
they were strikes for higher wages or short
er hours. Whoever heard of such strikes in
Democratic days? Strikes then were strikes
Tor an opportunity to work and something to
eat. Under Republican legislation the work
lngmen were enabled to say that manufac
turers could afford to pay higher wages or
work them fewer hours. 1t was true the
people of Kansas were in debt. They had
gone to Kansas poor and borrowed money
with which to build homes, but their mort
cages were rapidly being paid. Applause
In brief speech, heartily applauded on
the Democratic side, Mr.. Breckinbridge of
Kentucky, ridiculed the speeches made by
Messrs. Perkins and Peters of Kansas. He
returned to their eulogy of the farmers of
Kansas, and expressed his qualification that
with these farmers everything was lovely.
He hoped the Farmers Alliance would ac-
cept the assurance that everything was
lovely. He hoped the farmers would have
the speech of Mr.. Perkins to show there
were no taxes in Kansas and when the inter-
est gatherer, in the shape of the sheriff
came around the speech of Mr.. Peters would
be legal tender
The debate became desultory in character
after which Mr.. Covert's. motion was lost.
A similar motion made by Mr.. Covert to
strike out the duty on sulphuric acid met
with a similar fate. The committee rose and
the House at 40 adjourned