, 1890-07-31

4
the bill. Did not The honorable senator
know that for the past three or four
days the newspapers had been full of re-
ports that IL had been resolved, not only
by the finance committee, but by the
| republican caucus also not to attempt
any defense of the pending bill II
the bill could not be defended it could
not be passed. He, there fore. In order TO
expedite the business, would move that
the pending bill be recommittcd to tho
committee on finance, with instructions
to report at the earliest possible moment
q Dill To reduce the revenue and equalize
the duties on Imports on the basis that
the average rate Of duty should not ex-
ceed the average nd valorem tariff rate
of 1s64.
Mr. MCPHERSON then launched out in
review OF the. tariff question In general
and the pending bill in particular. He
undertook to show that neither the
farmer nor the consumer would be bcne.
flied by II. He referred 10 the campaign
OF 1888 as one In which immense sums
of money had been corruptly raised and
corruptly used in behalf OF the republi-
can ticket. That money had been raised
lie said, among the beneiiciaries of the
pending bill. Chief among them was u
pious citizen of Pennsylvania, who had
since been rewarded with seat in the
cabinet as the price OF his villainy.
Mr.. Sherman criticised Mr.. McPher-
sons remarks as 10 reducing the average
rate under the pending bill to the aver.
age rate existing IN lsG4, and explained
that an average OF 80 81 per cent. was
made upon all goods then dutiable and
undutiable, but that at that time not
more than 10 or 10 per cent. of the i'm
ported goods were OH the free list.
Mr.. Plumb complained that no de-
tailed statement had been made as to
the effect that would follow the passage
of the bill. If there should bo a deficit
within the next twelve months IL would
be serious matter. He
err on tho side of deficit.
Going on to enumerate the expenditures
Tor the next fiscal year, he gave 1t as his
opinion that the dependent pension bill
within the next two years would be cost.
ing the people $50, 0OO, 600 year.
Mr.. Plumb went on TO speak OF the
necessary expenditures of the govern
ment, and referred TO the possibility oil
there being next year a deficit oil nearly
10000, 600 that would have to be made
up by new taxes, and asked who was in.
terested in producing that state o
things. He thought that in reporting
the bill it might have been overlooked
1t seemed TO him as II somebody inter
esied In rates of duties had said: 1--WE
do not care what the etfecI
on the revenues may be. That
Is not our concern. Congress,
has got.to mind that I'VE want pounc
OF tiesh." He gave notice that he woulc
otier amendments to the bill to increase
the revenue from other sources. He woulC
never vote for a bill that he thought
would be cowardly evasion OF the duty
Imposed upon the senate to provide
adequate means to meet the expenses o
the government He would propose 9
duty on incomes. He would propose ar
increased tax on imported liquors, and
he would propose amendments that
would prevent the formation of trusts.
Mr.. Allison defended the senate from
the charge of extravaganza in the matter
of appropriation bills.
Mr.. .Aidrich expressed the opinion
that Mr.. Mcpherson was not serious in
his motion, and remarked that fit was
carried out In law the effect would be
to increase the revenues by $40, 600 00t
over the amount that would be produced
by the pending bill.
MIR. German asked Air. Aldrich to give
the senate a frank and fair statement as
to the probable results of the bill i
enacted into law.
Mr.. Aldrch said that if the importa-
tions for the next fiscal year were the
same as last year, the revenue wouc
be reduced about $50, 900. 600. lie couo
} not give. the figures as to the expendi'
lures. He did not intend to create
deficit knowingly, and he did not be
lieve that that would be the result.
After some further discussion, and