The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-07-27
UNCLESAM'S HIGHTARIFF
SENATOR MITCHELL OFFERS A
RECIPROCITY RESOLUTION.

America Free-Senator Morgan Con-
tinues His speech in the Senate.
WASHINGTON, July 26 In the Senate
this morning Mr.. Mitchell offered con-
current resolution, which was referred to
the committee on finance, stating that the
United States would hail with appreciation
any reciprocal arrangement by treaty or
otherwise between the government of
the United States and the govern
ments Of all or any of the South
American or Central American states,
whereby there shall be admitted to the
ports of such nations, free from all ma
tlonal, provincial, municipal and other
tariffs or taxes products of the United
States, including flour, corn meal and other
breadstuffs, preserved meats, fruits, hides,
vegetables cotton seed oil, rice, and other
provisions, all articles of food, lumber, fur
niture and all other articles of wood,
agricultural implements and machinery,
structural steel and iron, steel
rails, locomotives, railway cars and sup
plies, street cars, refined petroleum, and
such other products of the United States as
may be agreed upcn, but declaring that it is
not the sense of the United States that in
any such treaty or reciprocal arrangement
articles OF foreign wool or hides In any
form, should be admitted free into the ports
Of this country, and it declares that in any
treaty or reciprocal arrangement that may
be entered into looking to the opening of
such foreign ports to the products
named it is not the sense of the United
States that articles of wool or hides pro-
duced in any OF those countries shall be
admitted free of duty into the ports of the
United States, and it requests the President
OF the United States to omit in any such
treaty or reciprocal arrangement with any
sucn nation, from the list of products of
such country to be admitted into the pof It's
of the United States, articles Of wool in any
Of its forms, and also hides
Mr.. Allison moved to include hides among
the prohibited articles. Mr.. Mitchell said
that hides were included in his resolution.
THE TARIFF BILL.
The Senate then resumed consideration of
the tariff bill, and was addressed by Mr..
Morgan. He said the pending bill bore
more heavily on the laboring class, or any
other class, than on the capitalist class. He
had yesterday referred to the fact that on
the free list of the bill there was not one
article that entered into the consumption of
the ordinary laboring man, either IN the
way Of food, raiment, or shelter. He had
asked the senator from Iowa (Mr. Allison)
II that were not fact, and had
same question again and again, and he
knew that when that senator came to make
one of those frank statements which be al
ways made he would be compelled to say
that there was nothing provided on the free
list for the laboring classes.
A BURDEN ON THE NEGROES.
Mr.. Morgan went on to speak of the col
ored people, who, not being capitalists, man
ufacturers, or skilled workmen, could not
possibly derive any advantage from
protection, and who yet mad to
bear the burdens which it
imposed upon the people. He yielded to
interruptions by Mr.. Hawley, who said that
in Alabama and other states the colored
men were being employed as skilled work
men in factories and foundries, and by Mr..
Hoar, who mentioned the case of a colored
man who was selected recently by his fellow
students at Harvard University to deliver
the valedictory. His response to Mr.. Hoar
was that the case he mentioned was an ex-
ceptional one, somewhat akin to Blind
Tom," and his response to Mr.. Hawley
was that what he CMr. Morgan) had
been trying to find out was whether any
negro operatives were employed in northern
factories.
NO INSURANCE FOR NEGROES
He also yielded to Mr.. Vest, who pre-
sented an advertisement from the Spring
field (Mass) Fire and Marine Insurance
Company, showing prohibition to its agents
..
or negro churches, or school houses. In
reply to a remark by Mr.. Hoar that that
prohibition only applied TO the southern
s. ates Mr.. Vest asserted that it applied to
the whole country.
Mr.. Morgan went on to criticise the bill
in detail and show how hard it would bear
on the negroes of the south. He found, for
instance, that, in the case of agate buttons.
the negro had, under the existing law, to
pay 81 % for 81 worth of buttons. and that
under the pending bill he would have to
pay from 50 to SO so for 81 worth
Mr.. Aldrich said that the bill did not pro-
pose any changesof the duty of agate but
tons.
Mr. Morgan corrected his statement, but
referred to four other grades of buttons, of
which 81 worth would. under the pending
bill, cost respectively ~ 10, 81 rs, 80 43 and
81 As. The negroes, he said, could use
thorns, pieces Of stick, or four-penuy nails
to keep their trousers on them, but they
preferred TO have buttons, and there was no
sense or justice in taxing them to such an
extent
Mr.. Morgan continued his argument at
some length, using as an illustration the
effect of the proposed tariff bill upon numer-
Gus articles of prime necessity to souther
negroes.
CAN'T MAKE BUTTONS.
The negro, he said, could not learn in 200
years to make button. He also referred
TO agricultural seeds, which, under the
present law, cost 81 29 for 81 worth, and
would, under the pending bill. cost 81 40,
and 20 andirons, which now cost 81 81 for
81 worth, and would, under the pending
bill, cost 81 A. The negroes, he said, do not
raise hogs and don't let anybody in their
neighborhood raise any. But they were
consumers of hogs Nothing in the world
so delectated negro as bacon and greens.
Mr.. Allison-Does the senator believe
that the II "a per cent now levied on bacon
is added to the price of the bacon which the
southern people consume, and is, therefore,
pocketed bv the farmer?
Mr. Morgan--If the duty is not added to
the price what is it put there fors Does the
great finance committee Of the United
States Senate want simply to humbug the
farmer by putting a tax on an article
which does not add TO the pricel
Mr.. Allison-We do not want to humbug
anybody, but l want the senator's opinion
as to whether II Il Der cent. duty or 20 per
cent. duty is added to the price of bacon.
If he answers my question will endeavor
to answer his.
MIR. Morgan-I have something else TO do
besides swapping questions with senator's.
II bacon were not raised in the country,
and if it had to be imported, it is very clear
that the consumer would have to pay the
duty.