Los Angeles herald., 1890-08-03
Plumb and Paddock Bid the
G.. 0. P. Defiance.
The Mckinley Bill is Too Rad
ical for Them.
They Think the Protective Policy Is
Carried Too Far.
Their Votes Recorded With the Demo-
crats-Blair's Plea for the
Cloture Rule.
Associated Press Dispatches.

WASHINGTON, August 2.-The senate
met today at 10 O'Clock and the roll-call
showed forty-nine senators (six more
than quorum) present. The resolution
offered yesterday by Blair instructing
the committee on rules to report, within
four days, a rule for the incorporation OF
the previous question, or of some
method for limiting and closing the
debate in parliamentary procedure of
the senate was taken up. Blair said sena
tors had spoken to him, indicating their
desire to be heard before action should
be taken in the matter and who were
not ready to proceed. He should there
fore not present the resolution this
morning, but he desired to say that he
had offered the resolution not with spe-
tcial reference to any pending
bill, but with feeling that
there was a necessity for the
proposed change; the period had
arrived when in the transaction of the
.country's business, the senate must
have some way by which a larger
number OF important public measures
could be decided. As it now was, the
whole business of the country was at
the mercy of one or two individuals who
might be opposed to measure. The
majority was practically under the con-
troll of the minority. Nobody could
complain that there had been disposi-
tion to procrastinate or to obstruct the
ordinary course of debate and decision
on the tariff bill, yet, although the SEN
ate had already spent ten days upon it,
only fifteen pages had been disposed of,
out of total of 1872 pages in the bill,
and all the great subjects of discussion,
sugar, reciprocity, etc., were still to come.
There was no reason to suppose, there
fore, that under the existing rules the
bill would be concluded before next De-
cember. He had offered the resolution
not with view to any pending meas
ure, but with the view of a fundamental,
radical, Indispensable change in the par
iamentary procedure OF the senate.
Morgan reminded Blair of the long
time tsix or seven weeks) consumed in
the consideration of his education bill,
and said that the time had not been
wasted, as the result of the discussion of
that bill had been it's defeat, just as he
hoped the debate on the tariff bill would
result in the defeat of that measure.
The resolution was referred to the
committee on rules.
The Tariff Bill.
The tariff bill was then taken up.
Yesterday before adjournment carbon
ate and sulphate and potash and
sponges were placed on the free list.
The duty on sulphate of soda was
changed from one-tenth of cent per
pound to 20 ,per cent ad valorem.
Finally the schedule being reached
which refers to earths, earthenware and
glasses and glassware, McPherson's mo-
ton to reduce the duty on fire brick
failed to carry. Plumb voted with the
Democrats, the first break in the solid
party vote.
Plumb, having thus started in his as
sertion of independence of party allie
glance, so far as the tariff bill is con-
cerned, began to take McPherson's
place i'll offering amendments. His first
two amendments were to reduce
the rates of duty on enameled
tiles and hydraulic cement. After some
discussion they were voted down by the
Republican ma majority-the Democrats, of
course, voting for them. On the hy-
draulic cement amendment Paddock
Gratis.
Mcpherson moved to reduce the duty
on common brown earthenware from 25
to 20 per cent. ad valorem. Carried
yeas, 21 nays, 20. Paddock voted with
the Democrats. Plumb did not vote.
The next question was on paragraph
100, relating to china, porcelain and
crockery ware, the finance committee
recommending reduction of the rates
in the house bill from 66 to 55 per cent.
on decorated articles, and from 55 to so
per cent. on plain white and undecorated
ware. Members of the finance commit
tee, Sherman and Hiscock, expressed
their opposition to the senate amend
ments. Allison supported them.
Vest moved to make the rate As and
40 per cent. respectively.
Plumb Scores the High Protectionists.
Then Plumb took prominent part in
the discussion, inveighing against the
exorbitant demands of the high protec-
tionists. He said the American people
were entitled to have cheap goods if
competition could bring that about.
When, he asked, was the time coming
when the people of the United States
would get some benefit from the estab-
lishment of home industries? Just as
fast as the point was arrived at when
lower prices might be expected, the
manufacturers came to congress and
said they wanted more duties,
whereby the downward progress
of prices might be arrested. He had
no idea that what he might
say was going to affect the vote of the
senate. He could see that the cohorts
of protection were so organized that the
bill was to go through, substantially as
it came from the finance committee.
He believed in distributing the duties
necessary for the purpose of raising
revenue for the support of the govern
ment in such a way as to equalize the
conditions existing between the manu-
facturers of this country and those
abroad. Ii he were in doubt he would
resolve the doubt in favor of the Amer
ican manufacturers; but if he knew the
exact conditions, he would put the home
and foreign manufacturer on the same
: footing precisely.
Manufacturers VS.. People.
The senate, he continued, owed some
duty to the American people, as we'll as
to the manufacturers. The Democratic
party had its full share of responsibility
for the iniquities OF the present tariff
law, and of that which was now pro-
posed. The Democrats in the house had
hol ~, o,,nor%upitu Of eorrnctiuU the