The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-05-08
THE TARIFF DEBATE BEGUN.
mr.. HILLS REMoSS TRhTES AGdIAST
IT'S LJNIid TON.

liean Caucus Not Prevented Owing
tho Absence of MFR. Carllsio-Thr DehR'
Opened by Mr.. MeKInIeY and Mr.. Mil
-The senate Discusses tho silver BIII.
WASHINGTON, May THE long-expectc
tariff debate began In the House to-day rathe
tamely. The crowd OF spectators in tho CALLER
les was neither larger nor smaller than usua
and there was no indication Of any absorbin
popular interest in the subject Gen. Benjami
i. Butler was prominent figure on the flooi
in close proximity at the opening to Mr. Nc
Kinley. Rather TO tho surprise Of those mem
hcrs who had prepared themselves for an at
tack on king cGucus, because Of the Limited
tlm9 which will be allowed for the general de
bnte. Mr.. Mckinley refrajncd from presentinl
the iron-clad rule which was expected. 80 tina
the anticipated preliminary wr,,ngle was avoid
ed. Although unlimited time was granted Mr.
Mckinley In which 10 present his argument, h,
stated In advance that lie would not occup,
much more than an hour. and tho Indications
are that the speakers who follow will also
reduce their speeches to small compass. EX.
elusive Of the promised night sessions. which
the moro notable spcNkerS avoid whenever
possible. there will lie in all only twenty hours
OF general debate. Following the established
custom one hour must be allowed to each OF
the thirteen members OF the Ways and Means
Committee or thirteen hours in the aggregate,
80 that only seven hours of the daylight session
will remain for partition among the other 3l5
members OF the House.
Soon after the reading OF the journal. Mr.. Nc
Kinley tRep. Of Ohioj moved to go into Com
mlttee OF the Whole for the consideration OF the
Tariff bill. In making this motion. Mr. Nc
Kinley said that he would endeavor to close
general debate on Saturday evening.
Mr.. Mckinley's motion was agreed to with
out division. and accordingly tho House went
into Committee of the Whole Mr.. Payson Of
Illinois in the chair for the consideration OF
the Tariff bill. On Motion OF Mr.. Mills the
committee granted to Mr.. Mckinley the privi-
leEe Of speaking without Limitation OF time.
and n similar courtesy was accorded to MIR.
Mills on motion of Mr.. Mckinley
M'KrNLEYs OPENING SPEECH.
Mr.. Mckinley then took the floor in support
OF tho bill. In til" Inst political campaign the
tariff had been the absorbing question before
the people. 1t seemed to him that no ex tended
discussion OF this great principle was expected
or required or necessary under existing condi-
tons, for il any one thing was settled by the
political contest OF 1888 1t was that the pro-
tective policy. ms promulgated by the Repub-
licnn party in its platform, rs maintained by
the Republican rarty through long series OF
years should be secured in any legislation
which was TO be had by Congress- chosen in
InlS great contest anu OIL lIllS mastering l5Bue.
He interpreted the victory to mean. he in
terproted the majority in this House to mean,
he interpreted the incumbency OF the Presi-
dency of tho United States by the present chief
Executive to mean that q revision Of the tariff
was demanded by the people. and that that re-
vision should be along the line and in full
recognition OF the principle and purposes Of
protection. IAprlause.l Tho people had spoken
and they asked this Congress to register their
will and embody their verdict into public law.
The bill presented by the Committee on
Ways and Means to the Hous was IA thorough
answer to that demand. II was in iuli reco2-
milton OF the prlncipl, and policy OF the pro-
tective tariff. Tie bill did not abolish the in
ternal revenue tax, rs the Republican party
had pledged itself to ito in the event that that
abolition was nccessa y To preserve the rro- !
found the abolition OF the enc was not neces-
6ary to tho prescrNat,o on OF the other. The bill
recommended the abolition oI al sieca taxes
and the reduction of tho tax on tobacco and
snuff, and it removed the restrictions upon
the growers oftoLncco. With these exceptions
the Internal revenue .aw stood as at D esent.
II these recomncndaiiouS we're Agreed TO. IN
ternal taxation would be reduced u little over
ed provision requiring all lmIorted articles
TO bear stamp or mark indicating the country ,
in which such articles are manufactured. The ,
reason that actuated the committee was that 1t |
had become too common among some OF the |
countries al the world 10 copy some Of our best ,
known brands and sell Thorn in competition |
with our own home made product.
Inc he4t p nToTsi9n rGc9m IN, was the
tons 81 the e law The Statue
any citizen of the nIted States conld import ,
an article, pay duty upon 1t, make 1t into 4 COM
refunded 80 per cent. OF the duty paid on tho /
raw material. Tho committee recommended
only per cent. instead OF 10 per cent. This |
gave to the people OF the United States .plgc-
tiSIy free raw mGteria for the eHGort trade
This provision applied o wool.
Mr. Nc Kinley replied that it applied to every
thing. II was II serted by the minority that
the bill won!d not reduce the revenues OF The
Government bpt that. on the contrary. it
was misleading. Il the bin should become
law he revenues Ct the Govern Coy woGld be
In oxraning tle biI more in detail Sir. Nc
Kinley said tina NJ chang had been made in
the earth"nwnre schedule. because the com
ent duties was essential to the prosperity and
further DEVELOPMENT 4 this great industry
OF being left IL it was. The committee had
recommended an increase OF duty on glass:
the sharp, compeetitio9, from foreign countries;
because il the United States was to continue
lnanufacturinE glass goods and retain the
lmportations OF glassware had increased and
multiplied since the lariii Of 1888. when the
cause Of the difference in the price Of labor In
The agricultural interests OF the country had
received the earnest attention OF the commit
lee. and every relief which could be afforded
them by the tarir had been recommended.
The, minority said that duty on agricultural
products would DO OF no benefit to the farmers
The majority. thinking differently. had adj
Vanced the duty all along the line, liGentle-
men reflected upon the difference in the price
of labor here and abroad In the production OF
wheat they would perceive how near We were
II we had not, indeed. cached il to the dan
ger line so fur even az our own home market
was concerned, The farmers had come to ap-
preciGte that tho time was already here whom
The American agrioulturlsts mustlsell his prod
ducts IN the markets OF the world in competition
with the wheat produced BY tho low-prlced
labor OF other countries Their care must
hereafter be 70 preserve their own market. for
loss; by reducing the cost Of production. they
could compete with UNEQUAL conditions. I'm
der the duties fixed ty the bin the annual i'm
ports, Of t25,00o0uo Of AGRICULTURAL products
would be eupplied the people OF the United
States by tho american farmer rather than by
ne Canadian farmer. and that $2jOOO000 dis
tributel among rhe farmers would relieve
SOM. some OF The depression prevailing and give
them confidence and courage and increased
iarlns' .Applause.l During the twelve
years years, Of reciprocity with canada the
!! Lpited StaleSS. had bought much more than
III naQ sold. What CHnalu VHntnI yvhat Otbar /