The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-09-06
COAL ON THE FREE LIST.
DEMOCRATS TO OPPOSE The
SHERMAN AMENDMENT

Interview with Senator Faulkner, OF
West Virginia a-RepubIican Perfidv
shown-Kennedy's Recent Assault on
the e-Congressional.
WASHINGTON, sept. D. Special. .-Sena-
tor Barbour, supported by Senator German,
Faulkner, and other DemOcrats,is is preparing
10 fight the sherman amendment to the
Tariff bill looking TO the free admisson of
coal. Senator Faulkner, of West Virginia,
VINO has devoted special attention to the
subject and who speaks for Virginia as well
as West Virginia. was interviewed by The
TINES correspondent to-day. He was asked :
"What effect will the adoption Of the
sherman amendment 10 the Iaril bill have
upon the coal industry Of West Virginia!
senator Faulkner: "That amendment
provides that If Canada admits coal free
into its ports, the President shall issue a
proclamation authorizing the admission Of
Canadian coal into the ports Of the United
states mined in the Dominion m Canada.
This amendment. if adopted. would not
affect the coal mines of Ohio or
other Northwestern states except
the state Of Washington, but its
effect upon the bituminOus mines of West
Virginia. Virginia, and Maryland would be
very serious. as it would bring the coal Of
Nova Scotia and Canada IN competition
with the coal of those states in supplying
the markets of New England, New York,
Philadelphia. and Baltimore. IL would have
no effect upon the price Of coal except upon
the coast. rs the transportation inland would
prevent it from coming in competition
with those Goals. II would benefit, there
fore. no one but the highly Isotectcf manu-
facturcrs located at those points, the effect
Of which. as 10 them, would simply be To
increase their already eXOrbltant profits.
West Virginia is second only 10 Pcnnsyl-
vania and Ohio in its output Of bituminOus
coal, its increase OF production being very
remarkable. In $3.50 Is produced l,iJ2,jl0
tons. and in 1850 its output exceeded five
millions OF tons.
"Tne importation Of coal into this country
has greatly increased during the last nine
years. 1t has generally been brought here
in ballast, the ships returning with the car
gOes loaded from this country. The output
10 the nited States has rapidly increased,
until it has reached production Of sj,jOJ,-
73l tons, which represents to our wage
earners the sum uf Si2. ~, 80.
England aud her dependencies has been
our main competitor. she having imported
into this country all Of the coal brought
here except 1853 tons. Coal has virtually,
except as to the manufacturers on the
coast. been free for a number Of years, as.
the drawback allowed on the importation
OF all coal used in the coast trade, and IN
the foreign carrying trade, has been
the fun amount of the duty paid.
but since the first tariff Of l1S9.
il has been upon the dutiable list, with the
exception Of a few years In 1872 the duty
upon il was reduced from Sl.2j to 10 cents
per ton, which makes it purely revenue
tariff Of about - per cent. ad Falorem. It's
price has steadily declined owing 10 the
cheapening of transportation. In 1870, IN
Baltimore, it was Si.12; in 1850. $40, and
i'm lSS9, S2.GO-thef average profit Of the
mine owners ranging from 10 10 ID cents
per ton"
"Wm YOU support the sherman amend
ment to put Canadian coal on the fr,e list,
~enatOr.'
Mr. Faulkner: NO: | shall oppose the
amendment uron the gr0unds-frst, that
the duty now upon il is revenue duty;
second, it would necessarily affect serious
lv. by reason of the competition Of foreign
Goals, the demand for the product Of the
mines in our state, which would either
lessen the value Of wages or reduce serious
ly the number Of wage-earners; third, II
would benefit no one but the highly-pr0
tected manufacturers located on the sea-
board, and result IN increasing their al
ready eXorbitant profits: and, fourth, the
profits OF the mne-Owners are not eN0rbl-
tant, but reasonable
The effort of Mr.. sherman. Of Ohio, to put
this article upon the tree list, shows what
little confidence can be- placed by the wage
earners in the fairness and justice of those
Leaders OF the Republican party who cry so
loudly for the protection of American labor
in the hour of their need; but when the
seli-intcrcst Of their constituents comes IN
conflict with the principles which they pro-
claim, they at once desert them. As Tor
placing bituminOus coal upon the free list,
ii would not benefit the consumer in the liz
terror and as if is not in domestic use, even
in the cities ON the sca-bOard. anthracite
coal being substituted for those purposes,
shall oppose this amendment.
REPUBLICAN PERFIDY.
The Democratic members Of the House
Committee on Elections. have most sue
ccsslully demonstrated the periidy OF some
of the Republican members IN the Bfeck-
inridge ease. II has been shown that Lacey,
of Iowa, who was chairman 0i the sub
which went 10 Arkansas. delib-
eratcly tampered with the records OF the
committee for partisan purposes. The ste
nOTaphcr of the subcommittee was an OLD
friend, constituent, and fellow partisan
OF Lacey's. and the latter found no difficulty
i'm managing him. AZ the last meeting
held IN Little.iOck, Mr.. Breckinrldge assert
ed 10 the desire Of the subcommittee 10 al
iOurn provided bis remaining witnesses
should be examined IN Washington. Rep
rcsentatNe Mash, Democrat, observing
that the stenOgrapher was idle directed
him 10 make full notes Of the proceedings.
and include them in the record Of the sub
committee. That night the sub-cOm
mittee adjourned sine die, and the
record 50 shows. After their re-
turn to Washington, when BrecklnrldSe
made application To have his witnesses sum
moncd, Lacey repudiated the Little Rock
denying that il had ever been
made. When Maish referred 10 the report
OF the subcommittee proceedings, he was
astOnishad to discover that all mention Of
the last nights meeting had been omitted.
Lacey declared ii had been done inadvert-
entity, ani promised 10 telegraph at once tO
the sten0grapher sOr a transcript OF his
notes. Two days later be exhibited ielc-
cram from the stenOgrapher, say Ing he made
no notes ct the last nights proceedings.
some days later the Democrats OF the COM
mittee were still more astOunded when
Lacey produced what purported 10 be a cor
I CT report OF the last nlsul pfocteu-
ings by The stenOgrapher, fully sustaining
Lacey's position. There are Republicans
who denOunce Lacey for his dOuble-dealing.
THE KENNEDY SPEECH.
The kentuckNatlair is still exciting at
tentIon IN both houses of Congress. All the
Republican friends of Senator Quay are
mad, thoroughly mad, but they do not sec
how they can make a move against Ken
nedy that will be effective. The Ohio blath-
erskite has been bulld0zed into consenting to
withhold his speech, so far as the Congress
iOnal Record is concerned. some the Dem
Ocrats are itching TO get the matter before
the House again, and 10 this end BOatner.
of Louisiana, today wrote a resolution pro-
posing to eXpel Kennedy. lie wrote il with
the full intent and purpose of submitting
the resolution Immediately after the read
ing Of the journal, but he was argued out
of it by other Democrats, who held that
such "A movement would give Kennedy en-
tirely too much prominence, and that if let
alone the matter will necessarily work out
plenty Of mischief for the Republicans.
THE PANAMA RAILROAD STRIKE.