Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-26

E, PeIiecuy certain that, having estaD-
nsneo tariff rates, it would not be necessary
% disturb them next Congress- 1t would
NOT 40 to say "After US, the deluge."
6olng ON to enumerate the expenditures
1or the next fiscal year he gave it as his
oplnion that the applications under the de-
pendent pension bill would reach 500, 900
WITHIN year. He believed that within the
next Two years the bill would be costing the
people of the United States about $50, ,000,-
900 year.
Mr.. Plumb went on to speak of the nec-
essary expenditures of the Government, re-
Ierred to the possibility of there being next
year deficit of nearly S50.000,0 900 that
would have to be made up by new taxes.
ana asked who was interested in producing
1nat state of things. He thought that in
reporting the bill that matter had been over
looked.
THE POUND OF FLESH.
1t seemed to him as if somebody, inter-
ested In the rate of duties had said, "We do
not care what the effect on the revenue may
De. That is our concern. Congress has got
70 mind that. We want the pound OF
nesh?' He would not say nominated In
the bond' because there was no bond. They
mad succeeded in getting reported bill
whereby the profits would be enhanced Che
would say nothing about the resulting bene-
hts to the country, and the very awkward
and injurious condition of things to which
he had alluded might be brought about, in
which the Government would be forced
either to borrow money or to find some
means of increasing the revenue. He gave
notice that he would offer amendments to
the bill to increase the revenue from other
sources.
He would never vote for bill that he
thought would be a cowardly evasion of the
duty imposed upon the Senate, to provide
adequate means to meet the expenses of the
Government. He would not shirk that
duty. He would propose duty on incomes,
he would propose increased tax on alcoholic
liquors, and he would propose amendments
that would prevent the formation OF trusts.
THE SENATE NOT ExTRAvAGANT.
Mr.. Allison defended the Senate from the
charges made In some quarters OF extrava-
gance on the part of the Senate in the
matter OF appropriation bills.
Mr.. Aldrich expressed the opinion that
Mr.. Mcpherson was not serious in his mo-
ton, and remarked that if it were carried
out into law the effect would be to increase
the revenue BY S110, 600, 900 over the amount
that would be produced by the pending
bill. In order to show "the manifest ab-
surdity" of Mr.. McPherson's proposition,
he said that il sugar were taken from the
free list and put upon the dutiable list at 10
per cent the average ad valorem rate on du-
table goods would be reduced below SO per
cent. He declared that all such arguments
had no force or effect with intelligent peo-
pie, and that the people of the United States
had passed on the question in 1888.
Mr.. German asked Mr.. Aldrich to give
the Senate a frank and fair statement as to
the probable results of the bill if enacted
into law.
THE REDUCTION OF REVENUE.
Mr.. Aldrich said in reply that if the i'm
portations for the next fiscal year we're the
same as for the last fiscal year, the revenue
would be reduced about twenty millions.
He could not give the figures as to the ex-
penditures. Of course members OF the
Finance Committee did not propose by any
legislation to reduce the revenues below the
expenditures. They did not intend to ere
ate deficit knowingly and purposely; and
they did not believe that that would be the
result.
They believed that they could safely re-
duce the revenue twenty millions, thirty
millions, forty millions, or fifty millions,
without that result occurring. He was sure
that whenever the Chairman of the Commit
tee on Appropriations had prepared his
of the probable receipts. the Finance Com
mittee would take into consideration
whether the Senate could afford to make
such large reduction of the duty on sugar.
After some further discussion, and with
out action on Mr.. McPherson's motion
(Which is pending), the Senate adjourned.
THE PIERCE AMENDMENT.
Senator Pierce has been advised by Rep
resentatives of various States, notably the
Northwestern and those on the Pacific slope,
that they have received numerous letters
from constituents, chiefly officials of the Far
mers' Alliance, urging them to support the
amendment recently proposed by him to the
tariff bill.
The letters generally say, that while the
writers and those for whom they write favor
free sugar, they desire to secure in return a
market for their products. The Senator ex-
presses his confidence that the amendment
in substance at least, will become part of
the legislation of the session.