The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-08-26
SENATE PROCEEDINGS.
The Duty on Lead Ore-Plumb in Ope
Rebellion.


Rebellion.
WASHINGTON CRY, Aug. 25.-In theS en-
ate this morning, Aldrich asked unani-
nous consent that the general debate on
the tariff bill shall close on September g.;
that the debate on the amendments shall
continue under the fve-minute rule until
September s, and that the final voting shall
be then closed. He also proposed that the
last six hours be devoted to debate.
Aldrich's order was modified, on sugges-
ton of German, so as to continue the gen.
eral discussion of the tariff bill up to and
including Wednesday, September g. to
have five minutes on Thursday, the 4th,
Friday, the 5th, and Saturday, the 6th and
to fix Monday, September s, and thereafter
for consideration of the bill and amend
ments without debate; that then three
three hours be allowed each side for gen.
eral debate, and that then the final
vote be taken on the passage of the bill.
The order would probably have been en-
tered but for the objection of Plumb, who
asked that the matter 60 over until tomor-
row.
The tariff bill was taken up, and Vance
proposed the following amendments:
That in all cases where it can be shown to the
secretary of the treasury that any goods, wares
or merchandise imported have been purchased
abroad by citizens of the United States by the
exchange of farm products grown in the United
States for such goods, or where such goods have
been purchased with the proceeds of such farm
products in foreign countries. such goods shall
be imported at the following rates OF duty: One
half of the present duty on all manufactures of
iron and steel; 40 per cent of the present duty
on ali wooden or cotton goods, or articles Of
which wool or cotton may be the component
material of chief value; one-half OF the present
duty ON earthernware, china and glassware; 80
per cent OF the present rate of duty on all ma
teriai used as fertilizers or in the manufacture
thereof, and 25 per cent of the present rate of
duty on jute bagging and farmers binding
Irvine.
The pending question on the tariff bill
was imposing a duty of III cents per
pound on lead ore and lead dross, provided
that silver and all other ores containing
lead shall pay duty OF n cents per pound
on the lead contained therein, according
to sample and assay at the port of entry.
Coke moved to amend by striking out the
proviso and inserting a proviso that ores
containing silver and lead, which lead is of
less value than silver, shall be admitted
free of duty. He said the passage of the
bill as reported would destroy the smelling
works in Texas. Kansas City. Chicago and
ST. Louis, render useless the refractory
ores of New Mexico, Arizona and Texas
throw large number of men out of EN-
ployment and drive from the United States
trade with Mexico, valuable not only for
the American manufacturer, but for the
American farmer.
Reagan and Carlisle followed with argu-
ments on the same line.
Plumb moved to amend the paragraph
by reducing the duty on lead ore from III
cents pound to three-quarters of cent
He thought the Senate was coming to
point where the system of protection
would result in breaking down certain
home industries for the benefit of other
industries. and the other industries were
to destroy smaller ones. If the mine
owners of Colorado who had derived so
much profit from the recent silver legisla-
ton would get still more by tax on these
Mexican ores, why did they not propose a
duty on silver ores from Mexico?
Stewart argued against the amendments
and in favor of duty on lead ore as pro-
posed in the paragraph.
Teller also advocated the adoption of the
paragraph as reported, and asserted that
the contest was one between the lead trust
lin com bInation with the smelters) and the
miners of the Rocky mountains. These
miners were $1,000 strong, and they con-
sumed more of the agricultural products of
Kansas and Nebraska than the whole of
Mexico consumed. Kansas was indebted
to the miners of Colorado for whatever
prosperity she enjoyed. He was not. there
fore, exactly pleased when the senator
from that state insisted that he wanted TO
secure the trade of Mexico and was willing
TO put the labor of Colorado, Montana and
Idaho side by side with the Accent labor OF
Mexico. Continuing his argument, Teller
said that ii the lead duty was shorn from
the bili-the only thing in it for the benefit
of the great Northwest-the-e would not be
Republican in that region in favor OF the
bill, and that there should not be.
Jones of Nevada said the most import
ant feature of the bill for the mining in
dustries was the duty on lead and lead
ores. Not only were many thousands of
persons engaged in lead mining, but IS per
cent. of the silver yield OF the United
States came from mines in which that
metal was found in combination with lead.
OF these mines the larger number would
not pay the expense of operation for silver
alone Without duty on lead and lead
ores these mines would be abandoned. This
would not only destroy the industry, but
seriously affect the supply OF the precious
metals which form the money OF the world.
Jones paid warm tribute 70 the personal