Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-08-08
FROM OUR CAPITAL
SAUET LOCKS AND THEIR I'M
PORTANCE TO COMMERCE.
The House Proceedings Dependent
on Attendance.
A Resolution Declaring Brecken-
ridges Seat Vacant.

information on the subject of the accident
last Saturday to the lock Of the Sault Ste.
Marie canal. He spoke of it as most SER
ious calamity TO the commerce of the nation
costing las he had been informed by tele-
graph $500, 900 day. He also mentioned
incidentally, the failure of the house to act
on bill passed by the senate some months
ago, providing for second and larger lock-
The resolution was agreed TO after some
discussion showing the great Importance of
the work being done.
When the senate took vote on Schedule
B of the Mckinley tariff bill, which refers
to earth, earthenware and glassware, Mr.
Mcpherson moved TO reduce the duty on
fire brick, not glazed, enameled or decor
ated, from Sl.25 per ton TO 20 per cent ad
valorem, and on glazed or ornamented fire
brick from As per cent TO 40. Rejected.
Mr. Plumb voted with the democrats, the
first break in the republican lines.
MIR. PiSmb having thus started in mis-
assertion OF independence of party allegi-
ance so far as the tariff bill was concerned.
began to take Mr.. McPherson's place in
offering amendments. His first two
amendments were to reduce the rate of
duty on enameled tiles and hydraulic ce-
ment. After discussion they were voted
down by the republican majOrity-the
democrats, of course, voted for them. On
the hydraulic cement amendment Mr. Pad
dock joined Mr.. Plumb in voting with the
democrats, the result of the vote being
yeas 81, nays %.
Mr.. Mcpherson moved to reduce the
duty on common brown earthenware from
% to 30 per cent ad valorem. Rejected
yeas 81, nays 80. Mr. Paddock voted
with the democrats. Mr.. Plumb did not
vote. The next question was on paragraph
100, relating to china, porcelain and crock
eryware-the finance committee recon-
mended reduction in the rates of the
house bin from GO to 55 per cent on the
decorated articles, and from So to so per
cent on plain white and undecorated ware.
Two members of the finance committee,
Messrs. Sherman and Hiscock, expressed
their opposition to the senate amendments.
MIR. Allison supported them. Mr.. Vest
moved to make the rates As and 40 per
cent respectively.
Mr.. Plumb took a prominent and re-
markable part in the discussion. inveighing
against what he called the exorbtant de-
mands of the high prptectionists. The
whole tendency of civilization, Mr.. Plumb
said, was toward the reduction of prices of
all products of human labor To claim
that the tariff had been the sole or
main factor in the reduction &C the
prices of manufactured goods NSe -
ignore all the forces of civilization.
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 establishment of home industries?
But just as fast as the point was arrived
at when lower prices might be expected,
the manufacturers came to congress and
said that they wanted more duties whereby
that downward progress of prices might
be arrested. The people of the United
States ought to have their ''inning' some
time; and he thought that that time had
come.
He had no idea that what he might say
was going TO affect the vote of the senate.
He could conceive and he could see that
the cohorts Of protection were so organ
lied that the bill was TO go through sub
stantially as it came from the finance
committee. The. manufacturers had had
from congress precisely what they asked,
and yet, so far from their being satisfied,
another bill for their benefit was to be put
through without debate Gf that could be
brought about, on the theory that the
country was hungering and thirsting for
more tariff legislation. He believed in dis
tributing the duties that were necessary
for the purpose OF raising revenue for the
supper u The government in such way
as TO equaiize the conditions existing be-
tween the manufacturers of this country
ard those abroad. If he were in doubt he
would resolve that doubt in favor of the
American manufacturers. But il he knew
what the exact conditions were he would
put the home and the foreign manufacture
ers on the same footing precisely. He
should be recreant to his duty if he gave
his support to such a proposition as the
chinaware schedule.
The senate he continued, owed some
duty TO the American people as well as u
.he manufacturers. There was point
where political sympathies ended anC
where business interests began. The
democratic party had its full share of re
sponsibility for the iniquities Of the pres
ant tariff law and of that which was now
proposed. The democrats in the house
had had the opportunity of correcting the
errors and wiclnedness of the Mckinley
bill, but they had sought to evade the re
| Ol JHtiE NObcS Wutu Dy JOIN
ing with the republicans who were opposed
to that bill they might have eliminated
many of it's errors He could see the game
of battledore and shuttlecock between fire,
trade and protection constantly going OF
for political advantage on the one side anC
for personal advantage on the other; anC
between the two extremes the great body
of the American people were being crushed
and ground. He would apply the ruiz
that whoever demanded tax for his owl
benefit should be ready TO show conclusive
ly that his interest was also the public in
terest. The demonstration should be mad
that every single penny of tax proposes
was absolutely necessary.
The tariff will be discussed in the senat
until Friday, when it will be laid aside ant
the river and harbor appropriation bi
taken up.
The proceedings in the house this weel
win be governed by the attendance of mem
bers. There is a strong disposition on tn
part Of the majority TO finally pass upo
the conference report on the original pack
, age bill, and to secure action upon tn
compound lard bill and two Of the electio
: cases, but IL is felt that the presence of
3 quorum is necessity in these cases, and