, 1892-03-10
Tariff Question Was Opened Up
in Congress Yesterday.
Congressman McMillin Assaults
the Mckinley Law.
Sounds the Keynote in an Hour
and q Half Speech.
Representative Dingley Replies
For the Republicans.
House


WASHINGTON, March 9.-rhe tariff
discussion of the ffty-seoond congress was
opened in the house today with Mcmillan
of Tennessee leading the tariff reformers
and DingleY of Maine defending the
Mckinley law. To Representative
Blount of Georgia, a parliamentarian OF
twenty years Of congressional experience,
was awarded the honor OF presiding over the
proceedings of the committee. In the long
POLITICAL ~wranRlinRs that are to follow in
the COMMITTEES. Speaker Crisp will find
q respite he has 30 much desired. Today
he occupied = seat in the gallery and was
a. Interested M auditor as any of the
other of the 1900 visitors who bent
eagerly forward to catch every word of
the partisan orations.
The press and diplomatic galleries were
also crowded but q browning Indication of
the importance of the discussion was the
deep attention the members themselves
gave ~ the speakers. During McMilhn's
speech Burrows of Michigan and a few of
his leading republican colleagues left
their seats and gathered around the dem
ocratic side 70 be near the Tennessee gen.
tlemsn IS he arraigned their party from
y ucnoCF ALtO bthuupOl0L Auu ueIe0ueu LDe
Justice of the Springer bill and various
measures reported from the ways and
means committee to reduce the duties on
imports.
In the course of bis speech McMillin
was interrupted by Raines OF New York
with . suggestion that the New York
state elections had not been of a character
to encourage the democratic party. Nc
Milin retorted that the ex speaker on
Monday referred to the triumphant
march of truth" That march was en-
phssised BY the fact that the gentleman
from Maine (Reed) no longer occupied
the chair, but was relegated to the floor
where he should do nothing but curse
and cry. lLauRhter.l The city of the
gentleman from Maine had gone demo-
cratic the other day. Applause.
Reed, who WAS IN the cloak room when
the aisle, making the apology that he had
not beer present because he knew the
gentleman from Tennessee was speaking.
Laughter.
MCMILLAN replied he didn't care what
the gentleman reasons were for absence.
Mcmillan spoke for an hour and a half on
the democratic substitute for the McKin-
ley bill, and then Dingley of Maine took
the floor to reply on behalf of the minority
of the wavs and means committee. He
roasted the democrats for their failure to
do more than attack three little items of
the Mckinley tariff out of 800 after
their threats and promises to sweep every
line and word of this ''unholy tariff
from the statute books and substitute a
measure of tariff reform" from which
shall be eliminated all ''cIass legislation,
all robbery and all protection"
These three little bills" said Ding
ley, "embraco all the trriff reform the
democratic majority of $50 has to offer 10
the redemption OF all pledges and prom
ises made before the last election. The
voters who have been cheated once
would like. nov that they have the
right to be informed. exactly what
kind of a tariff bill the democracy would
substitute for the existing Mckinley
tariff. The people demand this demo-
cratic house shall present such measure
as they profess to be ready to substitute
Tor the Mckinley tariff-betore election,
not after.
They ask they may have full informa.
ton of exactly what is proposed while
they have a chance to express an opinion
on 1t and not after it is too late. The
fact that democratic leaders have not and
will not present such a complete tariff
measure is practically a confession thew
dare not let the people see what they pro-
pose to do.
When Diugley. not a member of the
ways and means committee, opened the
discussion on behalf of the republican
side. no less was the f1attering attention
paid him by the democratic opponents.
Dingley defended the Mckinley act
eloquently and at length. He argued
that the three bills proposed by the demo-
cratic majority Of the wavs and means
committee should result in nothing but
injury to the farmer. The free wool bill,
he said, proposed free trade for the most
tinued protection for the manufacturer of
wool.
1t. too, would certainly reduce the
price and destroy the wool industry.
EVERY evil production relating to the
Mckinley tariff" said DIngley, has
been disposed by the march of events.
Every prediction of its benefits had been
made good. The protection was more
than justified. The policy has done so
much to make the country the largest
agricultural, manufacturing and most
prosperous country on earth" fGreat
Applause Before the conclusion of
Dineley's speech the committee rose and
the house adjourned. The debate will be
re6u0e0 TOMORROW
senate.
Mr.. Hale reported from the naval COM
mittee = bill to further increase the
naval department with an amendment
sppropriating $500, 600 for experiments
In the development of torpedoes and the
procurement Of standard torpedoes.
Senator Squire moved to reconsider the
vote By which the senate passed the bill
in relation to the collection district of
Puget sound.
Among the bills introduced and referred
was the following by Cullom (by reauest):
10 test and try the science of spelling and
provide for establishing 100 schools for
hat purpose and to establish a spelling