Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1894-07-24

I
| 1 do not believe, Mr.. Speaker, that there
would be any great difficulty in coming to a
compromise or an agreement upon the vast
msiority of the 6S4 amendments proposed to
This bill by the Senate, but there are important
amendments proposed by the Senate which
give to this bill In the main a different charac-
ter from what it had when it went away from
the House, on which amendments we seem,
up to this time, TO be irreconcilSAly divided,
and it Is because qf thsse amendments and be-
cause OF the statements made TO us in all kind
ness and courtesy, and might say in sadness,
that such was the condition of affairs at the
other end of this Capitol that unless this House
was willing to accept the Senate bill practical
ly and SUBSTANTIALLY us 1t passed the Senate
there was to lie no tariff legislation at this ses-
sion of Congress.
1--WE dill not feel, representing the House of
Representatives, that We could, without sacri-
flee to its dignity and of its equality as legis-
latiye chamber, respond 10 any such PROPOSE
ton as that. Applause on the Democratic
side.l Ieastnf all did we feel that in the great
question of taxation, resting by the very theory
of free institutions and by the language of the
constitution as a peculiar and original iTnst on
the representatives OF the people that we could
TUE ONE hlOiueAl SllGTlllU anu dSrGe TO STlen q
proposition. Applause on the Democratic
side
aside from that question the difference,
between Tire bill Us it passed the House and the
bill it comes back to US from the Senate are
so marked, are in the main so objectionable to
tariff-reformers in the country generally that
we could not, WITHOUT the guidance and the
instruction of this House, agree to accept those
differences and thus adopt different and
modified scheme of tariff reform. Whatever
imperfections may have attached tothe House
bill, it did seem TO be accepted by the people
of this country as fair and substantial per
formance of the pledges by which the Demo-
cratic party came into power at the beginning
of this administration. 1t was framed upon
Democratic lines in the main. 1t sought in
Ievying taxes to consider chiefly and primarily
the wants of the public treasury, and not the
profits and schemes of great private interests
[Applause ON the Democratic side.l The bill
which come back to us from the Senate has
not met the approval OF The great tariff reform
sentiment of this country. 1t has not been ac-
cepted by those who, through defeat and vic
tory, have followed this standard with so mucl,
of enthusiasm for ten years past, as the fruition
of their efforts US the performances of their
pleuSt anu ~ TIC
ton OF their great victory.
''Itremains for me to simply add that the
chief points in controversy between the rep
resentatfyes of the dominant party in the two
houses and thus between the conference COM
mittees oftlie two houses, was, fist, the sugar
schedule next, the duty upon iron ore and
upon coal and the duty upon silver-lead ores
and some of tile duties IN the wooden schedule.
and especially to some of the duties of the
iron and steel schedule; prominently those
upon pig iron, upon steel rails and upon cut
lery and structural iron. Butthe great difficulty
in the pathway of an agreement has been a
proper adjustment of the sugar schedule This
House voted for free sugar, raw and refined
loud applause the Democratic siSie.1 1t
voted down the proposal of the COMMITTEES on
ways and means for a gradual repeal OF the |
bounty and reduction by one-half OF the duty
upon refined sugar. The Senate has reintro-
duced into the proposed tariff bill sugar
schedule which whether truly or not, has been
accepted by the country. by the press, by the
people as un6 My favorable to the great sugar
ec0nfs9ded on 7aird Page !