The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-04-23
VOORHEES, ANSWER
The Senator Replies to
Those Who Have Criti-
cized the Tariff
Bill.
DOES NOT CLAIM IT PERFECl
Nevertheless, 1t Makes Heavier
Reductions on the Necessities
of Life Than Previous Bills.

WASHINGTON, April %, 1894.-Senator
Voorhees,, Chairman of the Finance Commit
tee of the Senate, who has been criticized in
his own State for granting concessions in the
pending tariff bill, has just replied to some
of these criticisms in long letter to Hon.
John 3. Stoll of South Bend, Indiana, in the
course of which he says:-''It seems that in
certain quarters l am to be assailed for
all that is done or left undone by
the Senate of an unsatisfactory char
acter on the subject of the ar1n.
s'The Senate Committee on Finance Is come
posed of six democrats and five republicans.
In order to be able to report a bill OF any
kind on the tariff there must be an absolute
agreement between the six democrats con-
stituting a majority of that committee.
ANY bill on the subject of revenue for the
support of the government by tariff taxa
tion from the first one in 1889 to the present
time has been necessarily and inevitably an
adjustment of differences between men,"
Speaking with particular reference to the
present bill, Mr.. VOORHEES, continues
''1here are several features in the bill now
pending in the Senate which did not desire
to have in it, but because was overruled
on those points, did not, therefore, feel at
liberty to join the Republican members and
report no bill at all and leave the Mckinley
law on our statute books. fought hard
against anything at all beng put on
sugar, iron or coal, but when it was demon
strated in full three days hard working
caucus of all the Democratic Senators.
as well as in the committee, that a bill with
these articles absolutely on the free list
could no more pass the Senate than ship or
lead could navigate the ocean, l came to
the conclusion after anxious and painful
solicitude that it was my plain, clear and
explicit duty to the laboring masses OF the
country, and especially to the Democratio
party in Indiana, to support the bill as it
now stands; to make sure of the immense
reductions in tariff taxation which it
guarantees, and then continue to fight for
further progress and reform hereafter"
HIS DEMOCRACY.
Mr.. VOORHEES, expresses the opinion that
much is being done and said in absolute ig-
norance of what the bill actually contains,
and then proceeds to show that the pending
measure gives the lowest average rate or
duty since the Walker tariff of 1916 and its
subsequent Democratic amendments In 1857.
In regard to the insinuations against his
Democracy, Mr.. Voorhees, says:-"Nothing
could be further from nay wish than to say
a word in criticism of the Wilson BILL or of
any of the work of the House.
At the same time am hardly will
ing to be dubbed to death, or read
out of the Democratic party in the name
of the Wilson bill by those totally ignorant
of its important provisions. The imperious
demand that the Senate shall pass the VIII
son bill without amendment Is a burlesque
on common sense. There is not an intelh-
gent man in the United States with informa-
tion on the subject who has for a moment
thought the Wilson bill was to pass the
Senate without amendment. It's own au-
tnors and supporters have never expected
ANYTHING Of the kind. When it came over
to the Senate it was followed by many Of its
ablest and most judicious friends, pointing
out to the Senate Committee where and IN
what respect it could be improved by amend
ments ;"
Mr. VOORHEES, next called attention to one
feature of the bill which he characterizes as
''of immense overshadowing Importance,
which should not be needlessly ignored"
This, Mr.. VOORHEES, said, was the fact that
while it professed to raise revenue 1t created
a deficit of almost thirty million of dollars.
s'The fulfllment Of the pledge in the title Of
the BILL" continues Mr.. VOORHEES,, cannot be
left in any doubt. If deficiency should occur
the actual cash must be raised to meet it,
either by issuing Treasury notes or interest
bearing Government bonds, the latter thing
most abhorrent to the American people.
Rather than knowingly and consciously So
cure the passage of bill which aimed to
provide revenue for the Government, but in
reality provided for a deficiency and con-
sequent increase of our interest bearing
bonded debt would gladly leave my seat in
the Senate and hide myself forever as far 40
possible from public disgrace.
NOT PERFECTION.
81 do not claim perfection for the Senate
but under all the trying circumstances am
willing to stand or fall by bill which makes
far heavier reductions on the necessaries of
life than the Mills bill, the Morrison bill, the
Wilson bill, or any other proposed Demo-
cratic measure since the amendments to the
Walker Tariff, and that too, while max
ing such reductions and giving such relief,
it also increases the revenues and places the
credit of the government on secure founda-
tions This kind of platform will do to
stand on at the close of my career, if the
close is at hand"
TARGET TENDER KILLED.
BANGOR, Me-, April %, 1s94.-Richard
Hewey, aged thirtytwo years, died today