Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-04-23

Senator Voorhees, Writes q Letter Re-
plying to Them.

u
plying to Them.
Senator Voorhees, has written letter to
Mr.. John b. Stol Of South Bend, Ind, re-
ferring to criticisms upon the Senate tariff
bill. While defending the bill, he disclaims
responsibility for it. calling attention to the
fact that there are five other democratic
Senators on the committee, whose opinions,
as well as his own, were consulted in pre-
pairing the bill. Senator Voorhees, says:
There are several features in the bill
now pending in the Senate which 1 did not
desire 10 have in 1t. but because l was over
ruled on those points did not therefore
feel at liberty to join the republican men,
bers OF the committee, report no bill at all,
defeat all proposed legislation, and thereby
leave the Mckinley law to remain on the
statute books. You will see that the bill
we reported reduces taxes nearly seventy
seven millions per annum, $23,oOOOOO OF
that amount being taken off the wearing
apparel OF the people. / say to you with
the utmost frankness and sincerity that l
fought hard against any duty at all being
put on sugar, iron or coal, but when 1t was
demonstrated in a full three days hard
working caucus of all the democratic Sena-
tors well as in the committee, that a
bill with these articles absolutely on the
free list could no more pass the Senate than
ship Of lead could navigate the ocean, 1
came to the conclusion, after anxious and
painful soiicitude. that 1t was my plain
ClcdI anu explicit uuty 10 tne ldDOTlnS
masses'of the country, and especially to the
democratic party of Indiana, to support the
bill as II now stands to make sure of the
immense reductions in tariff taxation which
1t guarantees, and then continue the fight
for further progress and reform hereafter
If have made a mistake in the discharge
of my duty as one of your Senators 1t Is in
believing that the bill we reported, and
which is now pending, is greatly to be pre-
ferred to no legislation at ALTO the odious
Mckinley law, which We stand pledged to
repeal.
But think much is being said and writ
ten now in absolute ignorance of what the
Senate bill, as well as the Wilson bill, actu-
ally contains Are the people of Indiana
aware Of the fact that the lowest average
rate of duty or of tariff tax ever known In
| this country since the Walker tariff of
1916, and its subsequent democratic amend
ments In 1851, is the rate now provided for
and contained in the bill / had the honor
to report to the Senate on the Goth day of
March, and which is now pending? The
imperious demand that the Senate shall
pass the Wilson bill without amendment is
a burlesque on common sense. There is not
an intelligent man in the United States
with Information on the subject who has
for moment thought the Wilson bill was
to pass the Senate without amendment. Its
! own authors and supporters have never
expected anything of the kind.
Rather than knowingly and consciously
secure the passage of a bill which aimed to
provide revenue for the government, but in
reality provided for deficiency and con-
sequent increase of our interest-bearing
bonded debt, 1 would gladly leave my seat
here In the Senate and hide myself forever
as far as possible from public disgrace.
After all, however. both the bills are alike,
| merely tentative and experimental: they
will have to go together to the joint con-
ference committee of the two houses; neith-
er of them in terms will become the law"