The Forrest City times., 1894-08-31

If these changes would give the bill s3 demo- cratic votes he thought we should agree 10 them without moments delay: that he would nImself do SO if he were charged with the re- sponsiDiIity Of passing the bill.
 CONSULTED THE PRESIDENT
 l next saw the president and submitted the entire matter to him. as the head O, the party and the chief executive Of the nation ana asked his opinion He expressed hlmsen with great earnestness in iaFor of accepting the propositions and pass Ing the bill. saying at the same time that he hoped We could ultimately get free coal and Tree iron ore out of it. Immediately after this asked the chairman to call the democratic members of the finance committee together ana laid the whole matter before them. After lull and careful examination they unanfrncuS- " determined 10 submit the proposed amend- mehts 10 the democrats in caucus for their action. The caucus was called about 4o democrats being present, and. after full con- slderation. every democrat. except Gov. Hill. voted for the agreement. and I. as the organ of the caucus. proposed the amendments in the senate From May :. when the amendments were offered. to July 3 when the bill finally passed the senate. the i5 democrats stood tD- gether like stone wall and redeemed their pledges like men. with single break. which shall mention later
 When It became known that an agreement had been reached which would bring forty three democrats together, the republicans the minions Of the Sugar trust. and all the ene- mics of tarir reform. began. with one accord to defame the senate bill Tn it they saw the only menace to Mckinleyism. They de- termined to break il down if false charges could do it. This course by the open enemies of sarif reform was but natural. but the most singular thing connected with this warfare against reform was that many democrats of the weaker sort rslfV .1-ns Newspapers calling themselves democratic ac- tually quoted authority the criticisms of Messrs. Hoar. Chandler and Lodge. charging that in their opinions the bill was not demo- cratic. l do not believe that all the men who wrote these things were consciously the tools of the Sugar trust or of the manufacturers. but, consciously or unconsciously. they served the nefarious ends of these cormorants to the best of their feeble abilities and with alacri- " worthy of reputable cause.
 NOT SATISFIED WITH THE BILL
 There are many things in the senate bill not satisfactory to me. If could have had my own way would have raised the revenae needed from incomes, whisky, beer and tobacco. and not from sugar or from woolen goods. and when imposing a tax on sugar I would not have imposed an extra tax on refined sugar I resisted all these changes with all my power. as did my colleague on the sub committee. Senator Vest, and We made them small possible. and al last only accepted such were abso- lutely necessary to the passage of the bill. The bill as passed Is. however, great departure from McKinleyism, and is a great measure of tariff reform. speak deliberately and advis- edly when I say that il will reduce the burdens of taxation hundreds of millions of dollars an- nually. while it will increase the revenue of the government II is the very reverse Of the Me- kinley bill. That reduced revenues by in- f1rr Svxft enue by decreasing taxation.
 BETTER THAN ANY BILL.
 Everyone admits that the senate bill is . better measure than the Mills bill. yet that bill received the indoTscmelt of the national democratic convention only six years ago It is better than the Morrison bill In fact. Sen ator Morgan, 0: Alabama. one of the aoleSt and most learned men in public life. said In my presence recently that. after careful exemsna- tion aud comparison. he unhesita.ingly de- elartd that il was the best tariff bill ever placed on the statute books, not excepriE the Walker tarin. Senator Turpie. another gentleman dis tinguished for his great learning and ability. as well as his accuracy of statement. is report ed to have made similar declaration recently.
 4 bill which reduces the taxes on iron ore. pig iron. bar iron. railway rails, tin plate and tinware. saws. chains, etc. from 10 to So per cent; and which reduces the taxes on woolea goods. hats. sha@ls. blankets. clothing. etc. from 40 to 70 per cent: which provides for an income tax and increases the taxes On dia- monds l50 per cent. is a bill which democrats can afford to accept and defend. although is may not remove all of The evils Of tariff taxa tion of which justly complain Great refor- nations can not be accomplished at a single blow. To begin the work and make sub;tal tial progress is great gain
 It is impossible to notice many of the charges made by the republicans against the senate bill for fuar of a 1t. but il may not be amiss 10 mention one: that is the charge that the provision to put The sugar schedule in force on January I. 1855. in stead of upon the passage of the act was in the interest of the Sugar trust and was intended to enable il to buy up large quantities of sugar during the fall. so as to get the ad- vantage of the rise in price likely to occur when the act went into effect The truth is that it was to the interest of the sugar planters to have the schedule take effect on the lst of January for reasons which are obvious. and the Louisiana senators demanded one of the conditions of their support of the bill that this provision should be inserted. and this was agreed 10 by the democratic caucus. every member voting aye except Senator Hill
 The republicans. oy their Legislation. have built up the Sugar trust. The Mckinley bill provided for the most fabulous profits for that organization. and they have resisted. with all t1eir pONtF- every >trP tO~Siuo NAc acPraA oA modification of tn advantages the trust has under that law. IL Is not surprising then 10 find them voting to q maa 10 make the su- gar schedule take effect immediately upon the passage of the bill. rather than on January l. next when it is clearly seen that II was 10 the interest of the trust for them 10 do so. Unfor- tunately three democrats made the mistake of voting with them. and the committee was de- feated on this point. the only one lost by the democrats in the long contest. and this failure to live up to our caucus agreement in the one particular came perilously near to proving fa tal 10 the bill on it's final passage.