The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-03-15
If Passed as 1t Stands 1t Will Close
Uncle Sans Best Markets for Pork
and Other Farm Products.
CHARGES BY MR.. BOATNER
He Thinks the Government Has
Lost About S40,000,000,
And Wants Past and Present officers of
the Union Pacific Railway Sued-Let-
ter from Judge jenkins.
Special to the indianapolis Journal.

WASHINGTON, March I.-After some
hours of suspense and dispute. it has been
definitely decided that the Wilson tariff
bill, as it stands, repeals all the reciprocity
provisions in the Mckinley tariff law.
While it may create the possibility of pro-
tecting the sugar interests of this country,
the repeal will result in closing the best
markets We have for pork and It's products,
as under the reciprocity provision We get
most of our sugar from Germany end
that country, in return, admits our pork,
wheat and other staples of the farm. The
repeal of the reciprocity provision in the
law is one of the most serious features of
the Wilson bill for the farmers Of this
country.
The regular press report says that the
question as to whether the commercial
agreements generally known as reciprocity
treaties made under the Mckinley act be-
tween the United Sta.es and foreign coun-
tries will be nullified by the Wilaon bill If
it should become law Is still attracting
attention. Those Interested in securing
duty on sugar have become somewhat less
spprehensive since Senator Vest has ex-
pressed the opinion that the effec1 of the
bill would be to abrogate all these agree
ments. but they are still fearful that the
the reciprocity clause which states that
the repeal shall not affect any act cone
or any right accruing ur accrued before
the said repeal may operate 10 continue
the agreements in operation or to render
it a question which will lead to misunder-
standing and dispute. Senators Caffery and
Blanchard both agree with the position
taken by Senator Vest.
A win shp1 IN
effect that Mr.. Caf=ry had given the rep
resentatives of the oeet-sugar industry in
Kansas and Nebraska the assurance that
he would introduce an amendln ent TO the
Senate bill directing the President of the
United States to notify the countries with
whom there are reciprocity treaties that
all such treaties will be abrogated three
months after the date on which the new
tariff law goes into effect, Senator Caffery
was asked If he CONTEMPLATED such a
course and replied that he did not, as he
did not consider it would be necessary.
1.-The proposed law" said he, ''repeals the
reciprocity clause of the Mckinley law pro
tanto, and any further proceedings would
be useless.
Senator Blanchard said that the Wilson
bill would put the sugar business on an en-
tirely different basis from what it had &C.
cupied under the Mckinley law, as under
that act sugar had come in free, and he
did not apprehend any trouble in con-
STRUNG the Wilson bill when IL shall be-
come a law as a repeal of the reciprocity
clause.
ments, made under the Mckinley law, with
Brazil, Spain for the colonies OF Cuba and
Porto Rico, Germany Us san Domingo ;al Sal
Nicaragua, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Hon
duras, France and her colonies and Austria
Hungary.
A delegation, consisting of Messrs Os-
good, Welsh, p. j. Smith and John Farr
and ]. S. Connell, of New York, was at
the Capitol to-day in conference with MEM
bers of the Senate committee on finance for
the purpose of protesting against the sugar
schedule of the Senate tariff bill The gen.
tlemen said they represented the sugar i'm
porters and merchants. They took the po-
sition that the entire schedule was based
upon a wrong principle, and advocated a
complete change, urging in its stead a
scale of specific rates. They proposed a
duty to begin with of 6S-100 of a cent for
sugar 70 degrees fine by the polariscopic
test gradually increasing the rate for each
degree of fnenesS until il would be LAC
cents for sugar testing 100 degrees with an
additional duty on sugar over 16 Dutch
standard in color. Their reason for asking
this increase on account of color, they said,
is found in the fact that if Ii is not granted
foreign refined sugar would come in at the
same rate as raw sugars of similar test,
while, owing TO its color, the refined article
would be worth l cent more per pound.
| They submitted a protest against the pro-
posed sugar schedule in the Senate bill
signed by about fifty sugar importers and
| dealers. In presenting this protest and max
| ing their arguments TO members of the
committee, the delegation presented two OBJ
| jections TO the gradationS of sugar in the
sugar schedules as proposed by the sub
committee of the Senate finance committee
| First, all raw sugar above 90 degrees po-
larization Is in effect prohibited from i'm
portation, because Ii would be charged the
same rate of duty as that levied on the
most hghly-fnished product of foreign re-
fneries. Second, all grades of refined sugar
polarizing SO degrees or less would be adj
mitted into this country at the same rate
of duty as that levied on raw sugars OF
| corresponding polarization. In short" adds
the protest, ''the schedule in effect prohibits
| the Importation Of any but refined sugar -
Concluding, they say: 1T is difficult to un-
derstand the object of the committee In
] recommending the schedule it has put
( forth. If the object is to destroy the Sugar
| Trust the full effect of the blow is ignored
! because in pulling up the tares the wheat
| would also be ruined. A legitimate indus
| try covering many interests would be de-
stroyed by this blow struck at the trust"
| The committee failed again to-day tC
| reach an agreement as to when the tariff
, bill should be reported TO the Senate. Some
of the members express the opinion, how
| ever that ii would be finally acted upon
| during the first days of next week Sew
! eral features of the bill were taken up al
random, and on some of these the debate
| was very animated Objection was made tc
| the publication of the proceedings of the
| committee, and a resolution pledging the
/ \ 80 oIo to1