The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-07-21
SPEECHES IN DETAIL.
Hill Praises and Blanks Cleveland
md Vest Scores Rofh.

and Vest Scores Both.
WASHINGTON, July 20.-Crowds such as
had not thronged the Senate in months
packed the galleries to-day. The House and
the President had thrown down the gaunt-
let to the Senate on the tariff question, and
a pitched battle was expected. An ominous
hush was upon the chamber when the
President pro tenn, Mr.. Harris, of Tennes-
see, raped the Senate to order Senator
Blackburn, Of Kentucky, in pink negligee
shirt, stood watch in hand while the chap
lain delivered his invocation, looking like a
judge at Kentucky Derby. The "con-
servative" Democrats-Mr. Brice, in an i'm
maculate suit of white flannel, Mr.. German,
in a sedate suit of blue, and Mr.. Smith. in
a long black frock coat-set grouped to-
gether on the Democratic side. Mr.. Hill
sitting far back, chatted merrily with Gen.
Daniel Sickles, the one-legged veteran of
Gettysburg Senators Sherman. Aldrich. AL
lison and Hale, the leaders on the Repub-
lican side. appeared amused at the storm
which threatened across the political aisle
The preliminary business was transacted
in a perfunctory way. Senator Voorhees,,
1.-The Tall Sycamore of the Wabash" chair
man of the finance committee. arose and
called up the conference report of the tar
yielded the floor to Senator Smith, of New
Jersey, who arose and read a carefully pre-
pared speech He had hoped. he said. when
the bill passed the Senate two weeks ago
that il had been perfected. But the events
of the last twenty-four hours had confront
ed the Democratic party with a possibility
of the failure of ali tariff legislation at this
session. II so, the responsibility must be
placed where il belonged. He criticised the
President for violating the principles of
his party in attempting to interfere with
the prerogatives of the legislative branch
of the government. but declared that he
should never be intimidated by threats from
the President or by the utterances of his
party associates at the other end of the
Capitol, which had beer so uproariously
applauded. He called attention TO the diff
ference between the situation in the House
and Senate. He reviewed the events in the
House which eliminated in the passage of
the bill with the loss of seventeen Demo-
cratic votes in that body. In the Senate
all was changed. Every Democratic vote
was needed TO pass a bill, If IL was to be
passed as a party measure, and the MEM
bers of the finance committee went hero
cally TO work TO harmonic the differences
existing on the Democratic side. They had
accomplished that purpose: 70 their ever
lasting credit be ii said. He had been one
of those who had stood out for concessions
in the interests or his constituents. He
made no concealment of his position then:
he made none now. He then proceeded to
deliver a glowing eulogy Of the tariff bill
as IL passed the Senate, which, unlike the
House, he declared, contained no meance
TO the industries of the country, and had
not Dee0 ITdffleQ ny men from SpdfSelN sell
tied districts, who knew nothing of the
great commercial interests of the United
States. He asserted that the trainers of the
House bill and large proportion of the
Democratic party were not tariI-reform-
ers; they were free-traders.
The President, in his letter accepting the
nomination. had favored not free but freer
raw materials. He proceeded to point out
the reductions that the Senate bill made on
coal iron and lead ore, and detailed at
length the reduction on other schedules.
Then the speaker touched on sugar A ma
iorty of eighty-three in the House had en-
abled that body. he said. TO ride rough shod
over the wishes OF the representatives. of
the sugar-producing States and in the face
the ways and means committee proposed 10
place sugar raw and refined, on the free
list in separate bill Mr. Smith then de-
voted some time 10 an exposition of the
situation with reference 10 sugar, raw and
refined, contending that the proposed reduc-
ton I'm the Senate bill was one OF the big
gest made In any schedule From statistics
obtained at the Treasury Department he