The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1894-08-30

NA-HINGTOE, Aug. 21.-Tomor-
n.a viii probably see the close Of
,.. cond session Of the LIIId Con-
a.--. 1t is one OF the most remark
a... periods of legislation ever wit
~ .d since the foundation Of the
u.trd States Government. A lit
NE rejection will show those dis
r,..G % challenge this statement,
oat.. ground That it is too general,
how true the assertion is. For the
..,l time since March t, 1861,
hen Abraham Lincoln succeeded Il
Democratic President, the Executive
and Legislative branches of the Gov
eminent were in the po:s 'ssiOn Of
the Democratic party, pledged u
change the prevailing method of
raising revenue. Added to this, the
country was confronted by an APP
paIling prospect Of financial disa5-
ter to IFS business interests and the
prypic looked to congress to give
iHrm relief from the prevailing dis
Jr.s5.
On August 7th the President CON
gaucd congress in "eXtraordinary
session. to consider the financial
situation. The Democrats had made
fu. tariff the leading issue in the
campaign, but they were forced to
m-rt III cX ira session to consider the
financial question.
On August II. 1898, The Wilson
bill repeating the Sherman law wa~
presented. with an order limiting de-
bate to fourteen legislative days; and
ON Monday, August 2S, just three
weeks from the day congress assem-
bIrd, the measure passed the House
hy ii majority of l3I. The bill was
dispatched to the Senate on the day
Of It's passage, Immediately referred
10 the Finance Committee, and the
following day Senator Voorhees,, its
chairman, reported back substi.
tute for it. On August 30 the bill
was taken up and started to its final
but by. no means easy. passage, 10y {
speech by Mr.. Sherman, the leading
goIdbug on the Republican side. On
November | the Senate substitute
passed both houses and the same
day became law through the Presi
dents signature. Thus the extra
ordinary session did most tXtraOr
dinary thing. They killed Silve
which they had promised to redeem
In the previous session under Il"
publican rule, Mr. Sherman had of
tered the same bill but it was de
fr,ated. Thus John Sherman a
leader of the Democrats succeeded
in doing what John Sherman Il
leader Of the Republicans had faiIeo
to dO. Another extraordinary thing
and congress adjourned.
THE TARIFF AND THE REIGN OF TIL
TRUSTS.
The Ways and Means Committee
of the House having charge Of tin
preparation of ii tariff bill, began it
work during the extra session anC
worked during the recess. The bill
prepared by the committee was re
ported to the House by Mr.. Wilson
of West Virginia, chairman of th
committee, on December -, les
than a fortnight after the regula
session began; was passed by tn
House on February |, after % day
of debate; passed bv the Senate OF
July 3, with G34 material changes
including the gift of $40,0OO,OOO t.
the sugar trust, and finally, afte
dlSagreenlents between cOnferrees
the House, on August j, accepted
the bill us it came from the Senat
without the change Of figure or
letter or punctuation mark. OI
the day it VAS finally passed 10y tn
House that body also adopted bill
placing sugar, coal, iron ore an
barbed wire on the free list. Thes
bills were sent to the Senate and re
ferred to the Committee on Finance
aud there they will undoubtedly IT
main unacted on for this session
On August - the bill went to til
President. i'll the midst of IA gener;
interchange Of opinion whether b
would veto it, approve it or allow
to become Il law under the constitt
tionaI limit of ten days. The Pres
dents action on this matter IS told i
another column.
The tariff legislation was marke
10y the investigation into the sensi
tlonal allegations that Senators ha
been influenced in its considerable
by the American Sugar Retinin
Company, commonly known as IL
Sugar Trust, and by speculation
Sugar stock, and also by the bite
ness engeDdered III his own party
the Senate by the Presidents lett
to Mr.. Wilson, in which he sa
that an abandonment Of the pr
VISIONS of the House bill Won
mean party pertidy and party di
honor.
The second session of the LII
Congress. including the first or e,
traordlnary session, has issued a
ready 35l days, a record exceede
only by the lst Congress, whiC
held a session Of 431 days, and tt
AANllth Congress, which transac
ed business for 315 days.
Compared with Other long session
OF Congress, the session just end,
has not been prolific in the enac
ment Of important measures.
Next in general Importance to tt
Tariff and Silver repeal bills we
two measures which passed both t
Senate and the House, one to I
celye the approval of the Preside
and the other to be returned to t
body whence it came, accompani
by veto message. These were t
Bland =, mi ,rlUa hill ub;L u