The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-01-18
WASHINGTON. Ian. II.

IN FTER the presentation of the
I'M usual number of remonstrances
I1\ against the Wilson tariff bill, in
u u the senate this morning the reso.
lntion offered yesterday by Mr.. Call,
Florida, for an examination into the
condition of the civil service of the
United States and as to the expediency
Of its retrenchment or its increase,
was laid before the senate, and Mr..
Berry, Arkansas, expressed his hostil-
ity to any further extension of the
service, characterizing the whole as a
great humbug. He was told by Mr..
Call that the resolution had nothing
whatever to do with party politics. 1t
was simply on. the question of appor.
tionment Of civil employees among the
states in proportion to population.
The resolution was debated by q
number of senators until the morning
expired at 2p.m. The resolution went
over without action, and the house bill
to repeal the federal election laws was
taken up as the unfinished business.
Mr.. Chandler, New Hampshire, offered
an amendment as an additional section,
giving congress the right to appoint a
watcher at the polls in each precinct,
and argued in favor of it.
NO FEDERAL SUPERVISION.
Mr., German, Maryland. declared the
position of the Democratic side to be
that there should be no federal super.
vision Of elections whatever. If the
people and the laws Of the state are not
competent to do it, then popular gov
ernmsnt is failure, he said.
Mr. Hoar Massachusetts, suggested
the query, What right the United
States had. at all. in the selection Of
members of congress, intimating that
the constitution gave control in that
matter to congress.
In response to Mr.. Gray'S question
as to when final vote on this bill
could be taken. Mr.. Chandler said he
was unwilling to 60 on with the de.
bate in the absence of the senior sena
tor from New York. the cause of
whose absence the Democrats prob
ably knew. When he returned, Mr..
Chandler said, he would proceed with
the debate and let it come to vote at
the earliest possible moment.
Mr., Frye, of Maine, said it was hard
to debate the question when there was
no affirmation to which to reply. The
southern men had introduced the pend.
ing bill in the house, and they brought
in the northern men as their allies.
Mr.. Frye said he would like to hear
something said by these southern men.
The Dem ocratic party was torn and
divided on all other questions, but it
was noticeable that when proposition
comes up to open the ballot box to
frauds. the Democratic party arrays
itself in a solid body, Of one mind and
enthusiastic to the point of absolute
silence. He was not certain but that
this bill had heen brought forward for
the purpose Of uniting the Democratic
party,
IMPORTANT HOUSE ACTION.
Very important action was taken in
the house today. or rather in commit.
tee of the whole, on the free wool
clause of the Wilson tariff bill. An
amendment had been offered by Mr..
Wilson himself that that clause should
not go into effect until the first OF Au =
gust. 1894. Mr. Payne. New York,
moved to make the date Oct. /,
1893, and Mr.. Bowers, California,
moved to make it 8lst December. 1893
But MIR. Johnson, Ohio, came in ut a
substitute making clause take effect at
the same time as the bill itself shall
take effect, and this substitute was car
ried by vote of 1t2 to 102. The pro-
ceedings were further enlivened by q
discussion in which Msssrs. Cochran,
Dem, N. ~ and Walker rep, Mass.
took leading parts, and in which other
members participated An amendment
offered by Mr.. Burrows (Rep., Mich. J
to substitute the wool section of the
Mckinley act for that reported in the
Wilson bill was discussed during the
remainder of the days session, no con.
clusion having been reached on it when
the recess was taken at 5 30
COMMITTEES FIRST SETBACK.
The vote by which the free WOO
clause was passed was bout evenly di.
vidsd between the Democrats and Re-
publicans. Il was the first setback the
committee has received The commit.
tee amendment fixed Aug as the date
when the free wool clause should
become operative. The substitute
submitted by Mr. johnson, of Ohio,
made wool free from the date of
tho signing OF the bill. All the Demo :
cratic members of the ways and means
committee, including Mr.. Bryan. of
Nebraska, who is a practical free
trader, opposed tho substitute Dewitt
Warner. Of New York, who Is also q
free trader was another Democrat who
stood with the committee. Mr.. Warner
subsequently said that tho adoption of
tho substitute would temporarily para.
yzs the wooden trade, In that 1t left
the date indefinite when wool shall
come in free 1t was noticed, too, that
the Republican IN ,m bers who repre-
sent districts in which wooden manu-
factories ars located, opposed the sub
stitute. Other Republicans who voted
in the affirmative defended their action
on the ground that the committeet d
amendment gave no substantial relief
to the farmer.