The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-08-27

"eh Diet@ted Terms Go the haterity.
81. LoUIs. Aug. Ala a specgal 70 IN.
Repsblte from Little Rock. Ark. Senator
James \. Jones gives a history OF the
recent taria bin contest The senator il
Viii be remembered, was men,
her Of the subcommittee to which
the bal was FIRST referred. In his state
ment Mr.. Jones says in part,
The bill as first reported back 10 the
committee by US may he considered as an
expression of the opinions Of cur Suh-
committee unmodiGed by the views Of
our associates in the senate While a
large majority Of the Democrats in the
senate were perfectly satisfied with this
pill. a number complained Of different
parts OF is, and ~ an effort for harmony
We presented another. While there are
changes IN a number Of the schedules Of
more or less Importance. this second re-
port 81 ours provided also for free sugar,
free coal and tree iron ore
The senator relates how, az the persist
ent demands of the senator's representing
the sugar interests, the members Of the
subcommittee. With great reluctance aud
regret, submitted further changed BILL
imposing = tariff ranging from eight
tenths Of 1 cent 20 cent per pound on all
sugar, with no additional tax on refined
sugar. and proposing tax Of 5 cents per
ton on coal and iron orc free. hoping there
by 10 secure united Democratic action. lie
continues:
At the caucus of Democratic senator's,
which lasted taree days. the senators from
Louisiana and California, especially SenA-
tor White, spoke against the hill. At the
same time the senators in those states
where sugar refineries were located de-
clared that they could not support the bill
without some tariff on refined sugar
II there was tariff ON the raw Tho
result of this prOtracted and stormy
caucus was the adoption of a reso-
luton sending the bin back 10
the committee with instructions TO
amend IL SO as 20 meet the differences
which had been developed in caucus In
obedience 10 this action OF the caucus
which was really equivalent 60 an order to
tax sugar. coal and iron ere, we brought
in n bill with q tax of l cent per pound on
sugar testing ~ degrees by the polarsscops
and cent additional for each degree up
10 -, and ,. L cents for each degree above
20 and up To 9S. and upon sugar
above rs Dutch standard In color an adj
ditional tax OF x cent per pound With
these changes, and with coal and iron ore
40 cents per ton, the blll was sent To tho
senate on March |. The changes gave no
the bill wonld be defeated II insisted upon.
In this emergency / determined 10 see II
there were not some means of saving
the bill.
Senator Hill. one OF the forty.foar
Democrats I'm the senate, was openly hos
tile to the bill. To pass the DILL would re-
quire torty-three votes. hence IL was nece.-
sary that every one Of the remaining forty
three votes he secured for the support Sf
the bill Several of those had already
openly declared that they could not and
would not vote tor the bill as re-
ported, aud IL was decided to amend
II so aa 20 secure their support.
These notifications involved changes Of
the sugar schedule from specific 20 an ad
vaIorem duty. the Imposition Of an addi-
tional tax of lilo of a cent per pound upon
all sugars imported from countries paving
bounties. aud that the bill could n 1t be-
come operative until January 1, 1896, and
changes in the textile aud other schedules
Of more or less importance.
Before the amended bin wa. reported
back 20 the committee Senator Jones said
he consulted with President Cleveland.
Secretary Carlisle and members OF the
finance committee. explaining the necss-
sity for making the changes men,
toned. They all agreed as 10
the advisabiity OF doing go, and
caucus cf Democratic senators
decided to support the bill ~ amended.
From May 1. when the amendments were
offered. to July 3. when the bin was
finally passed by the senate. the forty
three Democrats stood together like .
stone wall aud redeemed their pledges like
men. with bat single break. Senator
Jones concludes:
There are many things in the senate
bill not satisfactory 70 me. II could
have had my way | would have raised tho
reveuae needed from incomes. whisky,
beer aud tobacco. aud not from sugar
or woolen goods. and when impos-
ing a tax on sugar would not
have imposed any extra tax on re-
hned sugar | resisted All these changes
with all my power, as dad my colleague on
the sub-commities Senator Vest aud 80
made them as small as possible and Ht last
only cepted such as were absolutely nee
essary 10 the massage OF the bill. The ball
as passed however. - great Departure
from Mekinisyism, aud Is a great measure
Of tariff reform.