Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1894-05-26
FIFTY-THIRD CONGRESS-.
WASHINGTON, May 26.
SENATE.

getting down TO work, caused by the
dilatoriness Of Senators in putting in
an appearance. 1t was remarked that,
although Mr. Voorhees,, the chairman
of the finance committee, and Mr..
Jones. who has present charge of the
tariff bill, were in their seats OH time,
Mr.. Harris, who has parliamentary
charge Of it, and who is the greatest
stickler for promptitude and close at
tention to business, was conspicuous by
his absence. The first roll call showed
that out of possible So, there were
only % present-composed of II demo
Gratis, & republicans and 2 populists.
The two last Senators to answer to their
names and to constitute a quorum (43)
were Mr. Hill and Mr.. McLaurin. The
reading of yesterdays journal was dis
pensed with.
The only morning business transact
ed besides the presentation of petitions,
was the passage OF House bill to con-
strue the act of January 6, 1898, to in
corporate the Protestant Episcopal
cathedral foundation of the District OF
Columbia, and the introduction of bill
by Mr.. VOORHEES, providing that no
pension for disability, or under the act
of June 81, 1890, or to the widows of
soldiers, shall be for less than SD a
month.
Mr.. Hill moved to place lead ores on
the free list. The bill, he said was not
satisfactory to him but he was now
and always had been, in favor of its
plompt disposition. He said Mr.. Cor
man had exceeded his authority when
he said the democratic party was united
on the present bill and denied that
there was absolute unity in the party.
The bill was satisfactory to very few
Senators, and could not be satisfactory
TO bin so long ~ there was remnant
of the populistic income tax in it.
In explaaation of his vote against
tabling the bill the other day he said
that such motion would have killed
the bill The country demanded action
and the bill ought to be perfected ans!
then passed. He said he would vote
against any motion to table the bill so
long as the Senate was engaged in the
business of attempting to amend the
bill and make it better. In putting a
duty Of ! of a centi pound on lea.d
ore, Mr.. Hill wanted to know what be-
come of the platform what becomes OF
the speeches OF democrats, and what OF
the record made in the other house.
Free raw material was the platform of
the party. He would 90 on record, he
aid, in favor of free raw materials.
Was the placing of one or two mate
rails on the free list to be the great tri-
umph of the democratic party :
Should not democrats, he asked
be consistent on this question.
1t was because he wanted democrats to
be consistent that nc made this motion
Mr. Vest, replying to Mr.. Hill, said
the real question as to the admission OF
lead ores, referred almost wholly to
Mexican ores, as but little if any was
imported from any other country.
Shelters were interested in the lead
trust and demanded free ores as it gave
them their material free, just as the
sugar trust demanded free raw sugar,
and if they got it, an ideal situation, so
far as the trusts were concerned, was
presented. Even the smelters not in
the trust, Mr.. Vest said, had entered
into pool to keep up the prices and
demanded free lead ores. The claim
that Mexican lead ores should be free
and were needed for huxing purposes,
Mr.. Vest said, was but pretense, I'M
der which the trust hoped to get its
free raw material.
Mr. Vest in the further course of his
remarks said the committee had gone
as far as it could in the right direction
in the framing of q tariff bill, and if
he, for one, had but gone as far
as he wanted to the responsibility
must rest where it belongs. The po-
litical exigencies in the Senate compell-
ed the committee to do some things it
did not want to do. If he wanted to
array on his side strong monetary in
terests, if he was seeking q reelection,
he would vote for free lead; personal
" he favored it and had voted for it in
the past. But he wanted to pass tar
if bill. His people were demanding
that he vote for free lead ore, and only
last night he was shown a telegram
from the editor of a paper in his State
demanding in brusque terms to know
why he had betrayed his State in vot
ing to put duty OF lead ore.
The committee was, he said, con-
fronted with this proposition. After put
ting iron ore on the dutiable list, should
they put lead ore on the free list or cut
it in two. The committee thought itjust
when it found it could not put it on the
free list to make this cut of fifty per
cent. Had he followed his personal in
clination he would have put it On the
free list. He did not propose to wash
any dirty linen in the Senate chamber,
but he was ready to assume his full
share of the responsibility for what has
been done.