The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1894-07-20

Will truth anu lFankD6ss auu courtesy
! that il the conierees OF the senate. on
the part OF the majority party, has been
as free and as untrainmeled as we our
selves were, with nothing to control our
action but our sense OF dety to the poo
pie and to our party and TO the house, a
tariff bill would have beon agreed upon
in one days session that would have
been satisfactory to the Democratic
party and that would have given hope
and courage and enthus asm to the
American people. Applause on the
Democratic sids.l
But, sir, we were not long in finding
cut, greatly to our disappointment,
that whatever might be the personal
opinions, the personal judgment, the
strong personal wishes OF tie Democratic
conieresss OF the senate, they came to
US somewhat fettered and somewhat
limited as to any action they might
agree to upon this bill, either by the
supposed moral obligation OF the party
caucus, or the apprehension that there
were torcss in the senate. however
email, yet pow erful enough TO resist sue
cessfully the pass age OF any bill which
did not make concessions to great cor
porstions and trust interests. that we,
representing the house. did not feel free
on our part to agree to. [Applsaae on
| the Democratic side
II do not believe, Mr.. Speaker, there
wo1ld bs any difficulty in coming to
compromise or an agreement upon the
! vast majority OF the 634 amendments
proposed to the bill by the senate, but
| there are important amendments pro-
posed by the sedate which give to this
bill in tho main different character
from what it had when 1t went to the
! senate. IL is because OF these amend
ments and because of tho statement
made to US in all kindness aud courtesy,
and / might almost say in sadness, that
such was the condition of affairs at the
other end OF this capitol, that unless
this house was willing to accept the SEN
ate bill practically and substantially as
it passed the senate, thero was to be no
tariff legislation this session OF congress.
We did not feel. representing the house
OF representatives, that we could with
out Sacrifices of its dignity and OF its
equality as legislative chamber, re.
spond to any such proposition as that.
Applause on the Democratic sidel.
"rhe differences between the bill as IL
passed the house and the bill as it
comes back to us from the senate are so
marked and Objectionable to the tariff
reformers in the country generally that
we could not, without the guidance and
the instruction OF the house. agree to
accept those differences. and thus adopt
a different and modified scheme Of tariff
reform. What imperfections may have
attached to the house bill. it did seem to
be accepted by the people of this coun-
try as fair and substantial performance
OF the pledges by which the Democratic
party came into power at the beginning
OF this administration. 1t was framed
upon Democratic lines in the main. 1t
sought in levying taxes to consider
chiefly and primarily the wants OF the
public treasury, and not the profits and
schemes OF great private interests. APP
plause on the Democratic side.
''The bill which comes back to uH
from the senate has not met the ap-
prevail Of the great tariff reform aenti-
ment OF the country.
THE senate voted down the proposal
OF the committee on ways and means for
gradual repeal OF the bounty and the re-
duction by one-hslf OF the duty of re-
fined sugar. The senate has reintro-
ducsd into the proposed tariff bill a
sugar schedule which. whether truly or
not, has been accepted by the country,
by the press, by the people, as unduly
favorable to the great sugar trust. 1t
proposes a duty OF 40 per cent ad va
loren on all grades Of sugar, a differen-
tial of LILO cents on sugar imported
from countries that pay an export
bounty upon their sugar. There is reas-
enable ground for difference of opinion
among Democrats as to whether any
duty upon sugar should be placed
in our tariff bill or not. 1t has
always been commended by those who
have been leaders in the great tariff re-
form movements in this country that OF
sll the articles yielding large revenue,
sugar was the one article upon which
an ideal Democratic revenue tariff could
be placed. There would be q substan.
tial agreement, think, with that posi-.
ton today in the Democratic party. ex-
cept for the fact that tho trainers of the
Mckinley bill in their zeal cut off taxa
ton, the larger part of which went into
the public treasury, in order that they
might increase taxes, the larger part OF
benefactors. Loud applause on the
Democratic side.
''If tine house conferees were prepared
to recede from the house position for
free sugar and ate mpt to agree upon
some revenue taxation for sugar, they
could not without the mandate OF this
house accept such provision as that
which is offered in the senate bill.
IF it be true, as stated by the gentle
man from Ohio tMr. Johnson)-and
have eeen myself some combinations in
the press-if 1t be true the great Amer.
lean sugar trust has grown so strong and
powerful that it says no tariff bill can
be passed in the American congress- in
which its interests are not adequately
guarded if, say, that be true, hope
this house will never consent to ad-
journment. Great cheering on the
Democratic side.
II hope whatever the fate OF the gen.
eral bill is, that the houBe will not con.
sent to any adjournment until it has
passed a single bill putting refined sugar
on the free list. Renewed cheering on
the Democratic side.
"Mr. Speaker, shall not dstain this
house with an argument on the other
points OF dispute bstween the two
houses. have, perhaps, almost gone
beyond the argument in favor of re-
lease OF the great marts of industry from
taxation under any bill that may bs
passed by congress. L will aim ply,
therefore, in closing, call attention to
the position in which VIC find ourselves
TODAY with reference to tariff taxation,