The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1894-07-21
FREE COAL, FREE Iron.
Hill Insists That Such a Pre-
vision Be Made.
PLEADS WITH THE SENATE.
If the Bill Is Passed As II Is the
President viii Surely
Veto 1t.
PLEADS WITH THE SENATE.
Associated Press.

washington, July 2O.-Crowds packed
the senate and galleries today. The
house and president had yesterday
thrown down the gauntlet in the tariff
question, and pitched battle was ex-
pected
Villas motion to strike out the one
eighth cent pound differential on re-
fined sugar, caused great uneaslness on
the Democratic side, but was retained
In the bill by majority of one vote.
Smith, of New Jersey, read care
fully prepared speech. He hoped, he
said. when the bill passed the senate
two weeks ago. that it had been per-
fected, but the events of the last twen-
ty-four hours had confounded the Dem
ocratlc party with a possibility Of a
failure Of all tariff legislation at this
session. II so, the responsibility must
be placed where 1t belongs. He criti-
cized the president for violating the
principles of his party in attempting to
interfere with the prerogative of the
legislative branch of the government,
but declared he never would be intimi-
dated by threats from the president
He asserted that the trainers of the
house bill and large proportion of the
Democratic party were not reformers;
they were free traders, Hill read ex-
tracts from the presidents letter. every
word Of which he approved, although
he would not defend its expediency. He
declared that the senate bill violated
the Democratic theory Of tariff reform
by leaving duty on from coal, lead.
and some other raw materials. He said,
the president would veto the senate bill
If passed. and appealed to the sem
ators to surrender while they can do So
honorably
Hill differed from the president re-,
garding the sugar tax, on which he
declared it was not necessary If the M
come tax was retained. and the senate
must recede from its amendments.
Hill said he would never vote for the
bill as long as 1t contained an incomel
tax. He declared that unless the Dem
ocrats Of the senate yielded they would
go to the wall and the president would
go to the front. While he was spealSingl
to advance the cause Of free coal andl
free iron, Pugh created a sensation byI
asking Hill who owned the coal and!
iron which he GIilD and the PRESIDENT
desired should be placed on the freel
list.
II do not know" replied Hill emphat-I
ically II know to what the SENATOR
probably refers, and 1t may be brought
into this debate. do not know who
owns the iron and coal mines, or whose
coal and iron would come in free. do
not care. 1t makes no difference"
Continuing, he said Il am not re-
quired to defend the propriety or Wis
dom of the promulgation of this letter
at this particular time. 1t may have
been indiscreet. 1t may operate as
firebrand to spread the flames OF dis
cord already kindled among party
friends. 1t was time tor diplomacy
and statesmanship, and conciliation
rather than recrimination, denunciatlon
and arraignment. But aside from the
question Of its expedIency / am here to
defend the presidents letter in SO far
as It demands that the party shall not
be led astray into violation OF Demo-
cratic pledges and principles. In the
question Of free raw materials the pres
ident is right and you know 1t. You
cannot answer his arguments. Approved
the senate bill after what he has said
in this remarkable letter. He arraigns
the senate and intlmates that the enact
ment Of the senate bill but means party
perhdy and party dishonor. This letter.
unusual and unprecedented in Its char
acter and methods Of promulgatIon
though It may be, nevertheless clearly
foreshadows a veto Of the senate bill.
even II the house should finally concur
In our amendments. No bill which does
not provide for free raw materials can
be permitted to become law. The party