The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1894-03-13
THE POWER OF THE PRESS.

"A Strong Protest Against II Newspaper
Criticism-DcmOcrut Senators de-
fine their Position.
WASHIGTON, March 6.-While the
| chief clerk was reading the journal of
yesterdays Senate there was good
deal OF quiet consultation going on be-
tween Senators on both sides of the
chamber, presumably over a supposed
l'combinatiOn between tho protectionist
Senators and tho Senators from the
silver States, to precipitate fight this
morning over the second reading and
reference of the seignioragc bill. AL
drich (Rep.) of Rhode Island was no.
ticed as being remarkably active in
negotiation with the Senators from the
silver States.
Hill offered the following resolution,
and asked that it be laid on tho table
for the present:
Whereas, The Secretary OF the
Treasury has announced deficit of
$I6, 100000 for the current fiscal year,
and
Whereas, The House bill, known as
the Wilson bill, proposes to discard
100000 revenue from the present
taxes and to meet the double def
cheney by new internal and direct
taxes.
Resolved, That the Senate finance
committee frame amendments to the
said BILL omitting the said internal
and direct taxes newly proposed and,
instead thereof, make provisions for
sufficient revenue by taxing other for
eign imports and otherwise revising
I the tariff, without creating def
cheney.
Harris thereupon moved the second
reading Of the seigniorage bill, which
had had its first reading yesterday,
aud said that there was no more earn
est advocate of silver coinage than
himself, but believing, as he did, that
there was at least one question that
should take precedence of its considera-
ton, without breach of confidence, he
was able to state that the committee
on finance was on the very eve of re-
porting the tariff bill. He therefore
objected to further proceedings on the
seigniorage bill. Under that objection
he claimed that the bill would go to
| the calendar.
! The chair held Harris motion TO be
debatablc, and Stewart took the floor,
but in a few moments Berry Dem. J
of Arkansas rose to question of per-
sonal privilege. He read the headlines
| of an article in to-day's New York
| Herald: "ObsJructing Commercial
! Prosperity. Some Of the Senators De-
| mand the Protection of Local Inter-
ests. Delay in Reporting the Tariff
| Bill in the Senate" He complained
| that among other names, his name
was mentioned. He spoke of the arti-
Gle as SO Infamous, so utterly without
foundation, and SO thoroughly unjust,
that he could not allow it to pass by
without notice. He had been to every
momber of the finance committee and
had urged the reporting OF tho Wilson
bin as it had come from the House.
He had urged them to defy the men
who were delaying the reporting of the
bill in order to protect local interests y
He had said to every member of tho
committee that he would submit to
| the demands of these men, but would
report the bill and let them take their
stand before the face Of the. country.
| He believed m absolute free trade and
that commercial transactions should
be unfettercd by any tariff laws. No
one was mere anxious than he to have
the Wilson bill passed. Democrats
who undertook to defeat it, for any
purpose he cared not what, fought
to have, and will have, no place inside
tho Democratic ranks"
Voorhees, and Harris corroborated
Bcrry's statement Of his position on
|
Mr.. McLaurin, tho new Senator from
Mississippi, whose name had been
mentioned among the obstructionists
said that he had mover heard of any
number OF Senators joining hands for
delaying the reporting of tho tariff bill
until he had read something of the
kind in the Washington Post. He was
conscientlously opposed to the doctrine
OF protection. He was in favor of q
tariff for nothing in the world except
revenue. And he wanted to pronunce
the newspaper statement, so far as he
was concerned, absolutely untrue.
The next Senator to rise in the round
4 OF personal explanation was Faulkner
(Dem.) of West Virginia, and his ap
pearance In that role caused consider
able merriment, particularly on the
Republican side OF the chamber. His
name had been mentioned among the
obstructionists. He had no hesitation
in saying that in relation to some lo
the provisions of the Wilson tariff bill
that bill, as itcame from the House
did not suit his views. He had gon,
before the finance committee as a Dem
ocratic Senator and had suggested Ger
tain, changes, which he believed to be
II for the intarast of hiai ineOnla and alaf