The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-05-24

WASHINGTON, May 23.-There were
not over twenty Senators present at the
opening of to days session, but proceed
ings were allowed to go on without a
roll call.
A resolution was offered by Kyle
tRep., 8. d. and went over till to- NOR
row, declaring 1t as the sense of the
Senate that the United States should
not use force for the purpose Of ressor-
ing to the throne the deposed queen Of
the Sandwic Islands or destroying the
existing government; that the provis-
ional government having been duly
recognized, the highest national inter
ests req uire that 1t shall pursue It's own
line Of policy and that foreign interven-
tion in the political affairs of those is
lands would be regarded as an action
unfriendly to the government of the
United States.
At 1880 the tariff bill WAS taken up.
Paragraph lit, railway bars, made of
iron or steel, and railway bars made in
part of steel, T rails and punched iron
or steel fat rails" was the first item in
duty 90 per cent. ad valorem, the finance
committee had reported the rate OF 22H,
and now Jones (Dem., Ark.), on behalf
OF the finance committee, withdrew its
amendment, and moved to make the
rate 7-20 OF a cent per pound, which, he
explained, would be 81 "a q ton.
The rate under the present law, he
said, was six tenths OF cent pound,
or $l3.44 per ton, SO that the rate now
proposed was a little over one-hnlf of
the existing rate. Discussion of the
amendment was taken up by Plat. and
IL was IL o'clock when German took the
floor.
1t had boon stated In the newspapers
that it was his intention to speak to-day
in defense of the Democratic position,
and .ho attendance OF Senators on both
sides and Of spectators in the galleries
was quite large
He esid: "Mr. President, we are near
ing the end, after twenty years of po-
litical progress, Of positive growth, OF
constant development and of universal
enlightenment The Democratic party
and tho American people are within
sight OF the promised land. Emancipa-
ton Is at hand, emancipation from par
tisan oppression, from the greed Of
classes, from extortion, from wilful ex-
travagance, from financial fantasy,
from spoils, from restrictions upon indi-
vidual liberty, from iingoism, from all
those evils. in brief, which the Demo-
cratic party inherited as a hateful log
acy from three decades Of Republican
IL alsdministration."
He then touched upon the difficulties
which had confronted the Democratic
party on its return TO power after thirty
Won nj nv 81
Of demand made upon them. He said:
eve were not only urged, but ordered
peremptorily to reform the tariff at
once; why wait? vote first, talk after
wards"
He asserted that time, and plenty OF
1t, had always been considered abso.
lutely essential in reforming tariffs.
The Mills bill did not pass the House
until mid summer. The Mckinley bill
did not receive the signature OF the
President till the last day OF Septem Der.
He said the House in obedience to the
obvious wish Of the country passed a
tariff bill early in the session Com
psratively little time was given to the
consideration OF the various schedules,
and the result was necessarily an i'm
perfect measure, which not only failed
TO meet the requirements OF the treas
ury. but actually increated the de
hcits created by the Republican pro-
hibitive duties. There was no expecta-
ton that this bill would become q law
without change.
On the income tax question German
said: I'm the matter of internal rev
enue | may say that personally I am
In full accord with the sentiments so
ably and eloquently expressed by the
Senators from New York and New Jer-
sey regarding the income tax. Like
them, l consider that it served its pur.
pose as war tax and has no fitting
place in our finance system in time
Of peace. l could not, I say frankly,
vote conscientiously or consistently
with my judgment and constructions to
make this method Of taxation q part of
our settled policy.
"But, much as deplore the fastening
o. an income tax in any form upon our
tariff bill, cannot ignore the fact that
largo majority Of my Democratic col
leagues honestly differ from myself in
this matter, and are so confident OF the
soundness of their position that thew
are willing to subject it to the test of q
few years, thus enabling the people to
see Its actual workings and TO pass upon
it directly.
Yin these circumstances, and in view
OF the necessity OF obtaining additional
revenue from some source, II we reduce
customs taxation, without disavowipg
the frightful financial obligations
heaped upon US by Republican legisla-
ton or further increasing the debt of
the government 1 cannot, as Demo-
crat bound in honor 10 let no ordinary
prejudice Of difference OF opinion pre-
vent the passage of a tariff measure,
refuse to vote for this amendment
simply and solely, however, as an emer-
Oancv taxn