The Washington times., 1894-06-03
Intere sting Debate in the Senate Ovel
the Final Schedule.
LOUISIANA SPEAKS LOUDLY
Both Senators from That State Make Speeches.
Vest Charges tho Republicans with Hav-
ing Come to the Assistance Of the Trust on
Former Occasion.

but as it proceeded by unanimous consen
no vote was had ut its conclusion. Mr.. Hill
| championed. open sessions in a vigorous
manner, and Chairman Gray declared that Sc
| far as the committee was concerned the,
were perfectly willing to have the Senate de
eide whether the investigation should be Sc
cret or public. Mr.. Lodge declared emphatic
| ally that the charges would be probed to th'
bottom and any person who could, by any
possibility, throw light on the subject woult
| be summoned. The sugar debate yesterda,
| was more interesting than on Friday, ant
gave promise OF sensational development mex
week. Mcssrs. Aldrich, Lodge, and Allison
participated ON the Republican side, AMI
Messrs. Caffery, Blanchard. and Vest on the
Democratic side. Mr.. Jones, on behalf Of the
Finance Committee, gave notice that nc
change was contemplated in the schedule save
the omission from the clause relating to mo.
lasses OF that portion placing duty Of two
cents gallon on mOlasses testing below 40
per cent. by the polariscope.
When the discussion began Senator Aldrich
rected the fact that five changes had been
made to adapt the sugar schedule to Dem
ocratic votes, aud that it was easy to
see the situation by watching the rise and
York Stock Exchange. The votes OF the two
Louisiana Senators and of Senator White of
California were obtained by concessions. He
again reverted to the changes in the sugar
schedule, and laid special stress upon the
last change from specific to ad valorem
rates. which. he said. was made after the
president OF the sugar refining trust had
issued his ultimatum. He saw by the testi-
mony taken before the investigating COM
mi;tee that the senior Senator from Louis
lana had protested strongly against ad
valorem rates. He was right. and what
surprised him Mr. Aldrichl was that either
OF the Louisiana Senators would accept it.
Mr.. Gallery Dem, La.) replied TO Mr..
Aldrich. The sugar interests OF Louisiana,
he said. were in a peculiar and a precarious
condition. The greatest curse that ever fell
upon the sugar industry was the imposition
Of a bounty.
How" said Mr.. Allison, "could that be
when under the bounty the protection of
sugar has increased enormously"
'.'While it is true" replied Mr.. Caffery.
that it has stimulated production i'm
mensely, a bounty was sure TO be the death
of the industry in the end. The bounty could
not stand. 1t had 10 fall
Mr.. Caffery said it was obnoxious to Demo-
cratic principles OF the people of Louisiana.
Mr.. AlGrich submitted the resolutions of
commercial bodies of New Orleans in which
the bounty was indorsed.
Mr.. Lodge called attention to and read the
resolutions of the sugar convention held in
New Orleans in May which Mr. Gallery had
said he considered the basis of his instruc-
tions.
Mr.. Blanchard then produced figures to
show that in the years just prior to the war
the production of sugar In Louisiana equalled
and sometimes exceeded the consumption in
the United States. The sugar industry, he
said. WIS practically obliterated by the war.
Less than 0.000. .000 pounds were produced in
Louisiana in 1864. From that time the indus
try had recovered gradually until 1893 over
COO 000, 900 pounds were produced. The sugar
schedule in the bill. Mr.. Blanchard said was
not satisfactory to the planters. but it was the
best thing they could get.
Does the Senator from Rhode Island
think" asked Mr.. Harris. "that the people
are deceived by free sugar in the Mckinley
bill when they are forced to pay by taxation
from $12. 1000. 900 to Sl5.C00, 900 in bounties?"
THAT is a mathematical problem" replied
Mr.. Aldrich. (which the Senator from Ten
nessee can solve as well as l. II is the differ
ence between paying $4,000 600 directly out
of the Treasury and S75,000.0OO by indirect
taxation. as proposed in this BILL
Il have solved the problem" retorted Mr..
Harris. Ito my own satisfaction, and hope
the Senator from Rhode Island will solve it
1.-The Senator from Tennessee" retorted
Mr.. Aldrich as Mr.. Harris turned and walked
out of the chamber, sis evidently more ex-
pert as a parliamentarian than as a mathe-
matican."
Mr. Lodge took as the London quotations
of raw and refined (granuated) sugars re-
spectively 2.38 cents per poun and 3.S6 cents
per pound: in other words protection at 40
per cent. ad valorem to the reiiner of 6-10 of
a cent. The London price of refined sugar
might be excessive, but the lowest authentic
statement OF the diffefential protection given
the trust that he had seen was 4S-l00 of Il
cent Mr. Lodge did not know what the con-
nection between the sugar trust and the sugar
schedule was, but il was apparent that in the
contest the trust had prevailed over the pro-
ducer.
Mr.. Vest then took the floor and made an
impassioned speech in defense OF the sugar
schedule in the course of which he made
scathing arraignment of the Republicans for
TIE manner in which the sugar schedule of
the Mckinley bill was prepared
He declared that the repeated assertion that
the sugar schedule would afford protection
Of As cents per hundred pounds to refiners
was absolutely untrue. He would not go
into the figures until Monday. he said, but he
had examined the subject most carefully, and
he knew. if he knew anything. that the pro-
lection given reiners under this schedule
was a shadow over % cents per hundred
pounds.
Here Mr. Vest turned on the Republican
side of the chamber with bit of history
which he said demonstrated the truth of the
old saying that the gentlemen who live in
glass houses should not throw stones. When
the Mckinley bill was being considered in
the Ways and Means Committee. for over a
month the sugar schedule contained a pro-
vision for free sugar up to 13 Dutch standard,
between 13 and 1876 per cent and above IL
at 10 per cent.
This was equivalent to 16 cents protection
on the hundred pounds to refners. During
that month the stock market had. fuctuated
back and forth.
At 2 O'Clock on the morning of the day the
bill was reported to the House the rate was
increased to 40 cents on the hundred pounds.
Tho stock of the sugar trust went up 80
points.
1.-THE trust was not then in existence in
terjected Mr.. Aldrich.
1T was" replied Mr.. Vest, "and will pro-
duce the quotations on Monday
When the bill reached the Senate Finance
Committee. Mr.. Vest went on, the sugar
schedule was left until all the others were dis
posed of. and when it was reported the pro-
lection to the trust had been increased to GO
cents. one-tenth more than the trust had ever
asked for.
When the bill went to conference the rate
was compromised Mt so cents. and that is where
it stood when the bill became law. Many
Republican papers like the New York Tribune,
Philadelphia Press, New York Press, and Chi
cago Tribune had at that time denounced any
increase over the 40-cent rate fixed by the
House as surrender to the trust. In the face
Of these facts, said Mr.. Vest the Republicans
had gone about for weeks bowling like pack
of coyotes ever the sugar schedule of this bill.
Like the old man in the streets they cried
Lost child" when everybody knew they had
not lost any principle.
Mr.. Harris, in making the motion, suggested
that the Republicans think the matter over
between now and Monday, to see if an agree
ment could not be reached concerning final
vote on the bill