St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-08-27
THRESHING OLD STRAW
SENATOR JONES TELLS SOME
TARIFF SECRETS
Which Have Really Been Public
Property the Past
Sixty Days.


tor James K. Jones gives history OF
the recent tariff bill contest. The SEN
ator, it will be remembered was a
member of the subcommittee to which
the Wilson bill was first referred. In
his statement Senator Jones says in
par
"The bill AS first reported back to the
committee by US may be considered as
an expression of the opinions of our
subcommittee, unmodlfied by the views
or our associates in the senate. While
large majority of the Democrats in
the senate were perfectly satisfied with
thls Dill, number complained of differ
ent parts OF it, ana ia an effort for har.
mony we presented another. While
there are changes in number of the
schedules of more or less Importance,
this second effort of ours provided for
Tree sugar, coal and iron ORE"
The senator relates how that, owing
to the persistent demands of senators
representing sugar interests, the mem
Ders OF the subcommittee, with great
reluctance and regret, submitted
further change in the bill, imposing a
tariff ranging from tenth of one cent
10 one cent per pound on all sugar, with
an additional tax On refined sugar; pro-
posing tax of so cents per ton on coal,
ana making iron ore free; hoping there
Dy TO secure united Democratic action.
AT the caucus of Democratic senators,
which lasted three days, the senatsrs
from Louisiana, especially Senator
White, spoke against the bill.
AT the same time senators In those
states where sugar refneries were To-
Gated declared that they could not sup.
port the bill without some tariff on re-
hned sugar If there was tariff OH the
raw. The result OF this protracted and
stormy caucus was the adoption of a
resolution sending the bill back to the
committee with instructions to amend it
so as to meet the difficulties which
had been developed in caucus. In
obedience to this action of the
caucus. which was really equivalent to
an order to tax sugar, coal and iron ore,
we brought in tax of one cent per
pound on sugar testing eighty degrees
by the polariscope, IL cent additional
Tor each degree up to 80, and 81 cent
for each degree above 80 and up to 9S,
and upon sugar above 16 Dutch stand
ard in color, an additional tax of x cent
per pound. With this promise, and with
coal and iron ore at 40 cents per ton. the
bill was reported to the senate on March
20. These changes gave no satisfac-
ton, and it became evident that the bill
would be defeated Ii insisted upon,
lin this emergency determined to
see II there were not some means of saw
ing the bill. Gov. Hill, one of the forty.
four Democrats in the senate, was
openly hostile to the bill. To pass the
bill would require forty-three votes,
hence it was necessary that every one
of the remaining forty-three votes be
secured for the support of the bill.
Several of these had already open
ly declared that they could not
and would not vote for the
bill as reported, and it was
decided to amend it so as to secure the
support. These notifications Involved
changes of the sugar schedule from the
specific to an ad valorem duty, the i'm.
position OF an additional tax of one.
tenth or l cent per pound upon all
sugars imported from countries paving
bounties, and that all schedules Should
not become operative until the first day
OF January, 1895; taxes made upon coal
and iron ore at the rate of 40 cents pei
ton, and changes in the textile and
other schedules of more or less Inn
pOrtance.
Before the amended bill was report
ed back to the committee, Senator Jones
SAID ne consulted with President Cleye-
land, Secretary Carlisle and members OF
the hnance committee, explaining the
necessity for making the changes men
toned. They all agreed as to the adj
Visibility of doing so, and caucus of
Democratic senators decided to suppor;
the bill as amended. From Nav /
when the amendments were offered 70
July 3. when the bill finally passed the
senate, the forty-three Democrats stood
together like stone wall and redeemed
their pledges like men, with but a single
break.
There are many things in the senate
DllI that VIII not be satisfactory to me.
If could have had my own wav
would have raised the revenue needed
from incomes, whisky, beer aud tobacco.
and not from sugar or from woOllen
goods, and when imposing a tax on
sugar L would not have imposed an
extra tax on refined sugar. [ resisted
all. these changes with all my power. as
did my colleague on the subcommittee
Senator Vest, and we made them az
small as possible, and at last ONLY
accepted such as were absolutely neces-
sary to the passage of the bill. The bill
as passed is, however. great departure
from McKiDleyism, and is a great
measure of tariff REFORM"