The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-12-17

lORuliSlS.
I do not think that the Dingley
bill is dead Mr.. Allen remarked. THE
assertion that it was consigned to the
tomb of the Capulets was mere
poetic remark on the part OF the SEN
ator from Missouri.
GIVE US A REST.
Mr.. Allen went on to say that instead
of having an extra session of congress
the most sensible thing that congress
could do was to adjourn and not to
convene for two years, and let the
country have some rest.
Mr.. Sherman, (Rep., o. addressed
the senate briefly, but passionately.
The deficiency in the revenue, he de-
clared, was almost a crime. 1t was
the first duty of congress to provide for
the ordinary expenses of the govern
ment. How to raise the money to pay
these expenses and to carry on the
operations of the government was a
question on which the two parties were
entirely aDart-one believing that du-
ties should be levied on imported goods,
but only for revenue-and the other be-
lieving that the duties should be so
levied as to raise revenue and to en-
courage domestic manufactures. The
result had been that on account of this
dispute the government had been for
receipts That state of things was
disgrace to congress and ought TO be
put stop to whenever the opportunity
offered.
Mr.. Sherman called attention TO the
fact that the public debt had been re-
duced, from 1866 until the beginninlhof
Mr. Clevelands administration, by ST.
$4,000, and that since then it had been
increased by 265,000, 900. That in
ha
Mr.. Cleveland, but was the fault of the
existing tariff law. There was no
doubt about that. Even if the rates in
the existing tariff law were apparently
high enough, the difficulty was that
the duties were ad valorem instead of
specific. He (Mr. Sherman) would have
the senate proceed to the considera-
ton of anv tariff that would increase
the revenues of the government-he
did not care whether it was in the
shape of import duties or internal rev.
enue taxes. He repeated that it was a
shame and a disgrace that in a time of
profound peace the government had, on
account of insufficient revenue, to issue
bonds. That was reDroach to con-
greSS; and the same thing would be a
reproach to any government in Europe.
Therefore" he continued, Il do not
care in what form it comes, or on
L
the Dingley bill. The first thing to be
done is to provide an increase of reve-
nue., so that the incoming administra-
ton may not be compelled to go into
debt every year.
Mr. Vest remarked that the treasury
statement this morning showed $126,-
900 in the treasury over and above
the gold reserve, and asked Mr.. Sher-
man what was to be done with all that
money.
Mr.. Sherman made a reply which
was not clearly responsive to the
and added that he was will
ing to have the Dingley bill taken up
and passed, as it would provide enough
revenue temporarily. He commented
upon the free silver amendment put
on that bill, and said it was a most
cowardly evasion of a great and i'm
portant duty. That free silver amend
ment had been introduced in order to
defeat the Dingley bill. 1t had no place
in the bill, and no connection with it,
1t had been put there to prevent action
in passing the bill.
MEREST PRETENSE.
Mr.. Teller (silver Rep.), Colorado.
made his way into the discussion and
declared positively that it had been
we'll known that if every Republican
senator voted for the Dingley bill it
would have still lacked one of a ma
iority, and that it was the merest pre-
tense for any member to say that he
had expected that bill to become a
Jaw. 1t had not been introduced to be
passed, and was not fit bill to pass.
The Republican party, he continued,
was about to come into power He
would not be tempted, now, to express
an opinion as TO how it has secured
NJ hQ
do SO. 1t was coming into
power with the promise and pledge to
he American people that the distressed
condition of affairs, which had existed
or many years, would disappear with
he coming in of the Republican party
# the era of confidence had struck the
he (Mr. Teller had failed to
observe it. The Republican party had
1 duty to do to the American people
md it would not do it by talking about
he Dingley bill, unless it said to the
country that that IVES the bill which |
[ wanted. He declared emphatically !
hat the Dingley bill would never be- /
,Ome "a law, and that there was not a
nan on the floor who did not know it,
Why, therefore, he asked. should the I
senate spend time over it?
Mr.. Chandler remarked with a point /
If sarcasm that Republican senators |
lad not begun the discussion. but that |
t had been got up by the senator from |
Nebraska (Mr. Allen). who had tried /
With the senator from Colorado to elect |
Ir. Bryan.
TELLER'S REPLY.
And 1 am not sure" Mr. Teller broke
n, that W. did not elect him"
Laughter.) Mr.. Teller repeated his as
ertion that the Dingley bill had not
'een introduced to be passed. and that
[ was understood when it was intro
uced that 1t could not be passed. 1t
vas introduced for a political purpose
nd to gain political advantage.
Mr. Hale (Rep). Maine, said that
had never occurred 10 him that the
)ingley bill was not to be passed in an
onest fashion, and for an honest pur-
ose if Republican senators could do it,
Mr.. Teller asserted that the Dingley
ill was a political movement to dis
ract the attention of the American
eople from the financial question.
Mr.. German (Dem), Maryland.
greed With Mr. Teller in the last
and said that the Dingiey
i'll. even if it had become a law.
Tould not have improved the condition
the treasury, and that it was unjust
nd unequal.
The presidential election" he added.
has passed. The combination of men
nd interests made in that campaign
re now matters of history. Republic
N senators have not the power to
ass such monstrosity as the Dingley