Birmingham state herald., 1896-12-10

however, that no obstruction in the na- ture of di1atory tactics, so far as I am concerned will be put in the way of talk ing up and considering tariff measure at an early day"
 "We can pass this bill in fifteen min utes." said MT. Aldrich, "if the senator and his friends will allow us to do it"
 twill you pre- sent to the senate and the country" Mir. Allen asked, "a tariff bill that you will consent to be bound by for the next four years-at this session of congress?"
 This inquiry elicited laughter among republican senators and shouts of mo"
 My question: MT. Allen resumed, "provokes almost universal laughter on that side of the chamber. You said to the country this fall that you would at the first moment, take up the tariff question and settle it; and now you laugh when your attention is called to it. What IS there in the tariff question that would require congress to spend six or seven months in an extraordinary session to consider it? Why not introduce the Mc- Kinley bill, the panacea for all evils, and have it reported here within the next ten days and passed within the next sixty . days? Do you want to threaten the coun- try with an extraordinary session Of con gress? Do you want to sit here ninety days practically idle and let the country
  power to put tariff bill on its passage and have it discussed intelligently?"
 Let me ask the senator" MT. Aldrich broke in, whether he will vote for this bill as 1t came from the house or for the Mckinley or for any other bill that may be presented by republicans, now or at any other timer"
 ''No," said MT. Allen, "I will not vote for this bill in its present shape. You can however, put it in such shape that f1., 6o nth can vote for 1t who are not members or your party"
 "Does the senator see," said MT. Hale, republican, of Maine, now breaking lnto the colloquy, that it is an entirely olt- ferent thing to ask the republican party, which is in a minority here-as it clearly is-to take up and consider and perfect a general bill. when the conditions are expected to be entirely changed in the next congress? The republican party expects to have an absolute majority Tn the senate then"
 Where will you get your majority from?" MT. Allen queried.
 q say" repeated MT. Hale, "that the republican party expects to have a re- publican majority in the senate next congress"
 "Expects," MT. Allen echoed, with a sheer.
 Then" MT. Hale went on, i've can take up a general tariff bill and have no doubt that we will. All that we ask now is the passage of the Dingley bill, which is a temporary measure-a meas ure that was intended to endow demo- cratic administration with enough reve- nue to pay the housekeeping bills of the government. If the senator and his friends were in favor of 1t, vote could be had at once, without further discus sion. The senator from Rhode Island could withdraw his motion to refer and a yes and nay vote on the free coinage of silver substitute had. If that were voted in, the bill would go to conference, and it would be seen whether something would not come out of it. If 1t were vot- ed down, the senate would be brought face to face with the Dingley bill and could take a vote upon 1t at once with out further discussion.
 "Why is not the senator ready to agree to that?" he asked Does he not see that the republican party in this sen ate is not, as it hopes to be in the next congress, able to report a general tariff revision bill?"
 q believe" was MT. Aliens comment on this point, that the republican party the next congress-" Uaughter)
 Continuing, MT. Hale expressed his be- lief that in the next congress republican senators would be able to report gen. eral tariff bill which they could not do now. But they were ready to come to vote at once on the Dingley bill-first, on the proposition for free coinage of sil- yer and if that were voted down, on the house bill.
 While the discussion was still in prog ress, the morning hour expired and the whole matter went over without action. It does not come up again tomorrow un- der any rule of the senate, but the mo- ton to take up the bill and proceed to it's consideration may be made at any time.