The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1896-05-26
IN THE HOUSE
Argument on the Free Alcohol BilI-A Contest
Case

WASHINGTON, May 25.-Mr. KEN,
Populist of Nebraska, resumed his OBJ
stuctive policy at the opening of the ses-
sion of the house today, entering OBJ
jections wherever possible.
Mr.. Babcock of Wisconsin promptly
claimed the day for District of Column
bia business. When it was concluded,
ON motion of Mr. Evans, Republican of
Kentucky, the house Went into commit
tee of the whole to consider the bill to
repeal the free alcohol clause of the
existing tariff law. Mr. Evans, in
charge of the bill, opened the debate
in support of the measure. explaining the
necessity for the legislation. He said
the bill would not affect the claims
now pending. amounting to SIS, 900, 900
Mr.. Evans offered the amendment to the
bill which has been agreed upon as
compromise by some of the friends and
opponents of the measure. 1t provided
for a joint committee of three members
from each house of congress to con-
slider all questions relating to the free
use of alcohol in the arts to report their
conclusions to congress in December.
Speaking to the question of the justice
of the claims filed under the present law.
Mr.. Evans expressed the opinion that as
the manufacturers had charged their
customers the amount of the tax they
were not entitled to have it refunded by
the government. If the courts decided
otherwise the government would have
To pay the penalty of crude and i'll con-
sdered legislation.
Mr.. Russell Republican of Connecti-
cut, in charge of the opposition to the
bill, said he considered it to be the policy
of the Republican party to care for and
further the manufacturing industry of
the country and so conceivng he be
1ieved it should give manufacturers free
alcohol for use i'll the arts. Indeed, he
said. the platform Of 1892 brought on by
Ma ion NICK in1pNr tot; a
declaration for free alcohol
How do you account for the fact"
interrupted Mr.. Mcmillan, that Nc
Kinley, while chairman of the ways and
means. made no provision for free alco-
hol in what was known as the Nc
Kinley bll?"
Mr.. Russell. in reply. called attention
to the fact that the Mckinley law re-
duced the tax on alcohol 37lR per cent
and at the same, time increased the i'm
port duties on goods in the manufacture
of which alcohol is used. Give us the
Mckinley law as a substitute and we
will forego the demand for free alco-
hol," he said
Mr.. Hill followed in OPPOSITION to the
bill. He said there were advocates of
the repeal, the whisky trust. from profit
the wood alcohol trust. for the same rea-
son, the Democratic party because it
believed in large internal revenue taxes
and low customs in the United States
At y. m. the committee rose. Mr..
Strobe. Republican of Nebraska pre-
scented the majority report in the con-
tested election case of Martin VS. Lock
hart from the Sixth North Carolina dis
trict, and at 515 p. IN. the house ad-
1Ourned.
THE HARBOR BILL
The president today began consdera-
ton of the river and harbor appropriate
ton bill, which reached the White
l1nl1Ga Ia f,,
Craighill, the chief of engineers 1t is
figured at the White House that the
president may act upon the bin any
time up to and including Wednesday,
June 8. The president will examine this
particular bill carefully in all its de-
tails, and although his past record
SHOWS That such measures are repug-
nant to him, he insists upon considera-
tlon OF each of them on its own merits
and without reference to what has gone
netore. If veto is to be sent it is be
heved It will be forwarded to congress
about the end Of this week