The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-12-10
a vote upon it without further discus

q vote upon IL without further discus
sion?''
MI. Allen" sat this precise momentp''
Mr.. Aldrich-" Yes, or at any time to
be fixed"
"It is idle to ask such question, -
Mr.. Allen replied with an air of con-
tempt. "Does not the Senator under
stand that the Republican caucus has
aban 1oued the bill?"
! 'That is not SO, I" broke in MIR. Gallinger
| of New Hampshire.
"I5 is reported in q Republican news
paper of this city. " said. Mr. Allen.
cit is not so, - Mr.. Gallinger replied.
"We can pass this bill in Is minu tes,
said Mr.. Aldrich, ''if the Senator and
his friends will allow us to do it"
"Will you present 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 present
session of Congress?"
This inquiry elected laughter among
the Republican Senators and shouts of
No..
sMy question: Mr.. Allen resumed,
"provokes al most universal laughter on
that side of the chamber. You said to
this country this fall that you would at
the first moment take up the tariff ques-
tion and settle it. You laugh when your
attention is called to it. What is there
in the tariff question that would req quire
Congress to spend six or seven months
in extraordinary session to consider it?
Why not introduce the Mckinley bill,
the panaoea for all evils. and have it re-
ported here wiEhin the next ten days and
passed within the next 60 days? Do
you want to threaten the country with
an extraordinary session of Congress? Do
you want to sit here 80 days, practically
idle, and let the country suffer when you
have it within your power to put tariff
bill on it's passage and have 1t discussed
intelligently ?''
Let me ask the Senator" Mr.. AL
drich broke in, whether he will vote
for this bill as 1T came from the House,
or for the Mckinley bill, or for any other
bill that may be presented by the Re-
publioans now or at any other tiIneY'
mo-" said Mr.. Allen, II will not
vote for this bill in it's present shape.
You can put it in such shape that I can
vote for 1T, and other senators can vote
for it who are not members of your par
"Does not the Senator see. " said Mr..
Hale, "that it is an entirely different
thing to ask the Republican party, which
is In minority here, rs it clearly is, to
take and consider and perfect a general
bill. when the conditions are expected to
be entirely changed in the next Con
QPtSSs ftepu UllCdu parry 0Np6CUS 10
bay, olate majority in the Senate
the
~. 4 = aiil you get your majority
FRONT lar. Allen queried.
~ say,' repeated Mr.. Hale, "that the
Repu blican party expects to have Re-
publican majority in the Senate next
sExpects,' Mr.. Allen echoed with a
sneer.
'sThen," Mr.. Hale went on, 1--WE can
take up general tariff bill. anu have
no doubt we will. All we ask now is the
passage of this Dingley bill, which is a
temporary measure-a measure that was
intended to end the Democratic admin
istration with enough revenue to pay the
housekeeping bills of the government.
If the Senator and his friends were in
favor Of it. a vote could be had at once
without further discussion. The Senator
from Rhode Island could withdraw his
motion to refer aud yea and nay vote
on she free coinage OF silver substitute
had If that were voted in, the bill
seen whether something would not come
out of it. If it were voted down the
Senate would be brought face to face
with the Dingley bill and could take q
vote upon 1t at once without further dis
cussion. Why is not tho Senator ready
to agree to that? Does ne not see tnaG
the Republican party in this Senate Is
not, as it hopes to be in the next Con-
gress, able to report general tariff re-
vision bill?''
81 believe.' said Mr.. Allen, that the
Republican party is in better shape than
it will be in the next Congress. (Laugh-
ter.)
Mr.. Hale reiterated his belief that the
Republican Senate would be able to re-
port general tariff bill in the next Con-
eress but, he said. they were ready to
vote at once on the Dingley bill.
While the discussion was in progress
the morning hour expired and the whole
matter went over without action. If it
comes I'D tomorrow under any rule of the
Senate a motion to take up the bill and
proceed to its consideration may ne made
at any time. The immigration bill was
then formally taken up as the "unfin-
ished business but before its reading
was finished the Senate proceeded to ex-
ecutive business and at 230 adjourned
11uti1 tomorrow.