Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1896-01-02
CONGRESS MAKES A NEW TAR
IFF MEASURE.
PARTY LINES ARE DRAWN
An Iron-clad Rule Prohibited Amend
ments-Forty Millions Expected to
BE .Raised-A Genuine Protective
Measure When Republicans Can
Make 1t, Is Predicted. A

the president by passing tariff bill
the operation of which Is limited to
two and half years and which is de-
signed to raise 100000, 900 for the re-
lief Of the treasury.
The vote was on party lines with
Two exceptions. The republicans all
voted for the bill except Hartman, OF
Montana, who did not vote, and all the
democrats and populists against it
save Newlands, tpop. Nev) who voted
IN favor of the measure The especial
order under which the bill was brought
to vote at p. m, after three and a
half hours debate, was iron-clad in its
character and compelled the members
TO adopt or reject 1t without the OPP
portunity OF offering amendments of
any kind. Although there was the brill
liant setting that usually accompanies
field day" in the house, the debate
lacked much of the spirit and vim
which generally characterizes parti-
san battle in the lower branch of con-
gress. Even the preliminary skirmish
ever the adoption of the rule, which or
dinarily preeipitated the fiercest
wrangling, passed off quietly. The de-
bate itself was participated in by lead
ers on both sides. The republicans
contended first that the necessity Of the
treasury was a revenue to supply the
continuing deficiency. Every speaker
denied that the proposed measure was
n, n fkou q
they claimed, an emergency revenue
bill on protective lines. 1t was signif-
icant that seyeral-notably Dalzell,
Payne, Hopkins and Grosvenor-
predicted the passage OF a gen.
uine protective measure as
soon as the republicans regained con-
troll of the white house. The demo-
Gratis took the position that there was
no lack of revenue in the treasury and
that the passage of bill to increase
taxation would in no wise furnish the
relief desired by the president and the
secretary of the treasury.
All who took part in the debate ac-
quilted themselves we'll, Dingley and
Deliver, of the republicans, and Crisp
and Turner, of the democrats, carry
ing off the honcrs. The bill passed
repeats the present tariff Law until
August l, 1898. 1t restores 60 per cent.
of the Mckinley rates on wool and
woolens, lumber and carpets and
makes a horizontal increase OF pres
emit rates in all other schedules, eX-
cept sugar OF Is per cent. When the
bin was put upon its passage it carried
by 205 to 81, the vote being taken by
ayes and nays. There was no DEM
onstratior Vi any kind at the an
nouneement OF the vote. The report
u Chairman Dingley, Of the ways and
means committee follows
THAT the committee appreciates the
seriousness of the situation and the inn
portance Of prompt remediess so far as
congress can give them.
Your committee regards the chron-
icle deficiency OF the ,reveue for the
past two years and half as a most
potent cause of the difficulties which
the treasury has encountered and an
important factor in the creation and
promotion of that serious distrust
which has paralyzed business and dan
serously shaken confidence even in the
financial operations of the government.
Ii is as impossible for a government
10 have a continuous deficiency of reve-
nue. for two years and a half without
affecting its financial standing as Ii ~
for an individual. 1t is impossible also
for government to continue In this
condition without casting a shadow of
doubt and encouragement over all bus
mess operations within its borders.
srAe serious fact which we are called
0ron TO confront Is that in the two and
a half years that have elapsed since
July /, 1898, this government has had
an insuficiency of revenue to meet cur
rent expenditures amounting in the ag-
gregate to about $13S,oeJ.000. And
even in the first half of the present
fiscal year the deficiency will reach
about $4,000 600 in this present month
And up to the present time there Is
no sufficient ground for hoping that
this insutticiency OF revenue Will not
continue during the remainder of the
fiscal year; and how much longer no
one can safely predict.
III the consequences Of such O
chronic deficiency were only the neces-
sity Of borrowing money TO meet cur
rent expenses in time of peace, even
this would AFFORD abundant reason FOL
increasing the revenue. But the con-
sequences are more wide reaching than
that Insufiiciency of revenue has
made ii necessary TO use the redeemed
United States legal tender notes to pay
current expenditures and thus to sup
ely additional means TO draw gold
frem the greenback redemption fund
iii short To create the endless chain Of
what the secretary of the treasury com.
plains and which has made 1t neces-
sary 10 sell issue after issue Of bonds
iii replenish the reserve.
This viii be clearly seen ,.hen II i
remembered that the secretary Of the
treasury has issued and sold a little