Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-05-26
NOW THEY'RE OFF
On That long.Expected Debate
on the Tariff.
ALDR1CH AND VEST START THINGS

Washington, May 26.-The debate on
the tariff bill began in the senate YES
terday with crowded galleries and a
large attendance of senators and the
tarin leaders Of the house. Minor BUSH
ness claimed attention up to 2 p. M,
when Aldrich, in charge Of the tariff
bill, had the measure laid before the
senate and took the floor for the OPEN
ing speech. At that time every availa-
Bile seat in the galleries was occupied.
Inc Republican side of the floor showed
an almost solid representation, there
being only three or four vacant seats.
The Democrats also presented full
ranks, and the scattered seats Of the
Populists were occupied with but one
exception. Dingley, chairman of the
ways and means committee and au-
thor of the house bill, took a seat imme-
diately beside Aldrich and listened at
tentively. Other Republican members Of
the ways and means committee and
Simpson, of the Populist contingent, oc-
cupied the rear lounges. Speaker Reed
was not present.
Alrich Speaks for Over an Hour.
Aldrich spoke for almost an hour and
quarter, adopting an easy CONVERSE
tional style. His speech was the Of
fetal utterance of the finance commit
tee and in a sense of the Republican
side of the chamber. Without making
invidious distinctions between the two
bills Aldrich clearly stated as the belief
of the finance committee that the house
bill would not yield revenue adequate
for the needs of the government His
line of argument as to this is illustrated
by the following: ITO indicate the
grounds upon which this judgment is
based, we may take the wool and WOOL
en- schedule, from which S24, 0OO, 900 out
of $76,000,000 increase is expected. The
fact is well known that there have been
unusual importations of wool in an
ticipation of a duty-enough, according
to the trade reports, to supply all the
foreign wool needed by the domestic
manufacturers for more than a year."
Synopsis of the Reply of Vest.
Vest. one of the Democratic members
of the finance committee, followed with
statement in opposition to the bill.
He spoke of the futility of piling up
taxes on an over-burdened people when
there was a balance of s129 OOO, 900 in the
treasury. He criticised the schedules
in detail. declaring that some of them
were designed to be prohibitive. He
severely attacked the increase in he1ead
duty, declaring it was for the benefit of
the 'cormorants" of monopoly and
against the people. Cannon of Utah, a
silver Republican. closed the debate for
the day by urging that the protection
should be SO distributed as to aid the
farmers. Cannon did more than argue
for protection to the products of the
granger, for he introduced an amend
ment that would very largely extend
the bounty system.
CannOn's Farm-ProtectiOn Plan.
It Is as follows: "And from and after
sixty days from the passage of this act
there shall be paid out of any moneys
In the treasury not otherwise appro-
priated, to any exporter of wheat or
wheat flour, rye or rye flour, corn
(ground or unground, cotton. hops, or
tobacco, produced wholly in the United
States and exported by sea from any
port in the United States to any port of
any other country, the following export
bounty by way of an equalization to
agriculture Of the benefits Of this act
to encourage the industries of the
United States, to wit: Ten cents per
bushel on wheat, so cents per barrel on
wheat flour. 10 cents per bushel on rye,
so cents per barrel on rye flour, cents
per bushel on corn, 10 cents per bushel
on corn ground, one cent per pound on
cotton, cents per pound on hops, 2
cents per pound on tobacco.
Result of Tripartite Conference.
And all payments of bounty under
this act shall be made upon negotiable
vouchers, issued by the collector of GUS
toms at the port Of clearance, upon
presentation at the treasury or any sub
treasury Of the United States; and the
secretary OF the treasury is hereby
charged with making and enforcing
such regulations as may be necessary
for the full protection OF the exporters
and Of the government according to
the true intent and meaning OF this
law" This amendment is the result
OF conference Of silver Republicans,
Populists and some Democrats and may
be said to represent the sentiments Of
the elemsnt in the senate which puts
silver above all other subjects Of legis-
lation.
Morgan Takes Shot at Reed.
During the morning hour the resolu-
tion for the relief OF destitute Americans
in Cuba was referred to. and Morgan
remarked that the senate had reached
an era when it was necessary Ito con-
suit somebody at the other end Of the
Capitol as to whether q measure
could go through. Mallory, the new
senator from Florida, was sworn in and
took his seat. The balance of the SEN
ate's doings were routine, except as to
resolution presented by Perkins of
California for an investigation Of the
exclusion of American Jews from Russia
and the treatment in that country re-
Gently of Adolph Kutner, an American
Jew. The resolution wants to know also
whether Russia proscribes American
citizens because OF their religious faith
and asks that Russia be requested to
remove such prescription.
COMMISSION Is INOFFENsIvE.
Interstate Railway Regulators Cannot Reg.
ulafe Anything.
Washington, May 26.-The interstate
commerce commission has nothing to