The Portland daily press., 1897-03-31
PARTY FEELING Ran HIGH
Last Day Of Tariff Debate in the
House.
CONSTANT MANOEUvERING FOR
POLITICAL ADVANTAGE.

Debate on the Tax on Hides-About Thir-
ty-Five Amendments Adopted-Demo-
Gratis Anxious to Strike Out Differsn-
tial on Sugar-vote on Amendments
Today.
Washington, March 30.-Party feeling
ran high during the last day of the tariff
debate In the House. Political speeches
were wedged in at every opportunity and
there was constant manoeuvering for
political advantage. The Democrats
pressed the question of duty on hides
for the benefit of the farmer with such
vigor that Mr.. Hepburn, one Of the
Republicans, made strong plea for
dutiable hides He demanded that the
House be given an opportunity to vote
on this question and declared that every
Western Republican was in favor of it,.
Mr.. Cannon of Illinois also gave quail
fed endorsement tosthis demand.
The ways and means committee held
the floor with their amendments from 10
in the morning to o'clock In the after
doUns IAOOQp ~ WOIO Ou0Ecu dnQ dQODU-
ed. Among them was one admitting free
of duty "bUoks, scientific apparatus.
charts, maps. etc., for scientific and edu-
catioEal purposes. After that tive more
pages of the bill were read making 20
pages in all of the 162 pages of the bill.
amendment until O'Clock.
The Democrats displayed good deal
of anxiety today to get in an amendment
to strike out the differential on sugar,
but they probably will be frustrated in
this.
The delay oocasioned yesterday by
the absence of quorum had a salutary
| effect on the attendance when the House
met today. Over 150 members were in
their seats. Mr.. Richardson CALLED at
| tention to the fact thar there WAS not a
quorum present, but said he would not
| take the point.
| Accordingly the House went into oom-
mittee Of the whole, and resumed con-
| sideratiOn of the tariff bill.
| Mr.. Dockery, Democrat OF Missouri
asked unanimous consent that the free
list he taken up for ths purpose of allow
| ing him to offer an amendment suspend
| ing the duties OIL articles controlled by
trusts, but MIR. Payne, Republican OF
Nsw York, objected. Tie ways and
iueans comm ittee immediately took
charge and continued to offer amend
ments agreed on in committee. Most of
them were adopted without debate.
| Among the amendments thus adopted
were the following: Paper not special
| ly provided for, 25 per oant ad valorem
hats, bonnets, etc., unbleached, 10 per
cent, bleaoheu, 25 per cent; making the
| duty on brushes uniform at 40 per cent;
safety fuses, 80 per cent; qualifying the
duty on crude tartar dutiable at l cent
| per pound, SO as to provide that such
tatar must notNc0ntain more than 81 per
cent of bitartrate of potash; striking
out paragraph 1882 nXing duties Oh ORR
entail, Berlin and similar rugs Mr.. Ding
ley explained the effect Of this amend
ment was to res.ore the duties 9f the
act of 1890 on carpets); to change the
phraseology of the embroidered glove
schedule to meet a recept decision or the
board of general appraisers.
Mr.. Sayers, Democrat of Texas, refer
ring to MI. Payne's sratemrn last Satur
day that the hides imported into the
United States were principally from hot
countries, such as did not come into
competition with those produced In the
| United States, quoted from the treasury
! statistics to show, as he claimed, great
| variance between the gentleman's IS state
ment and the facts in the case.
MIR. Cannon, Republican of Illinois
| followed in II speech advocating a tax
| on hides. He recognizad he said, tha
great di dificulty which confronted the
| ommlttee on ways and means in franz
| ing satisfactory revenue and protection
measures. He was not satisfied with all
| its provisions, as he had not besn satis-
fed with all of the provisions OF any sim
| liar bill for which he na0 voted. For
quarter of century free hides had pre-
vailed, and Ill that period the leather in
| dustries of the country had prospered
and grown until they had practically
conquered the markets of the world. Now
he was satisfied duty could be i'm
posed without interfering, seriously at
least, with the latter industry. But he
| ways and MEANS and he would take the
bill Eas whole. While, he said,
the proposed d uty, would add at
least 81 to the value Of every head
of cattle in the country, he was willing
to take the bill as it came from the com-
mittee on ways and means, And If tnat
committee could see its way clear to re-
commend the duty he would gladly fol-
low it's lead. just as he would follow 1t in
voting for II reduction of duties On pro-
ducts of wooden man ufaotures if the Mas
saohusetts gentleman thought they were
too high. (Applause.)
Mr.. Sayers, Democrat of Texas, said
he was glad to see that the normal Re-
publican conscience was being stirred in
spots, at least. The people of his district
ands of all the range country, demanded
duty on hides.
MIR. Bell. Populist of Colorado, spoke in
favor of duty on .iides.
Nr. Dingley. Republican of Maine,
said he had not intended Go set forth the
facts found by the committee on ways
and means relating to this subject which
had been brought in here out of time.
But he would do so, although it was
| out of order. "When the committee on
ways and means.'' MIR. Dingley said "of
| which the present President was chair
man. was preparing revenue bill in