The times., 1897-06-29

pended his subject here, and said he would
resume in about five minutes
Mr. Vest took up the subject and con-
tinued the debate.
Mr. Vest had read statement, the gen.
cral purport of which was that foreign
hides do not come into competition with
the hofne product Incidentally, 1T was
siiowa that it was fifteen years after hides
were put on the free list that their price
began to fall 1t was shown also that the
foreign article the dry salted hide, did not
compete with the local green salted hide.
Mr.. Vest argued that when the Beef
Trust fixed the price OF cattle, they fix ID
the price OF hides, the latter being con-
s:dered a by-product. The big firms of
Chicago put up the price OF cattle or ut
i, down, just as they pleased. Mr.. Vest
read statements to show that the Armours
had broken up the business of men N
Chicago who would not become agents of
of the trust HemeDt.oned a care In which
this was done in the State of Pennsylvania.
Mr. Hoar and Mr.. Allen had one OF their
caily tits over this phaseof the earguncnt-
Mr. Hoar asked Mr.. Vest a question
involving the right of Congress to inter-
fere in such matters, w hen Mr.. Allen made
the answer.
Mr. Allen repeated what Mr. Hoar asked.
Mr.. Hoar Il said nothing of the kind
Mr.. Hoar paid a sarcastic compliment to
Mr.. Aliens ability. anc spoke of him as
having the wisdom Of a prophet.
Mr.. Allen modestly dsclaimed being a
prophet, but was quite sure that he had
never in all his life known man who
knew as much as the Senator from Massa-
obucaftc ;Iauphiar
Mr. Hoar-I didn't catch what the Sena-
tor said Uaughter)
Mr.. Allen declined to repeat the DOSE
Mr. Smith resumed his remarks. He said
that his interest in the subject was largely
due to the vast manufactures of leather
in his State,
Mr. Smith submitted several tables, after
which he addressed hmsslf To the propo-
sition that the 20 per cent duty proposed
would be only in the interest or the
Beef Trust, as shown by Mr.. vest, 10 the
disadvantage OF the leather manufacturers.
He also read extracts from English papers
tending to prove that the duty would be
entirely to the advantage OF the foreign
market by decreasing exports Of manu-
factured American leather.
Mr. Smith then read statements to prove
that the price OF hides was included N the
pIice the trust paid for cattle. He said
that from / S93 to 1896, during the fiuc-
tuations | "A tie price of hides, these fiSc-
tuations were never made question In
the prtce of cattle. The trust buys the
cattle at its own price, and No legislator
could give the cattle raiser or the butcher
the advantage of any part Of the 20 per
cent duty.
Nj wanen-Is there such a thing In
this country as Leather Trust?
Mr.. SiIithYe there is; and 1t Will be
the only beneficiary of the proposed amend
ment IL il becomes a law; except, OF course,
the Beef Trust.
Mr.. Warren-Do you understand The
Leather Trust to be opposing or advo-
eating the duty on hides?
Mr. Smith Naturally, it is opposing
the duty.
Mr.. Smith made a strong argument and
q keenly interesting one, although he failed
physically to go on with his speech. Mr..
Smith has been unwcil since Friday, and is,
besides, said to be not capable of much
physical exertion.
Mr. Stewart OF Nevada followed Mr..
Smith He advocated protection on hides
because they were produced by American
labor He did not believe that the argu-
rnent about the Beef Trust availed any
thing, for it did not control possibly more
than % per cent Of the beef of the coun-
try. The trusts, he said, were not the
cause, but the effect OF falling prices.
Competition, he said, was impossible
with 8, ,0o0,Oou OF people out of employ
ment. 1t was the Money Trust that
made all other trusts possible. Mr.. Stew
art thought that the 90 per cent duty On
hides was fair enough. 1t was little enough
for the farmer who would never he able
to fight the Meat Trust until they had
some show of regulating the price of
their own products. Mr.. Stewart digrcssed
here a little to argue that the cure Tor a
great many ills OF the country would he
the principles of the Chicago pl latform in
practice.
Senator Allen next addressed the Sen
ate, He said that SO far nothing had
been done for the farmer, but everybody
else was to be protected. He believed
in the equality of taxation as to territory
and if it was proposed TO cut off all
foreign competition, then let the farmers
have some of the benefit. 1t had been
admitted in argument both by Senator
Vest and Senator Hoar that the country
was in the hands OF a Beef Trust ltwas
idle TO say that the anti trust law could
not touch them because they were in
dictable under the common law.
Mr.. Pettus said that raising prices was
not a crime against the United States.
Mr.. AlleD-I said that it was indictable
at common law, and the Senator cannot
deny it. VIII the Senator deny that the
States OF the Union inherited the English
common law?
Mr.. Pettus-That is true, with some
exceptions.
Mr. Allen went on to show that the
statutes even had fortified and declared
the common law against combinations
for the purpose of raising or monopolizing
prices. There We're two courses pursuable
as to these conspiracies, first to fndict,
the other to issue writ of injunction
Mr.. Vest said that the statute referred
only to Interstate transactions and not TO
business within the States.
Mr.. Allen said that commerce between
the States'' meant in the beginning COM
merce between the citizens of the same
States as well as between different States.
A conspiracy originating in Chicago to af-
feet the trade of man in Pennsylvania
was certainly indictable, even If the
courts of Pennsylvania had to concur in
the Jurisdiction of the courts of Illinois.
Mr.. Hoar said that Mr. Morgan's amend
mcnt to the bill would clarity great leal
that was obscure in this matter, and he
thoUught the discussion somewhat preIna-
ture Mr.. Hoar'S discussion drifted to the
power and influence of enormous aggrega-