The San Francisco call., 1897-03-25
DEMOCRATS
ASSA|L- THE
TARIFF BILL
Vitriolic Speech of an Hour
by McMillin of Ten
neSSee.
FIERCE ATTACK UPON
THE TRUSTS.
Republicans Accused of Stealing
the Victory of Last No.
~ vember..
GROSVENOR OF OHIO MAKES A.
TART REPLY.
He Pictures the Many Industries Thai
Have Been Ruined by the
Wilson Bill.

WASd1NGION, IL. u, March Z4.-Rep-
resentative A. f. Fox, tbs Mississippi
Democrat who succeeded Senator Money
from the Fourth District of that State,
opened the third days debate upon the
tariff bill. He opposed the bill for the
reason that the protective tariff system
aided anufacturers a the expense of the
farmers. It could not be otherwise, he
said, for what was done for one class must
necessarily be at the expense of the other.
Sims CD of Tennessee followed in s
similar speech against the bill.
Williams Cd of Mississippi also op-
posed the bill 1t would not in his opin-
ion, he said, produce the desired results,
any more than the repeal of the purchas-
ing clause of the Sherman bill at the spe.
cial session in 1898 produced the "conti-
dence" in our currency that was then
held out to be the inevitable consequence
of declaring against the free. unlimited
and independent coinage of silver. The
difficulty under which the people were
Iaboring was not that the country was buy
ing goods from abroad, but that it was not
buying them from anywhere-it had not
got the money to buy 1T SIT
A fourth speech against the bill was
made by Terry CD OF Arkansas.
Sayers CD of Texas protested against
the passage OF the bill for the reason that
sufficient time was not allowed the House
in which to consider it. The distinguished
gentlem from Iowa tDolliver), said Mr..
Sayers, spoke eloouently yesterday of the
beauties and benefits of protection.
The first extended speech of the day
was that of Johnson (R.) of North Da-
kota, a member of the Committee on
Ways and Means in support of the bill.
He addressed himself in the beginning to
the financial necessities of the Govern
ment. 1t required $500, 100000 year to
pay the ordinary expenditures of the
Government, and unless some great
calamity befelI the country which would
destroy its capacity and its powers, no
Congress could ever assemble in these
halls that would be other than a billion
dollar Congress. 1t was agreed on all
hands that most of this money should be
raised by tariff, but what kind of tariff
should be levied made the difference
between the parties. 1t was a sharply
defined defense, and upon the adoption of
one or the other-Drot otective or revenue
he believed depended the prosperity or
depression of the business of the country.
This bill, Johnson said in conclusion, was
as patriotic as the flag, as broad rs the
country. [Applause.]
AT 1890 McMillin CD of Tennessee
rose to oppose the bill, and his appear
ance was The signal for applause from his
political associates. He opposed the bill
in speech OF more than an hours length.
He asserted that there was no necessity
for i'm posing additional taxes at this time,
and that with even ordinary economy
there would still be large surplus in the
treasury when Congress should assemble
in Decem Der.
4 Proceeding to the merits OF the bill Nc
AMilIin said the Republicans of the
Acountry had been taught a lesson regard
ing bounties, and IN this connection he
taunted the majority with having aban-
doned free sugar, the beauties of which
rang through these halls seven years ago
in the melodious tones of the present
chief magistrate, then the chairman of
the committee on Ways and Means BY
the Republicans admitted that a tariff
was tax and a burden paid by the con-
sumers-
Continuing, he said: mot only have
the gentlemen reimposed this burden OF
taxation, but in doing so they have taken
good care of the corporations and trusts
which now control the sugar market. In the
presence of these gentlemen who framed
this bill it was demonstrated by witnesses
who came before the Ways and Means
Committee at the hearings first, that IL
gantic trust existed in this country to con-
troll manufacturers, regulate prices and
increase their profits; secondly, that the
wings OF this trust, the Eastern and the
Western, have entered into an agreement
by which they farm out and appropriate
the territory of this great Government
and these 100000 people among them
selves. each agreeing to supply certain
portions OF the territory. and not to in
wade the others territory, nor within The
others territory cut prices; thirdly, that
in order to carry out this scheme and in
sure Its perpetuity and profits, the Amerl-
can Sugar and Refining Company con-
trolls absolutely the price of refined sugar
every day. Notwithstanding the develop
ment of these facts, the profit to the trust
is raised bv this bill from one-eighth OF a
cent pound by the present law 10 from
So to so cents on the hundred pounds diff
ference between raw and refined.
81 opposed putting sugar on the free
list originally and the substitution of a