The herald., 1897-08-01

IN THE NOBLE ORCHESTRA LED BANDMAsTER HUNTING
ToN-sPEAKER BEATS THE DRUM
Interesting Did
Not Adopt Flibusterng actics-obeying the Great
Moneyed

nome yesterday, looking none the worse
for the arduous session of nearly five
months duration. The senator was seer
by Herald reporter and freely dis
cussed the tariff, the magnum opus
of the special session, and also paid his
respects to Secretary Alger. Mr.. White
said
NO FILIBUSTERING
"The late session of congress was
quite important as every one knows,
from a national standpoint, and was of
great interest as far as California is con-
cerned locally. The session was called
ostensibly for the enactment of a tariff
bill. From the beginning the Demo-
Gratis, otwi tbs tandiug the Republican
example of 1894, abstained from filbus-
tering. The measure received no con-
sideration in the house except that which
was indirectly accorded by the ways and
means committee of the last congress,
and the limited hearings given by the
kindred committee of this congress-
When the bill reached the senate the
Republican members took possession OF
it, rented rooms at the Arlington hotel.
for the full committee. When it reached
the latter it was not examined in detail
but was reported against Democratic
protests to the senate. There it was
considered deliberately and there was
absolutely no attempt to filibuster. The
Democratic members of the finance COM
mittee, who had charge of the opposi-
tion, contented themselves with exposing
ha t,a10
measure.
NINE HUNDRED AMENDMENTS
After the senate had finally agreed
upon nearly nine hundred amendments
the bill was sent to conference. No one
outside of the Republican conferees
knew the nature of the amendments
agreed upon until the bill was reported.
1t was at once set down for hearing In
the house and was voted upon at time
when it was impossible that twenty
members of that body could have known
its contents. 1t was again considered
in the senate and passed after five days
debate, was signed and became a law
During the last campaign gold Demo-
Gratis quite largely supported Mckinley
upon the theory that no violent tariff
change would be made, and Mr. Aldrich.
representing the majority of the finance
committee, when making the opening
speech for his party assured the country
that schedules less protective than the
Mckinley bill would be enacted.
THE SUGAR TINKERING
perhaps the most important depar-
ture made in the latter enactment was
the exemption OF sugar from taxation
and the bO1Otv proyiSiop with re efarapoo
to the same article. The Wilson bill was
antagonized most strongly upon the
ground that duty was imposed upon
sugar-a burden upon the poor mans
table. The Mckinley bill averaged about
forty-nine per cent ad valorem; the
Wilson bill about forty per cent the
present bill averages about fifty-seven
per cent. Sugar was free under the Nc
Kinley bill; the Wilson law taxed the
article, but the amount imposed was
about one and one-fifth cents per pound
less than the rate of the present law
Many articles of prime necessity here
tofore upon the free list are taxed, and
goods of high grade, purchased by the
rich, are assessed in frequent clauses
lightly, While inferior grades are ex-
travagantly burdened. I compiled a
inserted the same in an address deliv-
cred by me in the senate last week.
THAT CURRENCY MESSAGE
"The currency message was peculiar
affair. 1t was not endorsedb by the lead
ing men of the dominant party, but on
the contrary was indirectly snubbed by
the Republicans of the senate. 1t was
cent to congress upon the day upon
which it was expected that an adjourn
ment would be had. Indeed the resolu-
tion fixing 9 o'clock in the evening as
the hour of final adjournment passed
the house before the currency bill was
presented. Then a rule was brought
in and the house was forced to consider
and vote upon bill drawn in accord
ance with the recommendations of the
message after a debate of about one
hour. The currency message reached
the senate about the same time that the
house concurrent resolution of adjourn
ment was presented. The vice president t
who, by the way, is a very excellent
officer-placed the adjournment matter
before the body first. We called atten-
tion to the fact that the presidents mes
sage was upon the table, and commented
upon the popularity of the situation. 1t
NaQ Deen long ana generally Known Inat
anything involving finances would ex-
cite some debate, and yet with a pend
ing proposition to adjourn that after
noon. with the presidential household
packing for a summer outing, the eXecu-
tive recommended immediate action upon
currency message. Several Democrats
volunteered to remain and to assist the
Republicans in making quorum to con-
slider the currency question, but Senator
Aldrich very candidly declared that II
was out of the question to consider such
a proposition at the present session. and
Senator Hoar added that he did not be-
lieve that anyone in the United States
expected a currency bill to pass before
December. After the responsibility had
been thus assumed. no Republican pro-
testing, and after it became manifest
that it was impossible to procure the
passage of the Harris resolution, which
was designed to prevent the consumma-
tion of the Union Pacific give-away sale,
an adjournment was agreed upon"
THE SAN PEDRO FIGHT
Regarding San Pedro harbor 1 have
this to say The Walker board was ap-
pointed as the outcome of a very acrid
discussion, in which the Huntington
forces insisted upon reversing the re-