The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1897-06-25
Washington Letter.

Washington, June IS. 1897 MIR.
Mckinley is a graduate of the Ohio
school of politics, and few slicker indi-
v:duIls hold diplomas from that source.
His trotting out of that new treaty for
the annexation of Hawaii at this time is
a very slick attempt to take advantage of
the popularity of the idea of anueXing
Hawaii to distract public attention from
his failure to announce his Cuban policy.
in accordance with promises made In
his behalf IN congress Had the people
not been clamOring for action towards
Cuba 1t Is not likely that the HaSanu
treaty would have been heard from be-
fore next winter, notwithstanding the
declaration of some of Mr.. MckInley's
friends that it was brought forward to
assist the senators tointelligently dispose
of the tariff.
Although il is well known that many
of the Democratic senators favor the ul-
innate annexation of Hawaii very few
of them have committed themselves on
this new treaty 1t is too important
matter to be decided on the spur of the
moment. and it will not be surprising
should the Democrats oppose any at
tempt to railroad the treaty through the
will be lost by allowing the treaty to go
over TO the regular session of congress.
Already the question is being asked, why
do so much for Hawaii, several thous-
and miles away, and nothing for Cuba,
which is suffering right at our doors, so
to speak There is some talk about de-
laying action on the Hawaiian treaty
until Mr.. Mckinley agrees to do some
thing for Cuba, which many think must
also ultimately come under the control
of the L. :. in some form or other.
Some Democratic senators favor hold
ing a caucus to decide Just what attitude
they shall take towards the Hawaiian
treaty, but nothing definite has yet been
determined upon.
Senator 1Illman has proposed an
amendment to the tariff bill that would
do more than all the recent attempts to
restrict immigration. 1t provides for
mead tax of 500 on each immigrant
and makes it misdemeanor for any
alien who does not intend to become an
American citizen and to remain such to
enter the U. :, for the purpose of en-
gaging an any mechanical trade or man
ual labor. There is a provision that the
head tax shall cease to be levied as soon
as the L. ). adopts the free coinage of
silver.
Fearing that the antitrust tariff
amendment offered by Senator Petit
grew might be adopted on direct vote
Senator Allison, who is in charge of the
tariff bill during the absence of Senator
Aldrich, resorted to a little parliament
ary trick to kill it, and succeeded. He
moved that it be laid on the table and
the motion was carried by a vote of 80
to 80. Had Senators Morgan and Pet
tus, the only Democrats who voted for
the notion. voted against it, it would
have been defeated by vote of 81 to
33 and the antitrust amendment would
have been added to the tariff bill. 1t is
but fair to state that Senators Morgan
and Pettus stated their opposition to the
amendment to be that it would create
more and worse trusts than it would in
jure existing trusts.
Senator Vest gave Senator Allison sew
eral blows straight from the shoulder in
a few remarks disseCting the figures set
forth by Mr.. Allison in place of those
submitted by Mr.. Aldrich when the
change was made in the sugar schedule.
Mr.. Vest believes that each sugar sched
ule has been little better for the sugar
trust than the one 1t succeeded, not
wlthstanding the public howl against
favoring this colossal monopoly, and he
presented figures to back his belief A
cordlng to his figures, the present tariff
gives protection on 96-degree sugar of
81 cents per hundred pounds; the Ding
ley schedule 4lcents; the Aldrich sched-
ule 46 cents, and the caucus schedule,
afterwards adopted by the senate, AZ
cents. Thus it is that the Republican
senators who opposed the Wilson bill
because they said 1t gave the sugar trust
too much protection have put them
selves on record in favor of giving the
trust exactly ten cents hundred pounds
more than the Wilson tariff bill gave it.
NJ.