Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1897-03-24
FIFTY-FIFTH CONGRESS.
WASHINGTON, March "a.
SENATE.

The agricultural appropriation Dill
was reported and placed on the calen-
dar, Mr.. Cullom giving notice that he
would ask consideration of it at an
early day.
Mr.. Cullom also introduced bill Tor
monument to Abraham Lincoln, at
Gettysburg, Pa.
Mr.. Allen followed up his attack OF
yesterday on civil service by the intro.
duction of bill to repeal and annul
the civil service act, all acts supple
mentary to it and all executive orders
issued thereon.
1t makes it the duty of heads OF de-
partments to establish reasonable and
| Just rules for the examination OF appll-
cants for of1ice-such rules to have
reference to specific fitness. The bill
| was read in full and referred to the
committee to examine the several
branches OF the civil service.
| Among the bills introduced was one
by Mr.. Hoar to forbid the carrying
through the mails or by inter State COM
MERGE of kaleidoscope representations OF
prize fights. Referred to the Judiciary
committee.
At 1890 the Senate proceeded to the
consideration of executive business.
HOUSE.
Representative A. F. Fox. the Mis-
sissppi democrat who succeeded Sena-
tor Money from the fourth district of
that State, opened the third days de-
bate on the tariff bill. He opposed the
bill for the reason that the protective
tariff system benefited manufacturers
at the expense of the farmers. 1t could
not be otherwise, he said, because what
was done for one class must necessarily
be at the expense of the other.
speech against the bill. He said there
was no reason for calling the Congress
10 extraordinary session to railroad
through this revenue measure. An
alleged deficit was the reason assigned,
he said, when the fact was that the
treasury contained $l1S,000,000. which
could be applied to the payment of cur
rent expenses and to nothing else. The
treasury could carry thu government
along for three years at the present rate
of receipts, so that the emergency ex-
listed only liz the imagination of the re-
publican leaders. The bill under dis
cussion was introduced in 1890 as
revenue reducer; now it is called rev.
enue producer.
Mr.. Williams also opposed the bill.
1t would not in his opinion produce
the desired results any more than the
repeal of the purchasing clause of the
| Sherman bill at the special session in
J. 1898, produced the confidence" in
our currency that was then held out
to be the inevitable consequence of de-
claring against the free, unlimited and
independent coinage of silver. The
difficulty under which the people were
laboring was not that the country was
buying goods from abroad, but was not
buying them from anywhere-it had
not got the money TO buy at all.
A fourth speech against the bill was
made by Mr.. Terry, who denounced
the protective tariff system, charging
that it prayed upon commerce as pi-
rate, with the black hag at the peak.
Mr.. Sayers protested against the pas
sage of the bill for the reason that suf-
ficient time was not allowed the house
! in which to consider it. A bill propos-
ing To tax the people of the country
S275,O 100000 should not be rushed
through the House with only nine
days consideration. This bill would
increase the customs duties 113 100000
a wear. If the bill became law one of
two things would result; either in-
creased extravaganza Of public expen-
ditures, or the retirement of the green
backs, which had given the treasury SO
much trouble in the past few years, so
MS to protect gold reserve. MIR. Sayers
pleaded for economy in expenditures
of the government and reduction OF APP
preparations.
Mr.. Johnson spoke in support of the
bill. He said it required five
hundred million dollars year
to pay the ordinary expenditures of the
government and unless some great ca
lamity befell the country, which should
destroy its capacities and its powers,
no Congress would ever assemble that
would be other than billion dollar
Congress. Mr.. Johnson proceeded then
to argue the benefits resulting from the
operation of a protective tarff-the
rule being, he said, that such a tariff
operated to reduce the price of the ar
ticle protected.
Mr.. McRae-Is that the reason why
you put duty of 25 cents bushel on
wheat? daughter and applause by
democrats.)
Mr.. Barlow-You say that in demo-
cratic tariff the consumer pays the tax
Who pays it in your tariff?
The bill, MIR. Johnson said in con-
clusion, was as patriotic as the flag; as
broad as the country.
Mr.. McMillin then rose to oppose the
bill and his appearance was the signal
for applause from bis political associates.
Mr.. McMillin was literally applaud
ed during his speech and his time was
extended half an hour. He asserted
that there was no necessity for impos-
ing additional taxes at this time, that
with even ordinary economy there
would still be a large surplus
in the Treasury when Congress
should assemble in December. He
said it was demonstrated by wit
nesses who came before the ways and
meaus committee that gigantic sugar
trust existed in this country to control
manufactures, regulate prices and in
crease their profits; that the two wings
of this trust, the eastern and western,
have entered into an agreement by