The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-03-27
A TILT in
COMM Tee.
A Very Lively Political Skirmish
Over the Tariff.
MR.LANHAM MOVED TO STRIKE
OUT THE ENACTING CLAUSE OF
THE .DINGLEY BILL. a MOTION
WHICH CREATED TEMPORARY
CONSERVATION AMONG THE RE
PUBLICANS = THE CHAIRMAN
RULED THE MOTION OUT OF OR
DER. q
DER. q

Washington, March 26.-The consider
alton of the tariff bill under the five-min-
ute rule for tue purpose of amendment,
which it was expected would be strictly
business, opened with the livlest politi-
cal contest of the season, lasting for near
~ three hours.
Preliminary to the main battle of the
day, there was II lively skirmish imme
diately after the House went into COM
mittee of the whole and the clerk was in
structed to begin reading the bill
Mr.. Lanham, of Texas, asked if it
would he in order ut this time to move to
strike ont the enactng clause, which, he
stated, if adopted, would operate us IL re-
lection of the bill.
The motion created temporary conster-
nation in the Republican ranks. for there
was not II quorum of the committee pres
ent and it was apparent that larger
number of Democrats were in their seats
than Republicans.
Mr.. Dingley. chairman of the ways and
means committee, suggested that the mo-
ton he held in allegiance until some pro-
gress had been made in'the reading of the
bill, when there would be 1t larger attend
ancc present. TO press the motion now
would result only in delaying cousidera-
ton of the bill until IL quorum could he
obtained.
~''i. i-huiihtil StttNcll SbhGeI Vll1C tile
motion expressed his antagonisnl TO the
bill and ne desired to press it to IA vote
now, the chairman having held it to be
in order.
Chairman Sherman The chair has
made no ruling; it has only expressed IL
hasty opinion that the motion is in or
der. But has the gentleman studied the
terms of the special order under which
the House is proceeding;
Mr.. Lanham-I do not understand, Mr.
Chairman, that that order surersedes the
general rules giving debate and the con-
sideration of the hill.
While the chairman was looking I'D the
subject an animated colloquy passed on
the floor
Finally Chairman Sherman ruled that
under the special order the motion by the
gentleman from Texas was not then i'm
order.
Promptly on the reading of the prefa.
tory paragraph of the bill, Mr.. Dockery,
of Missouri. offered an amendment IA.
thorizing the Secretary of the Treasury to
admit free of duty any article of produc-
ton and the price of which was controlled
by trust in the United States
Mr.. Dingley made the point that the
amendment was rot in order at that place
and Mr.. Dalzell, of Pennsy vanin. said
that, if it were in order rs to time, Con-
gress could not devolyc on the Secretary
II Judicial duty such as that of determin-
ing whether or not IL trust WAS in control
of certain article This precipitated a
debate, based on Democratic charges that
Republicans favored trusts and did not
want to legislate against them All of
the leaders on both sides, and some not
recognized in that rank, took part.
Charges and countel-ch charges were banded
back and forth, and the record of the
past seven years was searched to show the
action of both parties on the subject of
trusts.
After nearly three hours of this Skin
mishing, the question ostensibly being
the point OF order, Gen. Henderson, of
Iowa, appealed to both sides to put an
end 30 it, saying that if it was the desire
to get through the bill in the time allot-
ted for its consideration, ga mighty bad
start had been made all aroundn
The point against the amendment was
sustained by the chair, Mr. Sherman of
New York, and on appeal, his ruling was
sustained-158 to 104. Many other
amendments, having the same object. to
put articles controlled by trusts on the
free lists, were offered and on objection by
Mr.. Din2ley,all were ruled out of order
MIR. Dingley stated that when the time
came to deal with trusts the Republican
majority would do so and that after pass.
ing this tariff bill, if anything remained
to do for the public interests, it would
attend to that.