Birmingham state herald., 1897-06-06
THE LUMBER SCHEDULE The Main Point of Debate in
 the Senate. DIFFERENCES OF OPINION
 S Among Democratic Senators This Fea- tire of the Tariff Bill veY : Bacon
 Have Lively .

Washington, June D. 3 en the senate laid aside the tariff bf .onight, it had reached the sugar sci.. ile. which has been the subject of sq .n lch interest and conflict. During theSSAy many of the paragraphs of the wood schedule had been agreed to but that restoring lumber to the dutiable list at $2 per 1000 proved the greatest stumbling block encoun- tered since the debate began. It led to an excited debate during which wide divergence of views was developed on the democratic side of the chamber.
 MT. Bacon, democrat of Georgia, gave his support to the committee rates, say ing it was essential to the lumber indus try of the south He also spoke in fa- vor of a revenue tariff so adjusted as to give equal benefits to all industries MT. Bacon and MT. Vest clashed several times on tariff doctrine, MT. Vest expressing his regret that democratic senator would aid in restoring to the dutiable list one Of the three products-lumber, salt and wool which the Wilson bill put on the free list.
 MT. Clay, of Georgia, also spoke at length on the tariff bill. criticising the sugar schedule and other features of the bill.
 When the paragraph on sawed boards, blanks, deals, etc., was resumed, MT. Vest said he would move to place the articles of this paragraph on the free list
 MT. Jones, of Arkansas, spoke against additional tax on lumber, referring to the heavy burden it imposed on the peo- pie of the west. He said the rates of the bill were the rsult of determined the bill were the result of determined and in this connection he read letter from the, National Lumber convention issued from an office In Washington urg- ing that petitions to members and sen ators be prepared bearing the names or Workingmen This, MT. Jones declared, was the means by which high rates were being urged.
 MT, Vest said there was not single item in the hill so utterly indefensibie as that contained in the rate on white pine taking it from the free list and placing it at $2.00 per 1000 feet. White pine was justly called the king of eonifeurs wooo and yet the clear intent of the framers of this bill was to make rates ab5olute- ly prohibitory on this wood.
 It was due to some extent to com binatfon between the lumber interests or the west and south and he had been con fronted by this combination in his last canvass
 Mir Vest declared that the proposed rate on white pine was in the interest of the "lumber bau'ons who have accuruu- lated millions upon millions at the ex- pense of the people. In fervid tones MT. Vest referred to this added burden on the poor to whom every penny was aMnosl da'lar and every dollar almost drop or rloed It was. he said, the most in1e- feasible item of the bill, without iustifi- cation or palliation.
 MT. Jones, of Arkansas. warned his southern associates against the ar'gu- mant theit the lumber interests of the south would be benefited by the exclu- sion of Canadian lumber.
 MT. Vest moved an amendment except ing white pine from the operation of the paragraph.
 Mir Bacon, (Dem) of Georgia, opposed Mir Vests position The latter. he said. had pointed cut rates increased 100 per cent while in this schedule the average ad ysalorum was below 20 per cent. That being, the case MT. Bacen said that MT. Vests stlsrerlent that this was the most unjustificd clause of the bill was not war ranted.
 q regard it as the most req sorlah hle feat ure of the whole bill" declared MT. Ba- con. ''I re,g1rd the statemerF as DHor one. irrespective of the parry from which # cNmes."
 MT. Vest rather lightly said he under stood the web and wool of the sena sor's (Eacon) statement to be that he favored a revenue tariff, but no; a protective tariff.
 Not only the web and wool, but the whole garment. responded MT. Bacon
 MT. Vest asked MT. Bacon to explain why 1t was that r'hese rates were made absolutely prohibitory.
 Mr. Bacon ns wered by denial, aying that average duties below 20 per cent. could not be prohibltory. He added that he had spoken at some length because he had found himself differing from some of his democratic associates. He had not abandoned the idea that a correct duty is a revenue duty, and In this con- nedsion he referred Mir. Vest to Ahs duties imposed by the Wilson act, framed in part by him West)
 MT. Vest said he entered his protest against any S.a temept that the Wilson act established precedent for the dem- ocnatic party. That bill, he declared, was passed under duress with the president and the secretary of she treasury urging that tariff bill was absolutely neces- scary.
 "If the senator was called upon to frame revenue tariff bill," interposed MT. Ba con. "w'hat would he consider the lowess average rate?"
 That would depend upon the require ments of the government" responded MT Vest.
 Would it be 25 per cent?" persisted MT Bacon.
 MT. Vest thought 1t might be if the ex- penditures of the government were brought within reasonable limits.
 Could 1t be 20 per cent?" pursued MT. Bacon.