The herald., 1897-03-23

A0yl1l AlCWs LIE POI ~AA>t~4 N@@< -
perity the country enjoyed under the
Mckinley law with the distress produced
by the Wilson law. Under the McKin-
ley law eleven stars. he said, were added
to the flag
what party provided the territory
out of which those eleven states were
carved?" asked Mr. Wheeler. Cap
plause).
"The Democratic party" replied Mr..
Hopkins, "the same party which tried
to take eleven states from the fag.'
(Applause)
Later while Mr.. Hopkins was contend
ing that there was not an enforced ioie
man in the country under the Mckinley
law,he was asked whether Coxey's army
invaded Washington under the Mckin-
ley or the Wilson law.
"With the advent Of the Democrats
10 power" responded Mr.. Hopkins. "af-
ter the Mckinley law had been paralyzed
by the threat of free trade"
"Bt IL there was such wonderful pros
perity and all labor was at work, how
were the Republicans so numerically
defeated in 1922" queried Mcguire OF
California.
"By the false pretension Of the DEM
ocratic party" retorted the Illinois MEM
ber, amid the applause at his side.
Bell of Colorado, Populist, took the
fioor as the spokesman Of his party as
sociates.
1.-THE Populist party" he said, has
not taken any decisive stand on the
tariff as q whole, because 1t has never
believed the tariff was the cause of our
difficulties. Nevertheless think it can
be safely stated that the Populists In
general believe that while government
derives its principal revenue from an
import tax, such protection should be
given to all our Industries as Will cover
the difference between the cost of labor
here and abroad, without discrimination
against section or individual, whether 1t
or he produces raw material OF manu-
factured products. But the Populist par
ty. of course, believes in requiring the
wealth. of the country to bear its share
of the burdens through graduated in
come tax"
The claim that the deuties were levied
to cover the differences in the cost of
labor, he said, was mere hypocrisy.
Statistics proved that 6 per cent ad valo-
rem would cover this difference, and IS
per cent cover the ent tire labor cost OF
the articles on the dutiable list in 1880.
The ad valorem in this bill would ap-
proach so per cent.
AT o'clock, when Bell concluded, the
house. under the order, took a recess
until o'clock.
The night session of the house for
debate on the tariff bill was to have
begun at s o'clock. Speaker Reed had
designated Mr.. Hopkins of Illinois to
officlate in his stead, but Mr.. Hopkins
had forgotten the appointment. Mes
sengers went after Mr.. Hopkins, and at
$3.50 he appeared and called the house
to order
About rs members were present.
Speeches in opposition to the bill were
mads by Mr.. Robinson of Pennsylvania,
Democrat; Mr.. Green of Nebraska, Pop
ulist; Mr.. Carmack of Tennessee, DEM
ocrat, and Mr. Buckner of Michigan,
Democrat, and at 10:30 the house ad-
journed.
THE MINORITY REPORT.
WASHINGTON, March 22-Mr. Bal
ley of Texas presented to the house to-
night the minority report on the tariff
bill. The report was signed by all the
Democratic members of the ways and
means committee and gives the grounds
of their opposition to the bill.
1t says: This bill was framed with
the avowed purpose of protecting the
manufacturers of the United States
against foreign competition, and it is
perfectly obvious that If 1t accomplisAes
that purpose it must result in compell-
Ing the consumers of this country to pay
more for their manufactured goods, and
for this reason we think 1t should not
pass. We rest our opposition on the
broad principle that congress was in
vested with the power Of taxation as a
means of collecting from each citizen
his fair proportion toward the support
of the government and that 1t is a gross
perversion of that sovereign power to
employ 1t as a means of enabling IA
vored classes to levy unjust charges
upon the great body of the people. The
report says the disapproval of the
bounty system as applied to the sugar
industry has been so pronounced that
the committee dared not insert 1t in the
bill, yet in the opinion of the signers
the payment Of bounties is preferable
to the tariff tax as being more direct
and simple. The report concludes:
1--WE are unable to offer a substitute
for the pending bill because we have
not been allowed reasonable time to
prepare one. Congress convened in ex-
traordinary session on Monday March
Is, and this bill was introduced the
same day and referred to the committee
on ways and means. which met the next
morning and on Thursday it was or
dered to be reported to the house. The
majority of the committee had spent
the three months of the last session Of
the last congress in the preparation Of
their bill and yet they refuse to allow
the minority three weeks in which 10
prepare a substitute. We are unwilling
to propose a measure that has not been
carefully matured and we must there
fore content ourselves with protesting
against the passage of the committees >
bill"
IN THE SENATE.
WASHINGTON. March 22.-The SEN
ate today agreed to resolution request
Ing the president for Information rela-
tive to the death of DR.. Ruiz in Cuba.
Among the bills reported was the