Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1897-07-23
FIFTY-FIFTH CONGRESS.
WASHINGTON, July IS.
SENATE.

bENA1hs
There was no outward evidence when
The Senate met to-day that the session
was fast drawing to close, although
Senators gathered in groups and dis
cussed the prospects of getting away.
House bill was passed authorizing
the President to suspend discriminate
ing duties imposed on foreign vessels
and commerce.
Mr.. Allison then moved to proceed
with the tariff conference report, but
Mr.. Tillman contested this with moe
ton TO take up his resolution, adverse
ly reported yesterday, for an investiga-
ton of alleged senatorial speculation in
sugar stock.
Mr.. Tillman was about to begin q
speech when Mr.. Allison made the point
of order that debate was not in order
and the presiding officer sustained the
point. Mr.. Tillman thereupon asked
for yea and nay vote, on which his
motion was lost; yeas 15, nays 30.
A resolution was passed for govern
ment building at the exposition at
Omaha.
The consideration of the tariff confer
ence report was then resumed and MIR.
Teller took the floor for general
speech. he said he did not favor the
pending bill and did not believe it
would accomplish the purposes of it's
friends. It's passage, however, would
dispose of the question and enable Con-
gress to devote its attention to other
subjects. He regarded the money ques-
ton as the paramount one. The last
campaign was not, in his judgment, an
endorsement of the gold standard.
A great many people who voted for
the republican candidate did not be-
lieve in the gold standard, but felt that
the tariff question was more important
than that affecting finance. Mr.. Teller
turned his attention to the political
methods of the last campaign. 1t was
the most remarkable contest in our
history, he said, remarkable for the
agencies set at work and the methods
employed for the first time.
A system of terrorism, Of deception,
of fraud, the like of which had never
before been seen was put in operation.
And having been successful in this the
Senator expressed the fear that such
methods had become permanent part
of our political system, until the peo-
l pie were aroused and repudiated them.
| If any one challenged these statements
then Mr.. Teller said he would go into
details. He would show that the press
had teemed with falsehoods as to the
democratic candidate who was charged
with having views which he had ex
pressly repudiated. More than one
republican speaker had been forced to
!, take back his ISLANDERS. The same
methods of misrepresentation were
directed against the democratic plat
form. The Senator referred to the in
tolerance and bigotry of republican
campaign speakers, saying their bitter
ness exceeded that OF the heated days
of the civil war. They denounced
those who disagreed with them as
lamar cbists" and socialists" arraign-
ing them as attempting to cheat and
to debase the public credit and assum
ing that the republican organization
was the sole depository of integrity.
Mr.. Teller spoke ironically of repubi-
can promises of prosperity, first during
the election, then preceding inaugura-
ton, then when the tariff bill was
framed. None of these hopes had been
realized and would be. The Senator
said he had not found man in the
Senate who was satisfied with the
pending bill. except perhaps the re.
publican members of the 6nancs COM
mittee, and certainly that was
the limit of those who approved
the measure. 1t was caucus bill, the
caucus ruling as never before, and in
only two instances being overruled.
The bill was, he asserted, full OF ab
surdities aud inequalities if not of
crime. It was vicious, unfair, extrav.
agant and unsatisfactory bill. And yet,
| if measure had been brought before
the Senate in proper form, just bill
and not one for trusts and syndicates,
there were enough votes in the Senate
to pass it, even if every democratic vote
was recorded against it. Mr.. Teller
| commended the recent State Depart
ment paper on the seal question, as
"that remarkable paper of good Ameri-
can ideas expressed in good old fash
toned way" He said he did not know
who the author was but would con-
graduate him if he did. Mr.. Teller
said great sums of money had been
used in the last campaign by the sue
cessful party. He had heard it stated
that the republican party had spent more
money in the last campaign than in
all the previous campaigns of its
origin. However this might be, certain
it was that every great industry was
taxed, that every great financial insti-
tuition was taxed, and they all con.
tributed.
The world would never know what
these sums were and they could be
Judged only by examining this tariff
bill. These great contributing con-
Germs had come here and said in sub
stance: "As we helped you win that
fight against anarchy and socialism,
what are we to have to recoup our ad
vances ?"
1T would be worth mint of money"
exclaimed Mr.. Teller, "if we could
know what the sugar trust gave, what
the standard oil company gave, and
what the great financial concerns gave.
I suppose the finance committee know
aud that they understand what measure
of benefit must be meted out to Them"
When Mr.. Teller argued on the con-
stitutionality of the tax on bonds,
stocks, etc. Mr.. Allison joined issue with
him, saying that state courts had held
that certain classes of bonds were ex
arn pf from tovofiop opd tho fay IL inn