Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-05-28
ALDRICH EXPLAINS.
Exhaustive Exposition Of the Sen.
ate's Tariff Bill.
DEBATE on THE MEASURE BEGINS.

Principal Points in the Eastern Sem
ator's Speech - Vote Expected
About July 1, After Which VIII
Come Fight In Conference.
Washington, May Ex-senator Aldrich
went over the entire tariff ground in his ex-
position of theefeatures of the senate bill
Tuesday, his presentation occupying two
hours in its delivery. The speech EN-.
braced $1,000 words, or about ten columns OF
newspaper space. Nearly one-half of II
was given over to an explanation Of the
senate sugar schedule
With the presentment of the republican
side OF the tariff case by Senator Aldrch
the senate battle may be said to have fair
ly opened, and there will be no let up until
final vote is reached. The republicans
have fully decided to concentrate all en-
ergies upon the one point of expediting &C
ton. 1t Is realized that the real struggle
over the great schedules about which hot
differences are aroused will be when the
conference committees of the two houses
lock horns. and there is a general desire
to hurry the day when the measure Is thus
consigned. Tariff laws are made in con-
ference more than they are by the inde-
pendent action of either branch of con-
gress, and the heavy weights are reserving
their strength for that interesting and vital
period.
May Vote July I.
Opinions differ as to the time Of arriving
at vote, but the estimate most frequent
ly heard is July l. with an additional 80
days for conference consideration. OPP
position to the beer tax among republicans
seems at this stage to center largely with
Senators Hanna. Spooner and Plat IN.
W Whether or not this opposition
will defeat the internal revenue features
remains to be seen. The general impress
sion is that the bill will contain the in
ternal revenue -prani.t~r.- BIB now
agreed upon when presented for executive
approval.
Debate Begins.
The tariff bill was taken up at two
o'clock. Senator Vest dem, MOI gave
notice that when the paragraphs were
read he would move to strike out the pro-
visions relating to beer, manufactured to-
hacco and SNUFF and cigarettes.
Senator Aldrich (rep., r. ~ then opened
the debate for the republicans. He said in
part as follows:
Senator Aldrich's Speech.
''Mr. President. the business of the en-
tire country Is In state of suspension
awaiting the action of the senate upon
the bill under consideration. / believe
that the anxiety to secure action upon this
important measure at the earliest possible
day Is shared by every member of the SEN
ate. 1t is my purpose to keep the bill con-
tinuously before the senate, to the exclu-
sion Of all other legislative business, until
It is finally disposed of, and in this shall
expect the hearty cooperation of senators
on both sides of the chamber. In the dis
cussion of the bill the members of the
majority committee will content them
selves with such brief explanations as
may be found necessary of the various
paragraphs as they are reached
Proceeding to give the views of the re-
publican majority of the committee which
framed the bill, the senator said:
THE rates suggested by the committees
amendments are considerably below those
imposed by the house bill, and in most
of 1890. In suggesting these reductions the
members reattirm and emphasize their po-
sition as friends of the protective policy
Industrial conditions In this country, with
very few exceptions, do not demand re-
turn to the rates imposed by the act of
1890. Without reinquishing one particle
OF our devotion to the cause of protec-
aion. we feel that we have right to ask
that the cause shall not be burdened by
the imposition Of duties which are un-
necessary and excessive.
House Estimates Erroneous
1.-THE trainers of the house bill estimate
a total revenue from the bill of $269 1885,
10 in normal years. This would be the
largest revenue received from customs du-
ties and an increase of $l13.479.793 over
the customs revenue of 1886 and Of SIX, 1872
"a over that of 1881
After giving in detail the house estimates
of revenue Senator Aldrich proceeded:
1T will be apparent from critical ex-
animation Of the provisions of the house
: bill that the estimate of 100000 increase
of revenue, if the bill should become a
law by the LIST of July was excessive. To
indicate the grounds upon which this judg-
ment is based we may take the wool and
wooden schedule, from which $4,000, 600 out
of s76.OO0.00O increase is expected. The fact
Is well known that there have been I'M
lamentations in a
OF the reimposition Of a duty-enough, ac-
cording to the trade reports, to supply all
the foreign wool needed by the domestic
manufacturers for more than year. The
estimate of s14, 000, 900 increase from wooden
goods lis equally erroneous.
The same condition exists. In lesser de-
gree perhaps, with reference to other
schedules. Instead of an increased rev.
enue from tobacco we may more safely
count upon a decrease in the first year;
the Increase from sugar will be much less
than the ways and means committees esti-
mate, owing to the fact that one quarter of
the years supplies of raw sugar will prob.
ably be imported before any new rates Of
duty can be applied to them.
THE secretary Of the treasury estimates
the expenditures for all purposes for the
fiscal year ending June 80. 1895, at $466, $780,
U7.28. The finance committee estimates the
revenue to be derived in the same fiscal
year from customs. IL the provisions of
this bill should be enacted into law, at
f1S2744.000. This includes an estimated
revenue from the temporary duty on tea
of sS.000000. The committee estimates the
receipts from internal revenue for the same
period at 170,7C0.0O0 If we add to this
the treasury estimate for miscellaneous
receipts. $200O0,0O0. and the receipts on ac-
count of the post office. 1885, 227,O7G we have
total estimated receipts for the fiscal
year 1898 of s4G9,G7l .O7G, or an estimates ex-
cess Of receipts over expenditures for that
year of s2.725.02S. If the estimated revenue
from the duty on tea and the additional
internal revenue taxes should be omitted
from the committees estimn ties OF receipts.
there would be an estimated deficiency of
$29.175.C00, instead of a surplus of $2.725.O2X
Must Prevent Deficiency.
1.-The committee believes it to be the
imperative duty of congress to provide
in the measure under consideration for
revenue which will certainly meet the re-
quirements of the government for the
next fiscal year The adoption Of a revenue
bill which should fail in this purpose. and
which should create an additional de-
f1ciency in the immediate future and which
would require further Issue OF bonds to
meet current expenditures would certain
ly be fatal to the hopes of future success
of any political party responsible for such
legislation.
Assuming that the necessity for addi-
tional revenue exists, and of this we believe
there can be no question. there Ia no eco
nomic reason, and certainly none that af-
fects the public interests, why beer and
tobacco should not bear their share of ad-
ditional taxation. The committee believes
that the duty proposed on tea will not
prove a serious burden upon tba consum-
ers of that article"
The Sugar Schedule.
Much space is given to the sugar sched-
ule. After reviewing the provisions of this