Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-06-29
SENATE AGREES TO THE FINANCE
COMMITTEE RATE.
GENERAL DEBATE ON TRUSTS.
BEGAN WITH VESTS ARRANGEMENT
q OF THE BEEF TRUST.
The Senator Declares That a Duty on
Hides Won't Help Farmers-Mr.
HOar Regards Trusts as
Menace 10 the Re-
public.

washington. June zS-The senate made
good progress on the tariff bill to-day. dis
posing of the paragraphs relating to hides
which have been the source Of much con-
troversy. As finally agreed on. the duty
on hides is placed at % per cent ad valor-
en-, in place of 11zc per pound, as origin
ally reported by the finance committee.
The discussion was protracted, drifting into
q general debate on trusts, and from that
back to the sugar trust.
Mr. Smith. Of New Jersey, spoke at
length against the duty on hides, while Mr..
Allen, of Nebraska, supported the duty.
The new paragraph was agreed to, go,
one Democrat. RaWlins. Of Titan, ana sew
Srsl Populfsts and silver Republicans vot-
ing with the Republicans in the aThrma-
tive.
we're arraignment of the sugar trust by
Messrs. Catfery and Lindsay and a general
discussion Of means to deal with trusts oy
Mr. Hoar Among other paragraphs dis
posed Of during the day were al those re-
iatinE to gloves, a substitute for me para
graph on live animals, iron ore and stained
When lead. lead bearing ores, ETC., was
reached, Mr.. Allison said it was proposed
to change the paragraph on LEAD dross'
bullion, etc, from &c 10 2Llc. The para
graph went over at Mr.. Allison's request.
Mr.; Allison PROPOSED 2 change ,r IN para IA
rate 20 per cent ad valorem instead or llac
per pound; and also striking out the pro-
The paragraph as amended reads Hides
salted or picked. % per cent ad valorem."
Mr.. Smith stated, in response to queS-
tions, that the proposed 20 per cent ad va
loren was much greater than the 1t5c spe-
cific duty. being about 4c per pound by the
Mr.. Plat, of Connecticut, interposed the
suggestion that he had telegraphed to the
New York custom house in reference 10
the Importation of hides and had received
an answer stating that the importation IN
the last eleven months was lSeyo;VO9 po1nais,
of French green hides averaged about JOG
a pound and the South American hides
Ref Referring to Cuba, Mr.. Smith spoke of
the remarkable fact that resolution rec
ognizing the belllgerency OF tne d SH1anS sent rs
that catafalque, or tomb the house OF rep
resentatives. 10 be buried by Repubhean
house, a Republican speaker, at the dc
tation of Republican president. 1t was an
insult TO the American people, which they
would rebuke at the polls next Noyember.
Mr.. Vest of Missouri, reviewed the leg
islation on leather and hides, and presented
a letter written. by James G. Blaine 10
Mr.. Mckinley, when the Mckinley bill was was
being framed, protesting against duty
on hides as a slap in the face OF the South
Americans, and as likely to legiSlate the
ator argued that duty on hides could not
advance the price of cattle in the West,
tie. and and, moreover. the price Of cattle was
fixed absolutely with the power TO pug
the price up or down by the Big -Four
combination at Chicago. The senator re-
called the circumstances OF the senatorial
inquiry into the beef trust, in which ne
When Mr.. Vest spoke OF oppressive ac-
ton by Mr.. Armour to compel butchers 10
use his dressed beef Mr.. Allen, OF Ne.
braska, remarked that the evidence seemed
sufficient for an indictment, and why, then,
was not something done toward prosecu-
This developed a warm controversy be-
tween Mr. Hoar and Mr.. Allen as to the
right of federal prosecution for an onense
wholly within state lines, which at times
. became rather personal.
A reference In Mr.. Smiths remarks to
trusts led Mr.. Stewart, of Nevada, TO make
an extended araignment of the money
trust, which, he asserted, was the worst
Mr.. Stewart argued also that If there was
to be a protective tariff bill, all sections
should share in the advantages Ii gave.
Incidentally. Mr.. Stewart paid a tribute to
the Chicago platform and said he sup
Mr. Allen. of Nebraska, said that while
not an advocate of a general protective
system, yet he concurred with -i1, the view
that If there was to be such Dill every
section should share In the benefits it
gave. He spoke of the benefits OF hide
duty TO the farmers and in particular to
The discussion branched OF to the prose-
cution of trusts, in which Messrs. Allen and
Hear discussed the law.
Mr. Hoar said that while the question
of trusts could be dealt with to some eX-
tent by striking at their imports as in the
serious phases of the evil must be dealt
with by the states. He showed the tech
nical legal meaning of the word trust
and showed the difficulties in making the
sugar trust and Standard Oil trust amena-
BILE to federal law. He regarded these mo
nopolies as menace 10 the republic, ana
was hopeful that some means might be
found TO check them. yet he could not say
how they could be hit The state could
limit their amount of capital, which would
be one effective means of dealing with
Mr.. Lindsay, of Kentucky. said that in
the case of a confessed monopoly such as
the sugar trust. one effective means of
further benefits from tariff legislation:
When the point was reached IN tarih
bill where sugar was to be dealt with,
then u should be so shaped as not to be
IN the benefit of the trust.
Mr.. Hoar replied that the answer TO this
was that the policy seemed to be estab-
lished that revenue was 20 be raised on re-
hned sugar and IL was further desired that
the business Of refining sugar shall be done
in this country rather than abroad. A great
foreign government was about the biggest
trust that could menace the trade of the
United States, Mr.. Hoar asserted. He
hoped that some effective remedy would be
found instead of going on the theory that
because a jackal or a fox preys on our
commerce. It should be given to a foreign
wolf or lion.
Mr. Allen, resuming. declared that the
country was rotten with, trusts" every
article we eat and wear and use being con-
trolled by trusts, while congress. the ju-
dietary and the executive authorities are
impotent and powerless to act according
70 these who argued that the federal laws
cannot reach the trusts. He maintained
that the laws are sufficient if energetical-
ly enforced. but that the authorities have
not executed them with zeal.
The vote was then taken on the hide
paragraph as amended by the committed
and II was agreed to. $40. One Democrat,
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