The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-07-07
NO TAX ON IMMIGRANTS.
SENATOR IILLMAN'5 SCHEME RE-
JECTEO BY THE SENATE.

II oOhStuluk W AtoINcS
After tedious consideration Of the
tariff bill throughout Tuesday the Sen,
ate wound up with a Galf hour OF
lively and amusing colloquy between
Senators Tillman Of South Carolina
and Chandler of New Hampshire.
The former had proposed an amend
ment to the tariff bill providing 500
head tax on immigrants and a restric
ton against all those not com.
ing to the United States to become cit
liens. Mr.. Tillman Of South Carolina
was recognized for a speech in support
Of the amendment to the bill:
THAT there shall be collected a
head tax of 800 on ali immigrants
coming to the United States by land
or water.
THAT it shall be a misdemeanor,
punishable by fine or Imprisonment,
for any alien who does not intend to
become an AnericaS citizen, or who
retains his citizenship in a foreign
country, to enter the United States for
the purpose of engaging in any me-
cbanical trade Or manual labor within
the borders thereof; provided that this
section and the one Immediately pre-
ceding shall only remain of force un-
til silver shall be admitted to our
minis for coinage at the ratio of Is to /,
on the same condition with gold"
Mr.. Tillman spoke of the rapid
spread of %pauperism, as shown by the
statistics of the ,jsils and prisons. 1t
was time, he said, to keep platform
promises, to do something for labor,
to keep back the half million immi.
grants arriving annually and to place
a value on American citizenship.
ITO sell it at 500 a head" suggest
ed Mr.. Chandler, ironically.
"Oh, if the Senator wants a colo.
ouy at me- he can have it before I get
through" answered Mr.. Tillman.
Mr.. Tillman spoke of the miserable
condition of the coal miners of Penn
sylvania, and read from official re-
ports, saying many of the miners were
compelled to live like beasts.
And this" exclaimed Mr.. Tillman,
derisively, when Senators were fran.
ing their laws for the protection OF
American labor and American indus
try" ,
Mr.. Quay remarked that the report
from which Mr.. Tillman read was
made by a Republican committee ap
pointed by a Republican legislature.
"And I am asking a Republican
Congress to protect these people
against competition" declared Mr..
Tillman. Twill you do it2 Dare
you do it, or will you be satisfied with
giving labor lip service2"
He gave the extent of the slum ele-
ment in New York, Baltimore, Chica-
20 and other cities, and said that
showed where the big Republican ma
.~jorities came from last year.
The Senator dealt more in statistics
than usual. although he added the
characteristic vehemence of voice and
gesture to his remarks. He closed
with a gloomy prediction that if the
tide of immigration wss not turned
back the country would be torn by
revolution and bloodshed and a repe-
tition of the Paris commune.
MIR. Chandler briefly responded to
the South Carolina Senator, and asked
why it was that the immigration bill
passed By Republican majorities in
the last Congress bad been defeated
because your Republican Presi.
dent, Grover Cleveland, vetoed it,"
shouted MI. Tillman, amid laughter.
Mr.. Chandler protested against hav.
Jog Mr.. Cleveland designated a Repub'
lican when the Senator from South
Carolina Tillman) had joined other
Democrats in electing that President
as q Democrat.
YES" observed MI. Tillman, while
the the galleries roared, II ask for
giveness for that, and / promise, so
help me God, I'll neverdo it again"
Mr.. Chandler went on to say that
the failure of the only recent amend
ment to the immigration laws was de.
feated by a Democratic President.
"And the Senator should have
turned the tines OF his pitchfork on
Grover Cleveland and left the Repub
lican party for another day" contin.
ued the Senator in droll tones.
Here Mr.. Tillman insisted on setting
himself straight on Grover Cleveland,
and in spite of protests he proceeded
rapidly TO assert that in 1892 he went
to the national convention at the head
of the South Carolina delegation, af-
ter the State convention had declared
Mr.. Cleveland to be a prostitute of
Democracy"
MI. Chandler here interposed a pro-
test, and with mock seriousness con-
vulsed the Senate by refusing to yield
longer. Il cannot permit" he said,
''such language against the President
of the Senator's Party" He would
yield only in case this Senator adopted
"his usual courteous and respectful
style toward the late President"
Mr.. Tillman started to review the
circumstances of his support of Mr..
Cleveland. The Senator said the
South Carolina delegation had voted
against Mr.. Cleveland up to the time
of the national convention, being four
years in advance OF their brethren of
the South in learning his character.
But after he was nominated, South
Carolina accepted the result, having
participated in the convention, and
gave Mr.. Cleveland one of the biggest
majorities in the history of the State
So that if there was prostitution of
his high Office, exclaimed Mr.. Tillman,
the blame rested on the President in
dividually and not OF those bound by
party ties, who had supported him.