Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1897-06-14
)UR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Interesting Gossip From the Nations s
 Capital.

Monday and Thursday and his tail accompanies him to the Capitol where the Gar meets and adiaurns. The menotony of these meetings has been broken hy Jerry Simpson and lately anew light has flashed out in the person afJames Hamilton Lewis. of far-off Washington. Mr. Lewis has force and nerve and his attacks upon the Cars methods have even touched the thick hide of the Maine Paehy derm.
 The question is now raised as to whether the sitting of Congress is legal. The Constitution, article one, section five. paragraph four reads; Neither House, during the session Of Congress, shall without the con sent of the other, adjourn for more than three days. Paragraph one of the same section says. "A maj or ity Of each House shall constitute a quorum to do business, but a smali- CT number may adjourn from day to day, and may be authorized to com- pei the attendance of absent mem bers'
 It is notorious that the House ad- iourns for more than three days once every week. as It meets only on Mondays and Thursdays. Atseveral of these meetings the absence Of q quorum was suggested and attempt made to do one of the two things that the Honse could da in the ab- senee of a quorum, that is to adjourn to the next day or issue an order 10 compel the attendance of the absent members. Speaker Reed invariably declared such proceedings out of order md had q motion to adjourn offered through one of his slaves or the Republican side, usually Dmgley, of Maine. GIT Henderson, of Iowa, or Balzel! of Pennsylvania, which was always declared carried, no matter how the vote stood.
 The tariff bill is dragging it's slow length along. in the Senate The Democratic and other opposition Senators are showing np theenormi- l ties of the proposed methods of tax alton. The bill as reported from the finance committee of the Senate is tumble of contradictions and in- congruities It is neither fish, flesh, 1 fowl nor good red herring. Onsome articles the duties proposed are high or than ever before levied. on others they are moderate and others are placed on the free list that should be made to provide revenue. Tea is to be taxed ten cents per pound, which is fully one-third of the ave rage value of all tea imported. Sugar is to be taxed about two cents d pound which k more than the average cost of the foreign artscle. And this despite of the free breakfast table that the Republican stumpers used to boast about. The duties on lumber are enormous, hides are taxed for the benefit of the meat trusts. thus making every pair of shoes bought ia the country cost more, but the duties on wool and woolen goods are the cuilninating crime. Under the pretense of helping the farmer hides are taxed, but he leanners and other meat monopolists will not pay penny more for beei cattle but will receive a dollar more for each hide sold, thus aGding many million dollars to their bank ae- counts. This is also true of the duty on wools. The sheep raisers will not profit by it but the wooden man. ufaeturers will add from ten to thirty per cent to the cost oftheir products. Mr. Havemeyer, President of the Sugar Trust, said before committee of the Senate last year that the trust added three-eights Of q cent to pound on all sugars sold in the United States because of the tariIf, had done so for three years ane would continue to do so SO long as the tariff was keIt as it vas. lie | said the pfOni to tllt' trust pN e"i9 addition was about $25, ,000, ,O00, in these three years. As matter of fact, taking the amaunt of sugar consumed, the Eroft was over S4o,- 900 .OO0 land now it is proposed to make the duty higher on sugar
 The opposition, under the able leadership of Senator Jones, ef Ark ansas. Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, is showing up all these enormities, but the bill Will pass about as II was reported from the committee.
 And then the people will have something to say.