The Portland daily press., 1897-07-07

Antitrust Question Debated at Length
Yesterday.
Washington, July 6.-The final vote on
the tariff bill will be taken in the Senate
before adjournment tomorrow, a final
agreement assented to by all parties
having been reached at the close of debate
today.
A Mr.. Allison did not ask that the hour
for the vote be set, being content with the
positive agreement that it should be some
time tomorrow The limitation of
speeches after p. m. to five minutes will
bring the debate within narrow limits.
g The announcement by the Vice Presi-
dent that the agreement was perfected,
led to general exchange of congratula-
tions among Senators.
During the day, the antitrust question
was debated at length, and Mr.. Pettus'
amendment on the subject was defeated
33 to 26.
Mr.. Allen of Nebraska, again offered
the amendment for quarter cent bounty
onsbeet sugar. 1t led to lively and some
what personal speeches from the two Ne
braska Senators, after which the amend
ment was tabled, 67 to 9, the Populists
and Silver Republicans being the only
ones recorded against the motion to table.
| Washington, July 6.-Without prelimi-
naries the Senate proceeded with the con-
sideration of the tariff bill today.
| Mr.. Bacon made personal explana-
tion of his vote yesterday for Mr.. Mills
amendment to impose a tax of 5 per cent
on all manufactured products. He frank
| ly avowed his regret for the vote cast yes
terday.
against the bill.
| Mr.. Pettus then offered an amendment
declaring unlawful the importation of
sugar by any trust or combination operat-
ing in restraint Of trade or for the purpose
of advancing the price of sugar. The
amendment also provided for the forfeit
ure of sugar so imported and directs the
attorney general to enforce the forfeiture
and prosecute the trusts, combinations
etc. The Senator spoke at length in sup
port of the amendment.
The Pettus amedment to the tariff bill,
to prevent the sugar trust from import
ing sugar was lost 26 to 33.
| Mr.. Chiffon of Texas arraigned trusts,
arguing that they were fostered by the
tariff. He maintained that his anti trust
amendment furnished a feasible method
of reaching the great trusts engaged in
the amendments of Mr.. Nelson and Mr..
Pettus, but he felt that neither of them
would strike deep enough.
! Mr.. Morgan made another speech
against trusts. He favored the amend
ment of Mr.. Pettus, but said he would
attach to it another and more far reaching
proposition. He thought the seizure and
confiscation provided for by Mr.. Petus'
amendment might, as in the case of the
sugar trust, enable the trust to put up the
price of sugar pending action in the
courts and he suggested a modification
which would provide for the immediate
sale of articles seized. The pending bill,
trusts. Ii these amendments were adopted
the trusts would be tripled If the anti
trust feature of the act of 1894 had been
enforced the sugar trust would have been
stopped.
| Mr. Butler asked whether there was any
reason to believe that the proposed
amendment would be enforced:
ment directed the, attorney general to pro-
ceed against violators of the law and to
annually report to Congress. That was as
far as Congress could go unless an i'm
|neachment proceeding were brought Mr..
(affery did not believe that the Pettus
amendment would affect the sugar trust.
IF the trust was stopped from importing
smear all the sugar would be imported on
other acts and brought by the trust in the
New York market. What Congess should
do was to destroy the profit of the trust
which was grounded in the differentiaI OF
the tariff bill.
Mr.. Pettus said he did not expect with
his amendment to destroy the trust 1t
would only build fence across one of its
roads. The vote was then taken on the
Pettus amendment and it was lost, 26 to
33.
Messrs. Teller and Heitfeld voted with
the Democrats in favor of the amendment
and Messrs. McEnery and Stewart
against.
Mr.. Butler of North Carolina, made a
few remarks on the futility of these anti
trust amendments. Trusts, were he said
the natural outgrowth of existing cond1-
tions and he would welcome great com.
bination of the farmers. The gold standard
and the transportation monopolies, ne
} argued, were responsible for trusts ano
trusts would continue until their real
evils were eradicated.
Mr.. Stewart said he believed that tnese
anti trust amendments would never pe
effective except where they ought not &c
be effective-that is against labor combl'
nations. The Chiffon amendment was