The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-04-07
POLITICAL.
The DiDgley Bill Passes the House.

In accordance with the rule adopted
by the House of representatives., de-
bate on the Dingley tariff bill ended
March 81 and the vote on the passage
of the measure was taken. In closing
the debate Mr.. Dingley disclaimed per-
lection for the measure under consider
alton, but maintained that it represented
the balance of judgment of the party
whose policy it embodied. A perfect
measure was impossible. The bill had
been framed with the double purpose
of affording the government the neces-
sary revenue to pay its debts and of
giving employment to idle laborers by
protecting and encouraging domestic
industry. His speech was brief but
clear and emphatic vindication of the
measure. Some fifty amendments, pro-
posed by the committee itself and de-
signed to correct errors and inequalities,
were adopted. OF the course of the
opposition while the bill had been un-
der consideration, Mr. Dingley with
truth and force said:
Mr.. Chairman. Engaged as we are here
in presenting this measure to what seems
to us to be the balance of judgment, es-
pecially upon this side of the House, in
view Of the conferences that have been
held, what have we witnessed upon the
other side in the ten days that we have
been considering this measure? There has
been ample opportunity had that time
been properly used, to read the whole bill
under the five minute rule and to consider
every paragraph being dealt with upon its
merits. We have seen upon the other side
of the House a constant disposition to as
sault in general terms, not only this meas
ure, but the general policy that it was pro-
posed to carry out, without any attempt to
discuss the several paragraphs in the bill
as they came up, or to discuss the merits of
each particular item. So the time has been
occupied, and, as a result of that policy,
we have covered in detail but small por-
ton of the bill. But, Mr.. Chairman, not
withstanding the general criticisms OF gen.
tlemen on the other side upon this bill, have
we had presented from that side single
suggestion to meet the existing exigency?
We needed from 100000 900 to $750O0,0OO
more revenue. We were running behind.
Has there been single suggestion of any
means whereby that deficiency might be
met? On the contrary, at every point there
has been an attempt on their part to pre-
vent the obtaining of the revenue, even
when the items were placed in the bill sole
ly for revenue purposes. Take, for exam
pie, crude opium. When we reached that
item, purely revenue item, what did we
have from the other side? A motion to cut
down the duty one-half and solid vote OF
members on that side to reduce that purely
revenue duty
eve have not had single suggestion
from that side OF the House to aid us or to
propose a substitute for providing this
country with the revenue that is needed for
the purpose Of carrying on the government
without borrowing in time of peace. This
bill has been framed with view to proper
adjustment Of duties in all directions. We
do not claim-no one claims-that every
paragraph in this bill will meet entirely the
views Of any individual. That is impossible.
In revenue measure covering thousands
Oh lU6ub, Uu6T6 Will VI ucCoSolby no bOuO
items that do not meet the individual APP
proval of some members of the House, even
on this side. If we should wait to satisfy
each individual as to every one of those
items, nothing could be accomplished and
we could never obtain the necessary reve-
nue.. All that we can say is that as result
of this adjustment, we have presented bill
which, first of all, will secure the needed
revenue to carry on the government; and,
secondly, that in adjusting these duties we
have sought to aid those industries which
have been crippled in this country by the
legislation of 1894, and in doing this to fur
nish opportunity for idle men to labor and
thus bring back to the country gradually
that prosperity to which certainly it is en-
titled. On the other side, we have had
simply a concerted attempt to delay-to
present some issue that is not affected by
this bill. When the time comes we can
deal with trusts. They have no connection
at all with this measure; and the attempt to
introduce that question here is simply for
the purpose Of preventing anything being
done and leaving the country without reve-
nue."
This is a severe but an entirely just
arraignment of the democratic side Of
the House. The opposition has con-
fined itself to general denunciation
dilatory motions and speeches, instead
of canvassing the schedules item by
item, in an honest effort to show thai
any particular rate of duty or feature
of the bill was essentially wrong or un
just, or was hostile to the best interests
of the country in which republican anC
democrat, mugwump and populist hav'
common and an equal concern. Pat
riotism, the obligations of real states
manship, were engulfed in deluge o
partisan talk and truculent opposition
The democratic party, as represented
in the lower House of Congress, ha
learned nothing by It's late Christening
On the passage of the bill in its en-
tirety, the vote was, yeas 205, nays ~