The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-16
scheme That Would Have Resulted in
Placing the Customs Revenue at
the Mercy of Importers.
RAPID WORK ON TARIFF BILL
ALL DEMOCRATIC AMENDMENTS RE-
JECTED By THE SENATE,
And the Sugar Schedule Disposed OF,
Except the Clause Relating to the
Hawaiian Reciprocity Treaty.
raeial to the IndlanapoIis Journal.

Special to the indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON, June 15.-In voting down
the Pettigrew antitrust amendment this
afternoon the Senate followed the example
set By the House and adhered strictly to
the caucus determination to kill all amend
ments to the tariff bill that did not bear the
90 X" of the finance committee. 1t was
the Republican purpose to delay action by
referring the proposition to the judiciary
committee but the friends of the amend
ment forced a vote and compelled the Re-
publicans to make their fight out in the
open. When they found they had to make
stand they did nobly. Senator Hoar
sounded the keynote by the statement that
if the proposed amendment to cripple
trusts became law it would result in the
creation of a gigantic importers trust.
The importers, he claimed, would form a
combination to defeat the collection Of all
duties, setting up the claim that every
thing brought into the country was of trust
production. The force of this argument
was crushing. 1t was also argued that the
amendment was not germane to the tariff
subject.
With the defeat of this troublesome Pet
tigrew amendment little is left for the op-
position to seriously haggle over and rapid
progress on the tariff bill is expected In
deed the Senate made a great stride for
ward to-day by completing consideration of
the sugar schedule except the provision re-
Iating to Hawaii, which went over. This
schedule has been the storm center of the
entire bill, and with it disposed of there is
a better prospect for speedy action on the
bill as a whole. The first paragraph of the
sugar schedule has served to bring out all
the speeches and the test votes, and when
this was passed early to-day the other par
agraphs of the schedule were agreed to
without further opposition. AS agreed to,
the schedule places on sugar not above No.
16 Dutch standard 1 cent per pound ana .O3
of cent for every degree above 70; and on
sugars above No. 16 Dutch standard 1.95
cents per pound; but on sugars testing be-
low 81 degrees 1.10 cents per pound shall be
deducted. The other provisions of the
schedule relate to maple sugar, maple
syrup, candy, etc. Only one yea and nay
vote was taken during the day. on the
amendment of Mr.. Lindsay, of Kentucky,
to make the rate Is cents per pound on
sugar above No. Is Dutch standard The
amendment was defeated--32 to 80. The
Pettigrew amendment relating to trusts
was then taken up and discussed at length.
1t developed considerable divergence of
view on both sides of the chamber, the two
Alabama senators, Messrs. Morgan and
Pettus, joining Mr.. Hoar in opposition. Mr..
Allison finally tested the sense of the SEN
ate by moving to table the amendment,
which motion prevailed-yeas 80, nays 32-
two Democrats, Morgan and McEnery, Vot-
ing with the Republicans to table, and thus
turning the scale against the amendment
Consideration of the agricultural schedule
was then resumed, the butter paragraph
being agreed to as reported
The Republican caucus last night deter
mined not to incorporate in the tariff bill
the amendment proposed by Senator Spoon
er to postpone the time when certain feat
ures Of the sugar schedule should go into
effect until six months after the bill was
passed, with the intention of compelling
the Sugar Trust to dispose of the surplus
sugar that has been imported pending con-
sideration Of the tariff bill at rate which
would not allow it great profit The po-
Sition taken by a large majority of the
Republican senators was that it would be
impracticable to have various portions of
the bill go into effect at different times If
the action was taken on sugar it would have
TO be taken on wool and other items. The
argument was advanced that in changing
tariftS no provision could be made against
the advantage taken by buyers of foreign
goods. II a tariff was to be reduced i'm
portations would be held back and if a
tariff was to be raised importations would
be rushed in. This was not only true of
sugar, but OF all other gooos, and the eau
Gus decided that there was no way Of reach
ing the importers, that no single article
should be selected on which to postpone the
effect of the new tariff The defeat of Sen
ator SpoonerS proposition was not accom-
plished until there had been o sharp fight.
The Western men were arrayed against
the East, and Senator SpoOner had several
sharp tits with senator's representing States
where there Is a great deal of manufactur-
ing. He said that the greatest opposition t.
Eastern manufacturers feared that it might
be extended to wool and that they would
not be able to realize on the large importa-
tions of free wool which had been made
in anticipation of the tariff on wool. Mr..
Spooners motion was voted down-1S to II.