The herald., 1897-03-23
Draws-a a Crowd but Rouses
Little Interest
TWO LONG, DREARY HOURS
Spent in the Reading of the Bill In Ex.
tense
Dingley Talked for an Hour and McMil-
lin Did the Sam---Bel of Colorado
Blazed the Populistic Way

Associated Press Special Wire.
WASHINGTON, March 22.-The first
day of the debate in the house was
rather tame from both a spectacular
and an oratorical standpoint. The gall
leries were we'll filed all day and the
members on the floor listened conscien-
tiously. but there was an absence both
, of that sharp cross-firing which keeps
the nerves on edge and the brilliant elo-
| quence which inspires and holds the
imagination. The opening of the de-
bate was delayed over two hours by the
full reading of the bill of 162 pages. and
this, to begin with, had a somewhat de-
pressing influence. The Republican
leaders insisted on this to avoid the pos
sible temperance in the future, should
the considera ton of the bill be not COM
pleted under the five-minute rule, of
claim that the bill had not been read in
full in the. house, a thing which hap
pened in the cases of both the Mckinley
and Wilson bills. Only four speeches
were made at the day session Mr..
Dingley, chairman of the ways and
means committee, opened in an hours
speech for the majority, and Mr.. Wheeler
of Alabama fired, the broadside for the
opposition. The plans of the Democrats
had miscarried. Mr.. Bailey. leader of
the opposition, had decided to close the
debate. and Mr.. McMillin of Tenn essee
has been selected to reply to Mr.. Ding
ley, but at the last moment it was
learned that Mr.. McMillin had been un-
fsN bfr,,Sl1f nxpino the
illness of his wife The task therefore
devolved upon Mr.. Wheeler. The latter
was unprepared, but nevertheless took
the floor for an hour. Mr.. Bell of Color
ado blazed the path for the Populists.
The only other speaker at the day ses-
sion was Mr.. Hopkins of Illinois, a men,
ber of the ways and means committee
Tomorrow it is probable that some OF
the house followers will be heard.
The tariff debate began at 10 o'clock.
Despite the early hour of assembling,
there was a large attendance on the
floor and the galleries showed evidence
of the great interest in the proceedings
Dingley and Bailey were the opposing
leaders and were early in their places.
BY the rule under which the house was
to operate, the house Immediately re-
solved itself into a committee Of the
whole, and the speaker conferred upon
| Sherman (Rep., New York; the dis
| tinguished honor of presiding. Those
who expected the debate to begin imme-
dfately were disappointed The leaders
decided to have the bill read in full at
the outset, in order to ddsarm the critf-
cism that was passed upon the previous
bills that were put through without ever
having been read in the house. The spec
tators in the galleries and members on
the floor waited while the clerk droned
through the 1862 pages.
The reading of the bill consumed
little over two hours, so it was 1890 be-
| fore the leader of the majority. Mr..
Dingley. was recognized to oper the de-
bate. Dingley's voice is not very strong
and he usually has some difficulty in
making himself heard. but today he
spoke with great deliberation, and his
tones were clear and ringing.
He began by stating that congress
having been convened in extra session
the facts that led to the Issuance of the
presidents message were that the gov
ernment's revenue during the past four
years had been insufficient to meet ex-
penditures to the extent of more than
5000, ,0Oo,0 900, or an average of $780, 900
per annum; that this deficiency will
continue to grow under existing condi-
tions; that the deficiency has been met
by borrowing; that is, by bond sales,
and that this has promoted distrust, in
tensifed and prolonged the run on the
treasury and weakened business con-
fdence. This deficiency of revenue.
said Dingley has nearly all arisen from
falling off of revenue from duties on
imports. ard not from a decline of reve-
nue. from internal taxes.
In revising the tariff, the committee,
he said endeavored to discard mere
theories. and addressed themselves to
the framing of a practical remedy, at
least in part for the ills which have for
20 many months overshadowed the
country.
Dlngley gave some statistics relative
to the importations and tariff on WOOL
ems, and said that by placing wool on
the free list the treasury lost $21, 900, 00G
revenue and the farmers 10000 900 pei
year, and that this country had not been
able to increase its exports of manufac-
tured wool. 1t had been claimed he
went on, that the price of clothing had
been reduced, but this was only in ap-
pearance because people had been de-
prived of work and wages, and found
it harder to buy clothing than before
The new schedule would aid the wool
growers, increase manufactures and ul-
timately increase the revenue.
Speaking of the sugar schedule, Ding
ley said it would increase the revenue
and encourage sugar production in this
country.
Continuing, he said that fifty per cent
increase on hemp and flax was made
both in the interest of revenue and be-
cause there was a great promise of home
production.
AS to the other increases of duty In
the bill, Dingley said: For the mosi
part otherwise, the increase in the du.
ties of the pending bill over the McKin.
ley bill has been in the schedules 0!
paragraphs covering luxuries."
Dingley then briefly touched upor
some schedules which had not been ma
terially changed from the present law