Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-07-22
SSH CONGRESS.
Continued from page -

/ q
imported hides. Aldrich explained
| that the House had insisted on the pro-
| viso and he felt that the drawback
payable under the law without refer
| ence to this provision. He thought
about 100000 to $75O.000 of revenue
would be obtained from the duty on
| hides and probably about half Of this
| would be paid in drawbacks.
| Allen, Neb.. spoke against the bill as
a whole, and incidentally referred to
| the present coal strike, contrasting ii
| with the promises of prosperity. The
strike would be arbitrated, he said, and
| arbitrated in but one way, namely, in
| favor of the coal baron and against the
miner and If the miner protested, he
would be met with the baton of the
| policeman or the bayonct of the tin
| soldier.
Teller and Vest criticized the hide
amendment the former saying that the
drawback clause was in the interest of
Eastern tanners, as the Western tan
ner who did not export leather would
get no drawback
Ald,ich answered that the East and
West stood on the same basis so far
as this legislation was concerned 1t
was impossible to build a battleship at
omaha, but was due to the geography
OF the country and not to any legisla-
tive discrimination against Omaha and
the West.
Aldrich said that three out of the five
Senate confcrees Were from the West
and he holly repudated the statement
that New England and the East had
been unduly favored by the conferees
The conference amendment emitting
from the free list scientific books and
periodicals. brought out a sarcastic |
speech from Vest, The derided Demo |
crazy had in the Wilson bin placed |
paintings. statuary and scientific books |
on the free list, thus comforting a bene- |
tit on all our people by inviting to this |
country the best productions of art |
and science. Now, however, the 6. O.
p, the party of culture, refinement and
progress, took the backward track and |
attempted to. exclude these articles
The reciprocity amendment ocea-
stoned lengthy debate Teller inquired
why the President had been restricted
to two years in making reciprocity
treaties.
Allison explained that it was desired
to have our commercial relations de-
finitely established within a resona BILE
time 1t was believed this could be ac-
complished within two years
Teller said his first thought was that
the committee We're afraid to trust the
next President. White criticized the
provision that reciprocity treaties shall
be approved by Congress" Congress
had the po~er To raise on to withdraw |
duties without waiting To approve and
he declared that his provision would
arouse criticism on the mental ability
OF the Congress enacting it.
Allison explained that Congress had
no means of negotiating with foreign
governments so that a treaty was cs-
sentiai before any reciprocity plan oil
tariff reduction could be executed
The conference amendment striking
out the Senate provision for stamp
tax on bonds and stocks. also led To
discussion In answer to inquiries. ALI
son said the point had been raised that
an excise tax must be levied on a class
of articles as whole while the Senate
expressly excepted bonds
of building associations and other
classes of bonds. This objection was
felt To he well taken and the bond pro-
vision was abandoned
Alien declared that this was another
humble submission to the money power.
Morgan asserted that there was many
reasons beyond the one assigned for
The abandonment of the bond tax. The
main Influence was the favoritismI
shown to capital. II was this favori-
tiSm which was making converts to the
Populist party.
Another influence was the Sugar
trust which had been instrumental in
having the bond tax abandoned. as il
would effect the tremendous stock
transfers of the trust. The formal
reading of the conference report was
completed at 5. 25 and the Senate at
once went into executive session. ad
lpulning soon after