Semi-weekly register. (Brookings, Brookings Co., S.D.) 1894-1898, 1897-05-29
TARIFF DEBATE IS ON
Opening Speeches in the Sem
ate Attract an Unusual
Attendance.
AldriCh of Rhode Island, fo.'
the Committee, Explains
the Measure.
Statement In Opposition to the
Bill Made by Vest of
Missouri.

WASHINGTON, May 26-The debate
on the tariff bill began in the senate
with crowded galleries and large at
tendance of senators and the tariff lead
ers of the house.
Minor business claimed attention up
to 2 p. m, when Senator Aldrich of
Rhode Island, in charge of the tariff
bill, had the measure laid before the
senate and took the floor for the open.
ing speech. At that time every avail
able seat in the galleries was occupied.
The Republican side of the floor showed
an almost solid representation, there
being
But Three or Four Vacancies.
The Democrats also presented full
ranks, and the scattered seats of the
Popuhsts were occupied with but one
exception. Mr.. Dingley, chairman OF
the ways and means committee and
author of the house bill, took a seat
Immediately beside Mr.. Aldrich and
listened attentively. Other Republican
members of the ways and means com.
mittee and Representative Simpson of
the Populist contingent occupied the
rear lounges.
Mr.. Aldrich spoke for almost an hour
and quarter, adopting an easy conver-
sational style. His speech was the Off
cial utterance of the finance committee,
and in sense of the Republican side of
the chamber.
House and Senate Bills Compared.
Without making invidious distinc.
tions between the two bills, Mr.. Aldrich
clearly stated as the belief of the finance
committee that the house bill would not
yield revenue adequate for the needs of
the government. The trainers of the
house bill estimate total revenue from
the bill of $269, l07, ,7l0 in normal years.
This would be the largest revenue re-
ceived from customs duties, and an in
crease of $113, 1893, ,479 over the customs
revenue of 1896, and of $40, 722, ,254 over
that of 1893
The secretary of the treasury esti-
mates the expenditures for all purposes
for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1898,
at $466, ,946, ,047.2S. The finance commit
tee estimate the revenue to be derived
in the same fiscal year from customs, if
the provisions of the bill reported by
them should be enacted into law, at
$1S2, 744,O0O. This includes
An Estimated Revenue
from the temporary duty on tea of $S, ,O00,-
600. The committee estimate the receipts
from internal revenue for the same
period at $17O, 100000. If we add to this
the treasury estimate for miscellaneous
receipts, $20,000,000, and the receipts on
account Of the postoffice, $96, ,227 ,076, we
have total estimated receipts for the
fiscal year 1893, of $469,67l ,076, or an
estimated excess of receipts over expen-
ditures for that year, OF $2, 725,O2S.
If the estimated revenue from the
duty OH tea, and the additional internal
revenue taxes should be omitted from
the committees estimates of receipts,
there would be an estimated deficiency
of $29, 175, 900 instead of a surplus of
So, 725,028.
Vest Speaks in Opposition.
Mr. Vest (Mo.), one of the Democratic
members of the finance committee, fol-
lowed with a statement in opposition to
the bill He spoke of the futility of
piling up taxes on an overburdened peo-
pie when there was balance OF $780,
OOO,OO in the treasury. He criticised
the schedules in detail, declaring that
some of them were designed to be pro-
hibitive. He severely attacked the in
crease in the lead duty, declaring it was
for the benefit of the "cormorants" of
monopoly and against the people.
Mr.. Cannon (Utah), silver RepubI.
can, closed the debate for the day by
urging that the protection should be so
distributed as to aid the farmers.