Birmingham state herald., 1897-05-26
GOT DOWN ID WORKAT LAST Senate Finally Takes Up the
 Tariff Bill.
  s IMMENSE CROWD ON HAND 
 Aldrich Introduces the Bill with Flow of Vol canic 0ratory-vest Takes the Fl or e for the Opposition.

Washington, May 25-The debate on the tariff bill began in the senate today with crowded galleries, large attend ance of sena tors and the tariff leaders of the house. Minor business claimed a.- tention up to 2 D. m., when Senator Ale drich, in charge of the tariff bill, had the measure laid before the senate and took the floor for the opening speech. At that time every available seat in the galleries was occupied. The republican side of the floor showed an almost solid representa- there being but three or four vacant seats. The dsmocrats also presented tul ranks and the scattered seats of the populists were occupied With but ole exception. MT. Dlngley, chair man of the ways and means committee and author of the house bill, HOOK seat immediately beside MT Aldrlch and Lst- ened attentlVely. Other repubncan mem- bers Of the ways anu means commlttee ana RepresefIJatIVe simpson, of the poPu- list contingent, occupied the rear lounge. Speaker Reed was not present. Mir. AL drlch SpoKe for almost an hour and a quarter adopting an easy conversational style. His speech was the official utter ance of 'dhe nnance committee and, in a sense, the republican slue of lhe cham ber Without making an invidious com- parison between the two bills, MT. All drich clearly stated as the benef of the tinanc. commiulee she house bill would not yield revenue adequate for the needs of the government. MT. Vest, one of the democratic members of the finance com- mittee, followed with a 8 aeement in op- position to the bill. Mr Cannon, of Utah, closed the deba te for the day by urging that the prci.ec ion should be so d fctr hut oc of6 he "a re in the day MT. Mallory, the new senator from Florida, was sworn in and took his se,at
 In opening his speech, Senator Aldrich said:
 ''Mr President, i;he entire country is in state of suspension awaiting the action of ths' senate upon the bill under consid- era ton. 1 believe that the anxiety 70 secure ac.ion upon this important meas ure at the earliest possible day is shared by every member of the senate. l can say for senators sitting on this side of the chamber tha. no time will be spent in the academic discussion of the principles of protection.
 "It is my purpose to keep the bill con- tinuously before the senate to the exclu- sion of all other legiSla. i've business until 1t Is finally disposed of, and in this I shall expsct the cooperation of both sides of the chamber. In the discussion of the bill the members of the ajority of the commtttee will content themselves with such brief explana tions as may be found necessary for the various paragraphs as they are reached.
 'The majority of the finance commit tee believe that if a thorough revision of our revenue laws, such as is contemplat- ed by the house bill is necessary it should be carried out in a conservative spirit and that such a moderate and req sonable measure should be adopted as will insure a much greater degree of per manence to our tariff legislation. Ere luent revisions of the tariff are produc- tive of long periods of uncertainty and arrested development The radical change in policy in 1894 proved disastrous to the business interests of the country.
 Tt was, I believe, thoroughly under stood throughout the country in the last political campaign that if the republican party should be again entrusted with power no extreme tariff legislation would follow. It was believed that in the changed conditions of the country re- turn to the duties imposed by the act of 1890 would not be necessary even from protective standpoint. It was with these facts constantly in view that the major- ity of the finance committee prepared the amendments which they have submitted for your considera tion. Industrial con- alterations in this country with very few exceptions do not demand return to the rates imposed by the act of 1890. The  the leading nations of the world for iH- dustrial supremacy has brought about improvements in methods and economies in production to an extent which was not thought possible a few years ago. These conditions must be taken into ac- count in considering the rates to be inn posed. 8t
 "Without relinquishing one particle of our devotion to the cause of protection we feel that we have right to ask that the cause Shall not be burdened by the imposition of duties which are unneces- sary and excessive"
 After giving in detail the house esti- mates of revenue, MT. Aldrich proceeded:
 Tt will be apparent from a critical ex- animation of the provisions of the house bill that the estimate of $6000O,00O in crease of revenue, if the bill should be- come law by July was excessive"
 MT. Aldrdch then presented an array of figures showing total senate estimated receipts for the fiscal year of 1896 of $469,- 671,076 or an estimated excess of re- ceipts over expenditures for that year of $2725, OPS. The speaker said the com mittee believed 1t to be the imperative duty of congress to provide in the meas ure under consideration for a revenue which will certainly meet the requiret ments of the government for the next fiscal year. The adoption of a revenue bill which should fail in its purpose and which would create an additional defi- ciency in the immediate future and which would require a further issue of bonds to , meet current expenditures, would cer-. tanly be fatal to the hopes of futurS success of any political party responsible for such legislation. In selecting the sources for additional revenue the com mittee decided to increase temporarily the tax on articles of voluntary use rath- CT than assess additional duties which might prove imperative upon articles of |, necessity or upon those which enter into our manufactured products.
 MT. Aldrich took up the various sched- ules and explained the various changes made His explanation of the sugar [ schedule was full and complete.
 ! Referring to the Hawaiian treaty, the sendsor said:
 'eThe committee will also present an Y amendment to the house provision in re- gard to the Hawaiian treaty. In rela- ton to she existing treaty between the United States and the government of these islands, providing for the free ad- mission of raw sugar from those islands into this couu,ry. if the treaty should re ma in in effect if would amount fO ptvtfl tr