The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-03-15
DAY OF SHAME.
Congress Assemblies to Put
Through the Tariff
lnfamy. ,..~
TO PAY THE M'KINLEY RING
.prOtection" Provided by the
Iniquitous System of Specific
Duties-czar Reed Sworn
TO PAY THE M'KINLEY RING

WASHINGTON, March Is, 1S97.-The
new tariff bill, made public today by the
Ways anuA Means Committee. embodies
the results of hard work by the members
ever since the meeting of the last ses-
sion OF Congress In December 1t is pre-
tended that it will raise from fifty to
sixty million dollars more revenue than
has been provided by existing law. Duties
have been advanced for tthe alleged double
purpose of pGotecti ction and revenue An
otllST Imp tEaalt aillle which has governed
the commfttee is the subs stitution of Spe-
e.lfie dllshes wherever possible instead of
Those based upon values. Such duties
have been res toreu upon nearly of the
scnesnacaa schedules, many articles of iron
and sHeea, upon sugar, upon agricultural
products and upon many suardriess.
II is in textiles. however, that the great
est care has been taken IN Transforming
advalorefn into specific duties. The cot
ton schedule was made specific in form,
Visions hs wsa saep3h f5e OF aM PFo Was
framed. The duty per yard was based
upon the number of threads to a yard
upon the finer goods. A similar system
OF classification is applied in the new tar
N to manufactures of fax and silk. The
duties ponsilk are to be based upon the
amount of pure silk contained in a given
weight of fabric, the rates being higher
according as the proportion of silk with
The duties upon woolien goods are at
present compound in character, and some
of them will have to be left so. The
committee mas done much figuring, how
ever. with View to substituting speci-
fc rates and has been able to do SO in
number Of cases. The textile schedules
to great changes in the Senate, except
perhaps in the case of woollens, where
bitter contest is raging between wool
growers and woollen manufacturers
The committee have endeayored where
1t was in accord with their views of pro-
tections to. keep below the Mckinley
above them. They have been Obliged to
disregard this rule in few cases, but
many OF the schedules, like iron and
steel, where Mckinley rates are no longer
needed, can be cited as evidence that they
nave ADOPTED a moderate scheme of
duties. They have put back the full
Mckinley rates in most cases on agri-
cultural products, because they have felt
that the farmer was entitled to all that
1t was possible to do for him by protec-
tive duties. The Mckinley rates nave
and silks. because they are considered
essentially luxuries There has been an
increase upon filler tobacco, in order to
make the difference less wide between
filler and wrapper and the temptation to
fraud less serious. The bill as a whole
represents what the. committee pretend
to regard as scientific scheme for the
protection and development of American
industries and the maintenance of self
supporting treasury. Is
The Republican members for seyera
Gays have been considering how best rhes1
could change the duty on woolens and
pottery from ad valorem to specific so
as to make the bill consistent through
out AT a final meeting this morning
SPECIFIC rates were fixed on some of the
principal manufactures of wool. which
will be found enumerated below. In some
cases this change of basis was found not
to be practicable, but it was made in
every instance wherever possible
The opening of the Fi6ty-fifth Congress
IN extraordinary session was witnessed in
the House today by an immense crowd of
spectators. The corridors of the Capitol
were overrun with people fully an hour
before neon, and although police officers
were stationed at flle foot of the marble
staircase to keep back all who were not
En'ovldeh with cards of admission, There
were enough persons provided to occupy
every seat in the galleries.
OF the 357 men who constitute the MEM
bership of the House, 132 have never be-
fore served in that capacity. while sixteen
more have served in former Congresses-
making altogether 145 new members and
200 who served In the last Congress. Po-
l3ticaaly classified There. are 2o5 Republi-
cams, 122 Democrats, and % Fusion Silver
ties and Populists.
Mr.. Galusha A. Grew. of Penns, yania
who was speaker of the House genera
tdon ago, was early In attendance, and
on the scene, moving around and convers-
sng with friends and acquaintances. The
new member from Pennsylvania, Mr.
greetings frcm his old newspaper friends
and from his numerous other acuuatr-
tanees General John H. Ketchaan of
New ork who after a long service In
the House had retired for the last two
Congresses on account of his health, was
ancp6eF OF athe conspicuous characters on |
tines noor ssa 80 was the youthful looking
member from Texas. Mr. Bailey. who is 4
to receive the compliment of the Demo-
day Mr.. Speaker Reed did not make his
appearance on the floor until j1lst before |
the stroke of noon.
Mr.. Alex. McDowell-Cl of the last |
when prayer was offered by the blind |
chaplain, the Rev Mr.. Couden He asked
an abundant blessing on Congress, that |
II might become an instrument for the |
premoMona of great good, and thus open
the channels of Industry everywhere so |
that prosperity may smile upon our peo- |
PIE, pi ana our homes be blessed with |
The Clerk then read the Presidents |
proclaim alton copvening Congress and di- |
rected the roll of members to be called. |
by States, alphabetically
The Clerk announced as the result of |
the call that a57 members had answered |
TO their names, and at the same time
suggested that there should be silence on |
part in the proceedings" The oddity of |
this request created laughter among
members and spectators
The next business in order. said the
Clerk, Is The election of Speaker, and |
n0pinattons are now in order
Mr.. Grosvenor (Rep., OIL have the
honor to present for the office of Speaker |
Fifty-flfth Congress Thomas Rrackett
Reed, member-elect from the State of |
Maine. (Handclapping on the floor and |
Ia the galleries.
Mr.. Richardson (Dem., Tenn.) nlaced |
In nomination Joseph w. HALEY Of Tevas
(N1ore handclapping)
John c. Bell (Pop., Col) was put in
domination by Mr.. Jere Simpson (Pop.. |
Kans-).
The Clerk stated that there were six
members ELECT whose names were not on |
the roll because their credentials had not /
been received by him. They were from |
the Tenth district of Iowa (Mr. Dolliver1:
the Sixth district of Mississippi (Mr'
Love) the Fourth and Ninth districts Of |
Tennessee (Messrs. McMillin and Pierce): /
the First district of Texas (Mr BelD and |
from Utah (Mr. King).
Various propositions were made that |
those members should be allowed to take |
part in the election of Speaker; but the |
clerk declined to admit requests for |
unanimous consent for that purpose; and |
a member suggested that the clerk him /
self was the only person who could give |
The election Of Speaker was then pro- /
ceeded With, the result being
For Mt ReSd, s199 votes; for Mr. Bailey, /
ia Votes; Toy Mr. Bell H votes and for
Mr. NeN4aYk1s of Nevada,
The anneuncement was aplauded on the
-oor and lin the galleries.
sIhe clerk 81 announced that Mr.; Reed hav-