The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-04-18
The House Awaits
the Action of
the Senate.

special order from the committee OF
rules. The vote was taken at the spec
flied hour. The special order was so
imperative that it shut out over 200
amendments authorized by the ways
and means committee. The senate
afterward Incorporated many of these
amendments in the bill, and it became &
law. The bill afterward became a po-
Htical issue, and the Republican party
met It's defeat on the issue.
-Four years elapsed, and Grover
Cleveland was again president Of the
United States. His election brought
before the house a new tariff bill.
known as the Wilson bill 1t did not
embody the recommendations made
by the national Democratic conven-
ton
1t was woven deftly and with few
hearings. No bill was ever surrounded
with more mystery. No caucuses were
held, and the advice of Democratic
members as to the industrial interests
in their districts was neither sought nor
desired. No one aside from the ways
and means committee was allowed to
offer an amendment while the bill was
before the house. Like its predecessor,
the Mckinley bill, it came before the
house under a special order from the
committee on rules. General debate
was limited to three days, including
uISHI SeSSIONS. LIS consideration DIV
paragraphs lasted twenty days The
closing scenes were dramatic and me-
morable. Reed and Wilson wound up
the debate in speeches remarka BILE for
power and intensity. Seventeen Dem
ocratS in the house voted against the
measure, some because an income tax
was saddled upon it and others because
they had had no opportunity to offer
amendments The senate remodeled
the bill until 1t was utterly misshapen.
When it was returned to the house it
was barely recognizable. The house
took it as 1t was, blunders and all,
because the appointment of q confer
ence committee would have certainly
resulted in failure to pass any bill
whatever.
Like the Mckinley bill, the Wilson
bill became political issue. 1t was not
a bill for revenue only, and it did not
provide sufficient revenue to run the
government. 1t led the Democratic
party anew to defeat. The people eX-
pressed their opinion concerning It
when they elected William Mckinley,
the author of the bill passed four years
before, to the presidency. With his in
auguratiOn and an extra session the
Dingley bill has gestated in the house
and has been sent to the senate. 1t,
like the Mckinley and the Wilson bills,
came before the house under a special
order from the committee on rules.
Limited hearings were given, but no
caucuses were held. No amendments,
aside from those offered by Mr.. Ding
leys committee, were considered. Gen
eral debate was limited to four days,
with evening sessions. Five days were
allowed for the consideration of the
bill by paragraphs. 1t was business.
What we want, Mr.. Speaker, and
what the country wants, Is results, not
speeches." shouted Maj. Mckinley in
the Fifty-first congress on April 80,
1890. I'VE mean business These
were words that might have been apt
ly uttered at the beginning of the gen
eral debate on the Dingley bill.
But there were speeches, and good
ones. Many were made by new men,
bers, of whom there are 131 In the
house. To be sure. there were no such
dramatic speeches as were made by
Mills, Mckinley and Wilson when their
tariff bills were under discussion, but
the rejoinders were fully as hot and
scorching. The galleries were crowd
ed, and much public interest was man
ifested. 1t was battle worth seeing
and hearing. Thirty new members
participated in the general debate.
Seventeen OF them were Democrats.