Evening star., 1897-03-24
THE HOUSE.

Mr.. Fox (MiSs.) opened the third day of
the tariff debate in the House with a fif-
teen minute speech against the general
theory of protection. Mr.. Williams (Miss.)
devoted his attention to exposing the al
legged Inconsistencies in the republican ar
gument. He said it was absurd to charge
the present depression to the invasion of
the home market by foreign goods when
the treasury figures showed that last year
the importations were less by S160, ,O00. .0W,
than iE the last year of the Mckinley law,
itself a year of restricted importations. He
cCntended that the existing era of deores-
SIGN and low prices was due to the appre-
ciatlng value of money under the gold
standard.
After some brief remarks by Mr. Sims
CTcnnD and Mr.. Terry (Ark). Mr.. Sayers
tlex) addressed himself to the proposition
that If the antcipations of the majority
were realized and this bill increased the
revenues S113.oo.ooo per annum It would
breed the most reckless and profigate ex-
travagance.
MIR. Johnson's Argument.
Mr.. Johnson On. D.. a member of the
ways and means committee, was then rec
cgnized for an hour.
He directed his attention chiefly to a
eulogy of che prospective benefits which
would follow tler sna ctment CT the agri-
Cultural ScHe%1ule Uf the Dill. He was met
by fusillade of questions from the demo-
Gratis and popuists. The old controversy
as to whether the foreigner the con-
sumner paid he tax was fought over with
great pertinacity. Mr.. Johnson, of course,
taking the view that the foreigner sub
stant.ally PAID it, and his adversa.ies thai
ii was paid by the consumer.
When thea Wilson bill was under consid-
era ton Mr.. johnson said he predicted that
its passage would be more, fatal to the
sheep industry than the ravages of dogs.
wolves, scar and foot rot for twenty years,
and he CHALLENGED any one to search the
Scriptures and india prophecy which had
been more truly fuliAed than that.
In reply TO question, Mr. Johnson de-
clared that IL the. people of the south would
pledge theirs loyalty to the doctrine of pro-
lection the republican party would be glad
to accord to cotton, the same pro;ect ction
given to wheat. corn. potatoes and other
agricultural products of the north. In his
district last year he said there were pro-
duced 6.0oO.0o0 bushels of wheat one
seventh of the entire product OF the United
States Considering the cost of production,
there never was a time when the price of
wheat was so high as during the last year
of republican ascendancy
Mr.. McMillin CTenn). who followed Mr.
Johnson. was given round of applause by
his democratic colleagues as he took the
floor. His speech will be found elsewhere
in The Star.
Mr. McMillin's speech was very well re-
cefved by his democratic colleagues who
appiauded him frequently. Mr. Dingiey
challenged Mr.. McMillins statement that
the pending measure gave to the refiner of
sugar a differental of more than one
eighth cent per pound Mr. McMillin gave
an elaborate calculation in support of his
statements. but Mr.. Dingley repudiated the
calculations, contendlng that they were
based on the supposition that 100 pounds of
law sugar testing 80 degrees polariscope
would produce 100 pounds of refined sugar
MI McMillin spoke about an hour and
half. and when he concluded was warmly
congratulated
Mr.. Grosvenor (Ohio) was then recogniz-
ed The republicans gave him a cordial re-
cention. His speech will be found in an
other column of The Star
Mckinley and HIS BILL
In the course of his remarks Mr.. Gros-
venor referred to Mr. McMiin's state
ment that Mr.. Mckinley had been over
whelmed with defeat after the passage Of
the bin which bore his name. 1t was true
ne said, that Mr.. Mckinley had been de-
feated for reelection. but III gerryman-
dered district, normally democratic l,y
300 majority and all the power of the
democracy at work against him. with such
speakers as David B. Hill, then a demo-
crat.' on the stump, he was barely beaten
by 400. The next year he was elected
governor by a plurality of 9o.UOO and last
fall he had carried the state by .3 600 the.
largest. majority ever given in Ohio in a
presidential year.