Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-06-28
THE LEATHER RATES
MIR. Smith Addresses the Senate on
the Tariff.
Has A TEMPORARY FAINTNESS
Warm Controversy Between Messrs
Hoar and Allen.
HOl Sc IN RRIEE SESSInN
TEMPORARY FAINTNESS
HOUSE IN BRIEF SESSION

In the Senate today the resolution author
| izing the President to invite foreign gov
| ernments to participate in the trans Mssis-
| slppi exposition at Omaha was agreed to.
| The tariff bill was then taken up. The
| purpose had been TO take up the nara
graphs relating TO hides. but owing to the
| absence and Illness of Mr.. Smith (N JD,
| who is interested. Mr.. Allison consented TO.
let the subject go over. He stated in re-
| sponse to inquiries that as far as possible
the committee would proceed with she para
! graphs in order. and not skip about except
| as senator's might agree.
| Paragraphs 81 Cgypsum) and - (clays or
| earth) went over
| The paragraph relating to stained or
painted glass windows was changed slightly
| in phraseology and the duties agreed to as
| reported.
On the iron ore paragraph as the pend
| ing provision gave duty of - cents per
| ton on iron ore, including manganiferous
| iron ore and the dross, or residuum. from
| burnt pyrites, with proviso relating to
| the account to be taken of moisture in
| weighing the ore. Mr.. Allison offered new
amendments, which We're agreed to, adding
| TO the hrst clause of the paragraph
ported 'manganese ore. 81 per ton:" also
| at the end of the proviso, basic Stag
| ground or unground, 81 per ton"
Paragraph AZ card clothing) was agreed
to as in the House bill.
| In the paragraph on cross-cut saws den
| the committee made a change inserting
| steel hand saws, finished unfinished Ia
cents per pound and - per cent al valorem.
| In paragraph l3d Gron steel bars cold
drawn, &cD change was made from
| cent TO a cent per pound in addition to the
rates Upon plates. &c, and on steel circu-
| lar saw plates from 2. 10 10 cent in addi-
| lon TO the rate for steel saw plates
Aluminium n69) was changed. making the
rate crude, cents; in plates. &c. II cents.
In bronze powder 014) the duty on bronze
metal, in leaf was increased from ) TO :
| cents per package.
A new paragraph. 17sIa. was agreed to.
viz, hooks and eyes, 5l2 cents per pound
| and IL per cent ad valorem.
| At Mr.. ouay's request the charge in
| paragraph l31 was reconsidered, and one
/ cent Restored as the duty on iron bars. etc,
| i'm addition to the rates on plates, etc.
| When lead fead-bearing ores, etc, was
| reached Mr.. Allison said it proposed
TO change the paragraph uso lead
| GROSS bullion, etc, from TO "a cents.
The paragraph went over at Mr.. Allison's
| request.
At this point Mr.. Smith came on the
floor. 1t was decided to 90 on with the
| leather schedule.
Mr.. Allison proposed a change in para
| graph i2t'i2, relating 10 hides. making the
| rate 20 per cent ad valorem instead of l..
| cents per pound, and also striking out the
proriso relating to drawbacks.
The paragraph. as amended, reads
| Hides of cattle, raw or uncured, whether
dry, salted OF picked, 20 per cent ad valo-
| rem
Mr.. Smith stated in response to questions
| that the proposed 20 per cent ad Nalor.m
was much greater than the H.. cents spe-
| ciiic duty, being about cents per pound
| by the al vdlorem rate.
Mr.. Platt tConn.) interDossd the SIgges-
| ton that he had telegraphed to the New
York custom house in reference to the i'm
portation of hides, and had received an an
swer stating that the importation in the
last eleven months was 1o.ooo.ooo pounds
of the value of S1oDo.oo0. and that the
price Of French green hides averaged about
~ cents pound, and the South American
hides about > cents.
senator Smith Begins His Speech.
Mr.. Smith. who was indisposed from
slight Illness was recognized for a pre-
pared speech. Before beginning it. he re-
ferred to some general subjects, including
the elevation of Mr.. Hobar' from the sena-
tors state to the vice presidency and the
| inaction of the House of Representatives
on the Cuban resolution. Mr.. Smith spoke
Of the republican majority given last No.
venber, due in large part, he said, TO the
wishes of the people of the state to pay
| tribute 10 one of their own people.
| The senator regarded it as remarkable
| in view of the national platform promises
on Cuba and other subjects that this extra
session h.c been called TO pass tariff bill,
which could have been considered with bet
ter advantage at the regular session Re
! ferrng TO Cuba, Mr. Smith spoke of the
| remarkable fact that a resolution recogniz-
| ing the belligerency of the Cubans had
| been passeo by the Senate and sent to that
catafalQue or tomb, the House of Repre-
sentatveS, to be buried by a republican
| House, a republican Speaker. at the dc
tation of a republican President. III was
an insult to the American people, which
they would rebuke at the polls next No
| Vember.
| Mr.. Smith then turned to his prepared
| speech but had just begun when he paused
and took his seat, not feeling equal TO the
| task of proceeding He said ne would go
| on in five minutes. and in order TO give the
| senator time to recuperate Mr.. Vest went
on with a speech against the committee
| rates.
Mr., Smith remained in his seat, showing
| no ill-cffects beyond those of slight and
| temporary faintness
| Mr.. Vest reviewed the legislation on
| leather and hides, and presented letter
| written by James G. Blaine TO Mr.. Mcl<in-
ley when the Mckinley bill was being
| fra med, protesting against a duty on hides
| as A slap in the face of the South Ameri-
cans, and likely to legisate the repub-
lean party out of power. The senator
| argued that duty on hides could not ad-
| vance the price of cattle in the west, as
hides were only a bi-product of the cattle,
| and, moreover. the price of cattle was iiexd
| absolutely with the power TO put the price
| DIP or down by the Big Four combination
at Chicago. The senator recalled the cir
| cumstances of the senatorial inquiry into
the beef trust, in which he participated.
| When Mr.. Vest spoke of oppressive action
| mis- dressed beef, Mr.. Allen (Neb.) remark
| ed that the evidence seemed sufficient for
| an indictment, and why, then, was not
something done toward prosecution.
| This developed a warm controversy be-
| tween MIR. Hoar and MIR. Allen. as 10 the
| right of federal prosecution for an offense
| wholly within state lines which at times
became rather personal.
| BY this time Mr.. Smiths temporary
| faintness had passed and he resumed his
| speech.
Mr.. Smiths references to trusts led Mr.
| Stewart of Nevada to follow with an ex-
| tended arraignment OF the money trust,
which. he asserted, the worst of all
| trusts.
| Mr.. Stewart argued also that IL there
| was to be protective tariff bill all sec
| lions should share in the advantages 1t
| gave. Incidentally Mr. Stewart paid a
| tribute to the Chicago platform and said he
| supported ii throughout.
| Mr.. Allen (Neb) said that while not an
| advocate Of a general protective system,
| yet he concurred with the view that if
| there was to be such bill every section
| should share in the benefits IL gave He
| spoke of the benefits of a hide duty to the