The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1897-04-09
" a>lIDgIoH Letter.

w aSnlDSIOD. ApIIl -uu, 1000
There is no limit to Republican audacity.
Not only was the Mckinley tariff bill
number put through the house-forced
is nearer true-before an opportunity
had been given members to 90 through
even the farce of offering amendments
to have them overruled by the chair,
instead of being voted down by the mem
ber-, to more than about one-slXth OF
the entire bill, but an amendment was
forced down the throats of the Repull-
can members which is generally conce-
ded to be unconstitutional, and to be In
direct conflict with decision handed
down by the U. 5. Supreme court since
the Wilson tariff bill became aS.
This amendment makes the duties which
will finally be imposed by the bill go
into effect April l, although no one ex-
poets the bill to become law for at
least three months, and no one has anv
means of knowing how the duties will
stand when the bill passes the senate
This amendment is bluff and simply,
intended to frighten importers into stop
ping importations WI he bill is pend
ing in the senate, IL it works, the i'm
porters are timid set, as there are no
the amendment as worth the paper 1t is
printed on.
Mr.. Mckinley is still daily wrestling
with the Office seekers, but he ism t max
ing many appointments and the few that
be is making are unsatisfactory to the
rank and file. He has sprung a new
dodge on the senators and representa-
tives. When he gets ready to make a
personal appointment he lets the sena-
tors and representatives from the same
state know his intention, thus giving
! them the opportunity to save their pres
! tige by adding their endorsement. 1t
may be imagined that this sort of thing
| ism pleasant to the senators and repre-
| sentatives, but they are afraid to kick at
| this stage of the game.
Representative Champ Clark, of
| Mo, made a semi-humorCus speech on
| the tariff bill, just before the gag rule
under which 1t was forced through the
! house stopped all talk, which contained
! some very serious ideas. For instance,
! he said: III this is not a sectional bill
how does Is happen that the Western
farmers find their green hides not only
| on the fence, but on the free list, while
| the New England shoe manufacturer has
high tariff on his finished products?
How does It happen that the cotton
| growers find their products on the free
| list while the cotton manufacturers have
theirs on the protected list? | will tell
| you why. 1t was stated with brutal
| frankness by the gentleman from Indi-
| ana, the other day, that the Southern
/ and Western people would have to vote
| the Republican ticket or what is equiva
! lent to that, vote for a high tariff, or
| else be debarred from the benefits of
/ your tariff legislation" Mr.. Clark :
! concluding words were: 1--WE may be
fools and leather heads and all that sort
Of thing, but l tell you, gentlemen, the
/ people living west of the Allegheny
! Mountains and south of the Potomac
! have got sense enough to know when
they are saud-bagged and held up; and,
| fools as we are, we have some rights that
the New England highwayman ought to
respect
Senator Hsnsbrough's measur, enti-
! tied ga bill 10 prevent inventors and 9th
| ers from being deceived and defrauded
/ by alleged patent attorney is now be-
/ fore the the senate committee on pat
ents, Washington, and is intended to
put to stop to a practice which makes
| the l. ,. government appear in the ewes
/ of some people as an abettor of ID lottery
| scheme. II makes it unlawful for pat
ent attorneys or solicitors to offer OF
award any price or premium, or chance
| to win one, as an inducement to lure in.
! ventors into entering alleged competi-
tions of ideas, and provides as penal
ties lines OF 800 to 81 900 or imprison-
ment from six months to one year The
! bill also directs the Commissioner OF
patents to prepare rules OF practice foI
patent attorneys.
Senator Foraker has introduced a bill
| to permit pooling by railroads This
speaks for itself. Only last week the
l Supreme court decided that rail
road pooling was illegal and now a Re
publican senator promptly comes for
| ward with a bill to meet the courts de.
clslOn and to legalize railroad pooli g,
which Is only another name far railroad
trusts. 1t seems that all the campaign
debts to corporations and trusts were
not paid in the tariff bill.
The new Republican members of the
senate did SO much vigorous kicking
that Republican caucus has decided tC
try to fill the vacancies on senate com.
mlttees. Whether they succeed will de-
pend on how much they try to grab
Senator German, chairman of the Den
ocratle steering committee, made them
fair offer a few weeks ago-that Re
publican vacancies be filled by Republi
cans. Democratic vacancies by Demo.
Gratis and po3ulist vacancies by populists
They have 50 far refused to accept that
offer.