The Saint Paul globe., 1897-05-26


no pride of opinion or authorship in regard to
any OF the provisions reported. We have
given careful consideration to the numerous
important questions involved in the the
various schedules. We present to the senate
the result of our labors, and shall cheerfuly
accept your judgment as to the wisdom Of
our conclusions.
NEW BILL ATTACKED.
Mr. Vest Voiced the Sentiments of
the Opposition.
Mr.. Aldrich closed at $40 %. M, hav-
Ing spoken a little over an hour.
Mr.. Pettigrew presented the amend
ment Of which he has heretofore given
notice that when articles are manu-
factured by trust, articles Of such
character imported from abroad shall
be free Of duty. He said he would ask
it's consideration Immediately after the
committee amendments.
Mr.. Vest Democratic member Of the
finance cOmmittee) was then recognized.
I've know" he said, the desperate con-
dttion Of the country, the ruined homes,
the blasted hearts. If prosperity can
come from. any source, even from our
adveTsaries, we will bless the moment.
I do not believe the imposition Of higher
tariff duties will dispel the clouds hang
ing above us, bringing back the sum
shine and Illuminating the whole coun-
try
It had been said, Mr. Vest proceeded,
that adversely came with the advent Of
the Democratic party and prosperity
with the Republican party. But that
adversely did not come with the advent
Of the Democratic party. Mr.. Vest
said he would summon as a. witness,
no less an authority than Mr.. William
Mckinley. The senator read from a
report made by Mr.. Mckinley on April
1, 1890, setting forth the distress which
the farmers of the country were suffer-
ing. How was it expected, the sena-
tor asked, that by increasing the bur-
den of tariff taxes the farmers would
be helped to buy more goods. All
revenue to meet the requirements of
the government, that the government
credit shall be sustained and her flag
hcnored. But every dollar collected
by the government beyond its needs Is
a crime.
Why was It, Mr.. Vest asked. that
the Republican party was about to
abandon it's record and urge tariff
not for protection but for the amount
of revenue 1t will produce? Why does
it abandon Its record and propose a
tax on tea?.. The senator said there
was at this time an available balance
in the treasury of 1929 ,350, $50. De-
Quoting the gold reserve OF one hum
dred millions, the available balance
was $129, $50 $50. This vast amount of
idle money was now accumulated in
the treasury. And yet the senate was
told that it must impose on our suf-
fering people additional taxes. When
President Harrison. turned over the
government to President Cleveland the
treasury balance stood at $24, ,128,087.
Today there was sos. 600, 900 more than
when Mr.. Harrison turned over gov
ernment affairs to Mr.. Cleveland. How
could this obvious fact be avoided?
Mr. Dingley admitted it. Mr.. Vest
said, and tried to explain it on the
ground that subsidiary coin and GER
tain deficits were included in this pres
ent treasury balance. But with these
items (about $36, ,000,0 ,000) out there re-
mained about $92,000000 available for
the uses Of the government. To over
come this Gov. Dingley says we ought
to increase the gold reserve to $3.50. .000,-
600. Even if there was a deficit of
sixty five millions this year-which Mr..
Vest did not admit-yet there was
ample in the treasury to meet that.
deficit. Why, then, should we hurry
to put more taxes on the people, when
every dollar unnecessarily boarded by
the government is a crime against the
people? Mr.. Vest said it was most
had offered no estimate of revenue un-
til today. Inquiry had been made Of
Statistician Ford as to the promised
comparative statement, and he had
stated that it was turned over to the
senator from Rhode Island (Aldrich).
Mr.. Vest asked what the estimate Of
Mr.. Ford was on the bill.
Mr.. Aldrieh replied that the statis-
tician stated that, in his opinion.
neither the house nor the senate bill
would furnish sufficient revenue to
meet the expenses of the government.
PROTECTION ABANDONED.
Mr. Vest, proceeding, declared that
the proposition to raise $31, 900 600 of
revenue by tax on tea and increasing
internal revenue, was a naked and
bold abandonments of the protective
policy of the Republican party. Where
was the protection to American manu-
factures in these taxes? he asked. The
senator said that the greatest suffer-
ing in the country was felt in the
agricultural states. With abundant
harvests the people were without
money and were appealing to congress
for relief.
Mr.. Chandler interrupted with an in
quiry as to what the vast accumula-
ton in the treasury, to which Mr.. Vest
had alluded, came from.
Does the senator mean that the VIII
son bill put it there, and, II not, how
did it get there 2" asked Mr.. Chandler.
I'VE all know" answered Mr.. Vest.
"that 1t came from the sale of bonds,
which did not approve, but 1t makes
no difference where 1t came from.
There it is in the treasury, and what
right have you to increase the taxes
on the people when, enough is in the
treasury already"
The senator declared that the urgent
need was not for greater taxes, but for.
more money and better prices. The
fall in prices must be stayed before
there could be any prosperity. He
our workers were paid on a gold basis
and came into competition with those
paid on silver basis.
1.-THE senator from Nevada (Stewart)
usually makes that argument" inter-
posed Mr.. Gallinger IN. H.). HE has
based 1t usually on Japan's use Of.
silver. and now Japan has repudiated
silver"
..You mean Japan was bought OUT"
Mr. Stewart put in.
Mr. Vest then turned to several Of
the schedules and discussed them IN
detail. First he took up the sugar
schedule. Ingenious tables could be
prepared as to sugar differentials. and
the tables Of the senator from Rhode
Island were OF tnlS ingenious Kind
The whole thing turned on one point,
said Mr.. Vest, and no one but the ex-
pert inside the sugar refinery was able
to tell this. 1t was as to how much
raw sugar would make 100 pounds Of
refined sugar, and what amount Of
waste will there be- One Of the sugar
trust officials had testified before the
Lexow Investigation that profits Of
21 per cent had been realized That
amount could be made only on the
waste, and the sugar expert was the
only man who knew about this waste.
without discussing the Hawaiian