Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1897-04-10
THE NEW TARIFF BILL
IT is HIGHLY COMMENDED BY
FARMERS.
President Mckinley Makes a Good
Record in Dealing with the Cuban
Qucstion-Progress Of the Work i'm
Week of Interest,


Special Washington correspondence:
This has been a week of unusual in
terest in Washington, not only at the
White House, where the applicants for
office are numerous ana active, but
also at the Capitol. The tariff bill has
been under discussion and no farmer
could have listened to the discussion
without being able TO clearly determine
who were his friends and who were not
his friends. The strong, vigorous argu-
ments of the Republican members of
the Ways and Means Committee In be-
half of those features of the bill which
are especially beneficial To the farmers
on the one hand. and the covert sneers
of the Democratic ana Populist orators
relative 10 the very features of the bill
Oh the other, show that the farmers Of
the country made no mistake when in
last November they voted the Republi-
can party in power and the protective
system in operation. The Republican
members of the committee have shown
that the bill was framed with the in
tereStS of the farmers constantly in
mind, while the attacks upon that
measure by the Democrats have been
specially leveled at those features
which were beneficial To the farmers.
Chairman Dingley ia his opening adj
dress called especial attention to these
features, and Gen. Wheeler, of Confed-
crate fame, who led off the debate for
the free trade wing Of the Democracy.
attacked fiercely those features of the
bill which are intended 10 be especially
valuable to the agricultural communi-
~. Congressman Hopkins. of Illinois.
devoted "A large share of his speech to
an explanation of the reciprocity fea-
lures, showing that under the reciproc-
ity treaties made in pursuance of the
Mckinley law, great advantages Were
gained in foreign markets for our agri-
cultural products and that even great
or opportunities are offered by the new
bill; While Populist Bell. of Colorado,
who followed him in opposition to the
bill, especially attacked the wool sched-
ule and denounced the effort to give the
home market to the American work
men, and thus to the American pro-
ducers. Mr.. Bells speech was freight
ed with sneers at the wool tariff. the
sugar tariff, the tariff on flax and
hemp, and indeed everything in the
bill which is Republican in doctrine.
and which is intended To benefit the
farmer. and these attacks were coupled
with admissions on his part that ven
his WI State had good beet growing
soil, great opportunities for wool pro-
duction and other agricultural possibil-
tiles Of extreme value. Populists and
Democrats seemed 10 vie with each
other in their denunciation Of the tariff
measure. and all because it is the pro-
duction of the Republican party.
The Cuban Situation.
An interesting development of the
week has been the additional evidence
of the fact that the attitude of the new
administrators with reference to the
protection Of American citizens abroad
is being promptly recognized by the
Spanish Government. The contrast be-
tween the present conditions in Cuba
with reference to American citizens
and those which prevailed under the
Cleveland administration is strongly
marked and is the subject Of much
comment on all hands. AS everybody
knows during the late administration
scores Of American citizens were i'm
prisoned in Cuba. and whatever pre-
tence at n demand for their release was
made was of such a feeble character
as to fail in results. The ringing utter
ances Of Senator sherman, now Sec
rotary of State. in the closing days of
his service in the Senate. in which he
said that American citizens abroad
must and should be protected at all
hazards, coupled with the clear declar-
alton of President Mckinley on this
subject, in his inaugural address, have
had a marked and prompt effect in the
attitude of the Spanish Government
and in the few weeks since the new ad-
ministration came in, the prison doors
in Cuba have been thrown open and
large numbers of American citizens
who were imprisoned there on the
slightest preteXts, have been given
their freedom. All this has happened
without any buster or protest on the
part OF the new administration, but
simply a clear. vigorous statement of
policy which the Spanish Government
has been wise enough 10 recognize and
act upon without waiting for further
developments.
international Bimetr'Iism
While there has been 10 official an
nouncement as 10 the immediate policy
of the administration regarding inter
national bimetallism the developments
have been such rs TO warrant the con-
clusion that the negotiations for an in
ternational conference are to be under
taken through authorized representa-
tives of this Government al a very
early date. Whether this will be by
the appointment of special representa-
tives selected for this specific purpose
or through the ministers to the foreign
Governments is not yet clear, but it Is
known that negotiations are being set
on foot already and that the admins
tration hopes to be able to bring about
a conference in the coming autumn
which will be participated In by the
great nations of the world. Meantime
the friends Of free coinage i'm the Uni.
ted States without the cooperation of
other nations are losing ground and
many OF them recognize the fact that
international action is the only prac-
ticable method Of restoring the use of
silver. The old theory that silver and
farm products have kept pace In values
and that silver money was therefore
the true measure of value has lost its
hold by reason Of the fact that wheat
continues high, while silver has con
tinued to depreciate, reaching almost
the lowest point in its history.
Tariff Legislation Being Pushed.
The Republicans In the House are
showing their desire for prompt action
on tho IN riff nv fine hours which thev arc