The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-04-01
Democrats JubiIant Over Their Effort
"a Political Capital ON the
.nti-Trust Amendment.

Special to the indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON. March 3i.-The DinGley
bill. substantially as ii came from the ways
and means committee. only committee
amendments being accepted. passed the
House this afternoon with 2O5 votes i'm the
affirmative. OF the Democratic votes l22
were recorded against the measure. leaving
21 Populists and fusionists not voting and
6 absentees-4 Democrats and two Repub-
licans. The most notable feature of the
closing day of the tariff debate in the
House were the two speeches that were not
delivered-Dingley and Bailey's. BY
agreement these leaders were TO have an
hour apiece i'm which to close the discus
sion. but last night Mr.. Terry. of Arkan-
sas. objected to the carrying out of the
arrangement and the crowded galleries
were deprived of the pleasure OF hearing
these two gentlemen make their set ora
tions.
The most important feature from a spec
tacular view was the wrangling attendant
on the introduction by General Grosvenor.
on behalf of the Republican majority OF
the retroactive amendment agreed upon by
the Republican members of the ways and
means committee last night Mr. Bailey
made a scene by objecting the ground
that the amendment could not be regS rded
as a committee action. full meeting OF
the committee having been had. Finding
that the chairman was about 10 rule that
the point of order well taken. Mr..
Dingley withdrew the proposition, called a
meeting of the committee and within five
minutes thereafter the amendment was re-
introduced as in a regularly authorized
form. The debate which lasted continuous
ly from 10 O'Clock in the morning until
i'm the afternoon was devoid of strikingly
sensational incidents. The discussion was
conducted under the five-minute rule. oc-
casional exceptions being made when a
member displayed unusual briliancy and
appeared to have something TO say the
House thought worth listening to.
The Democrats are in high feather to-
night claiming that they succeeded in put
ting the Republicans record for trusts
on the vote TO recommit the bill on the
Dockery antitrust amendment. The Re
publicans sneer at the claim, and say that
they will enact antitrust legislation next
winter that will make Democrats and dem
agogues wall in anguish.
The prevailing opinion i'm the Senate is
that the proposed Dingley retroactive feat
ure of the tariff bill will not be approved
by that body when the measure comes up
for consideration there. The purpose OF
the amendment may be measureably ac-
compished nevertheless in the discourage
ment of the imports of merchandise of all
sorts against which high protective duty
will be imposed under the new law. The
theory of the Republicans who are backing
the retroactive proposition is that Ameri-
can interests are entitled TO the fullest
protection that Congress can give them
against a flood of imports which will come
in competition with home productions dur
ing many months, if not years after the
law goes into effect. unless the extraordi-
nary method is adopted as suggested Rep
resentatives OF all kinds of American indus
tries and commercial enterprises have been
importunng Republican leaders TO raise a
barrier If possible against these wholesale
importations and the ways and means
committee is merely doing the best ii can
in their behalf. Even though the amend-
ment should fail the in Senate ii Is be-
lieved that the effect Of It's introduction
and adoption by the House will be TO deter
shipments Of large quantities of goods from
abroad into this country through fear that
such movement Of commodities may be at
tended with costly and uncertain htga-