The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-01-09
He Declares the Resolution Will Not
Relieve the SituatiOn--What Prom
iuent Citizens Think.

Washington. Jan. 9.-senator Aldrich OF
Rhode Island replied to some of the criti-
cisms made by Senator Vest In his speech
last Tuesday requesting the hnancial
committee to report bill TO place coal on
the free list, during yesterdays discus
sion OF the bill by the senate.
When senator Aldrich began his speech
nearlv all the senator's were present. lie said
II call attention 10 the impractical char
acter Of this resolution. The senator seems
| 10 b. anxious that something be oohe
! Immediately. but he suggests very un-
usual method OF doing It. He goes through
/ the formality of instructing the commit
| tee on finance TO prepare resolution 10
nut anthracite coal on the free list. the
! senator could prepare such resolution
! himself In the next place. the resolution
| only aprlles 20 anthracite coal ana 10 I'M
protat.ons OF anthracite. which nave AZ
| ways been inhnitesimal in amount. Inc
| coal is certain 10 come INTO the oi"''pp
! States whether we remove the uu'y VI
| not" ..,
s~nstor's resolution is simply TO furnsn
tho text for political speech, or
| series OF political speeches. or TO pre-
! cipitate a discussion Of the tarin
CONSTITUTIONAL METHOD.
Mr.. Aldr.ch said the committee now
has this matter under consideration ana
a. Mr. Vest is a member OF that com
! rpIttee he believed that some means couid
be devised OF affording relief for the sltu-
alton by a more constitutional method
! Je referred to aid the national govern
ment had given various communities III
case Of calamites. such as that given 10
the food sufferers at Galveston, TEX. 10
the farmers of the Misslss'ppi Nai'es
when their farms were overflowed, when
| certain building materials were allowed
m come I'm free OF duty for Chicago ano
| for Eastport Me. when those cities were
| burned down, and To other Instances.
He said that the question of free Goa
was long discussed in the senate, anu
referred TO the vote on the Wilson bili "
,So. 20 chow that the Democrats were not
| consistent in their demand for free coai
| lie said that the Democrats during =
vears had contcndcd for @ coai aho M
Vest durinr these years as an adNoca''
Of free coal had never failed 10 denhn'
free coal except on one day "heh tlci @
votes would have given the country Ire'
coal
rhat dav was when they voted on tn
coal schedule of the Wilson bill. lie SAFE
that tho house had given free coat u
, its bill. but THAT the senate comnllttee oi
finance. then with 2 majority OF Demo
Gratis. had placed 80 per cent ON coal. II
the senate Mr. Hill of New York move'
On s,ril,e ont this 20 per cent duty. but IN
was tho only Democrat who voted 70
that proposition
WITH BAD GRACE.
, Looking toward Mr. Vest Mr.. Aldricl
addressed the senator from Missouri II
! what appeared to be n personal manner
..you have always been In favor of Ire
! coal whom your opinion has been of ~
value. but on the ono day whom YOU coul
] bave given the country the boon Of FIRE
, ! coal Won deliberately voted the othc
vav I suggest n comes with bad 2rac
from senators who have occupied TN
position TO critlcisc the act OF the scna
tors who I'm iSJI made changes In IN
tarin hill"
Mr. A,5rich thon said that he did no
think that ~ the duty were iaken OF Goa
rho condition Of The people would be am
proved. lie referred to the enormou
production OF coal In the United States
q which. nc said, was nearly ho'W"V"
\ ions annually. while the highest impor
/ | ration Iva any one year had been 1900
\ | tons. or ono per cent.
/ lie also answered the charge Of Nj
/ ! Vest that the duty placed on coal OF lee
I 1 than " per cent carbon was put thcre u
| a secret manner ~ oruer 10 Keep ""t VI
| thracite coal. though on the fncc of tn
proyision Il did not apply 10 anthracite
| coal lie said this had been done at tn
suggestion of Senator Perkins In orde
10 keep out Of the Pacific coast coal from
Australia and British Columbia. whicl
was practically soft coal. and that th'
dutv was protested against o. ti'o upcra
tors " The anthracite region. tho lattcl
sayinx that there was no necessity fnl