The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-01-08
Senator Vest Tells How 40
Cents Duty on Coal
Happened to Be in the Wilson
German Tariff Bill.
THAT OR NO BILL.
Senator's Resolution Is yigor-
ously Opposed by Aldrich.
1t Finally Gives Place to the
Statehood Measure.

Washington. Jan. 8.-There was NJ
action on the Vest resolution, and at 2
o'clock it went over until tomorrow,
and consideration of the omnibus state
hood bill was resumed.
When the senate met today a house
bin was passed amending the internal
revenue laws, allowing all distilled
spirits now in bonded warehouse OF
which may hereafter be produced ana
deposited therein, the same allowance
for loss from leakage or evaporation
which now exists in favor of distilled
spirits gagged and deposited prior TO
January /, 1899.
A bill also was passed authorizing the
secretary of the interior to prescribe
rules and regulations of the procuremens
of timber and stone for domestic ana
industrial purposes in the Indian Terri.
to~=-.
MIR. Aldrioh tR u then addressed the
senate on the resolutions offered by Mr..
Vest directing the finance committee 10
report a bill removing the duty on an
thracite He began by stating that the
resolution would not afford the relief
sought 1t infringed the rights of the
house with respect to revenue bills.
The attempt to afford relief" said
demanded through a method that would
open a discussion here as to the consu-
tutional prerogative of the house, a dis
cussion in its very nature would
outlast the coal famine. a probable
method of securing relief" The resoIu-
ton, he asserted was simply to furnish
text for a political speech or a series
of special speeches. He recited the leg
islation which had been enacted to re-
IeVe the people in times Of distress and
said he was not entirely hopeless chat
some means may be found for relief.
Mr. AldriCh reeited the facts relating
to the coal tariff saying that in 1884,
when the Democrats were in control OF
the senate the house sent the Wilson
bill to the senate with coal free of duty.
The Democratic finance committee and
Eon Of MI Hill IN. Y.0 voted to put
q duty OF 20 cents a ton on coal al
though they had the power to admit
coal free of duty.
Turning to the Democratic side and
speaking with considerable emphasis
Mr. Aldrich said:
You have always been IN favor of
/ free coal when your opinions were of
no value to the country; on the day
when you could give the country free
coal, you deliberately and unanimously
voted the other way. 1t therefore comes
with Ill grace for senators to criticise
Of the action taken in 1894" Mr. Aid
rich said the high price of fuel in the
country now was not due to the present
tariff Mr. Vest replying, said Mr.. Aid
rich's remarks could be read between
the lines. He simply was opposed to the
resolution. He said it was an open Sc
cret how the rate of 40 cents q ton was
put on coal in the Wilson bill. There
were five Democratic senators opposed
TO the bill who We're in a position TO
dictate what should be placed in the
bill and that their votes were needed
to pass the measure. President CIeve-
land, he said, had urged free coal on
congress
We We're held up" said Mr. Vest. ito
use plain vernacular and told if we
dared to put free coal in the bill it
would be defeated. A compromise,
therefore. was effected on the basis of
30 cents ton.
What does it matter how anybody
voted in 1894, he inquired. rs that an
answer to the poor, freezing people who
now demand immediate relief2''
He referred to his former statement
that the rates IN the Dingley bill were
made so high as to render possible the
negotiation of reciprocity agreements,
and said it was based on Information
he believed to be true.