The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-01-09
NO ACTION, BUT
HEAP BIC TALK
Small Prospect of the Senate
Helping the Coal Situation.
VEST IN DEADLY EARNEST
BUT HIS WORDS FALL UPON
DEAF EARS.

ny ASHiNGTON, Jan. S.-When the
W senate met today a house bill
was passed amending the inter
nal revenue laws allowing all distilled
spirits now in bonded warehouses, or
which may hereafter be produced and
deposited therein. the same allowance
for loss from leakage or evaporation
which now exists in favor of distilled
spirits gagged and deposited prior to
Jan. ]. 1899.
A bill was also passed authorizing the
secretary of the interior. to prescribe
rules and regulations for the procure
ment of timber and stone for domestic
and industrial purposes in the Indian
Territory.
Mr.. Aidrich of Rhode Island then ad-
dressed the senate on the resolutions
offered by Mr.. Vest, directing the
finance committee to report a bill re-
moving the duty on anthracite coal. 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
Mr.. Aldrich, which the senator says
is demanded, through a method that
would open a discussion here as TO the
constitutional rights of the senate and
the CONSTITUTIONS lFEfOSdIlNe OF the
house, discussion which in its very
nature would outlast the. coal famine.
is not a practicable method Of securing
results
Wilson Bill Dragged In.
The resolution, he asserted, was sim
ply to furnish a text for a political
speech or d series of political speeches.
He recited the legislation which had
been enacted to relieve the people in
times of distress. and said he was not
entirely hopeless that some means may
be found for relief.
Mr.. Aldrich recited the facts relating
to the coal tariff, saying that in 1894,
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
the Democratic senate. with the eX-
ceptiOn of Mr.. Hill of New York, voted
to put duty of 40 cents a ton on coal,
although they had the power to admit
coal free of duty.
Turning to the Democratic side and
Speaking with cOnsidera bic emphasis,
Mr. Aldrich said:
You have always been in favor of
free coal when your opinions We're of
no value to the country: on the day
when you could give the country free
coal you deliberately and unanimously
/ therefore
comes with i'll grace for senator's to
criticise the action of the senate in 1897,
in view of the action taken in 1894"
Mr. Aldrich said the high price of
fuel in the country now was not due to
the present tariff
Vests Emphatic Reply.
Mr. Vest, replying, said Mr.. Aldrich's
remarks could be read between the
lines. He simply was opposed to the
resolution. He said it was an open
secret how the rate of 40 cents a ton
was put on coal in the Wilson bill.
There. were five Democratic senators
opposed to the bill who were in such
a position to dictate what should be
placed in the bill. and that their votes
were needed to pass the measure.
President Cleveland. he said, had urged
free coal on congress- Eve were held
up" said Mr. Vest Ito use plain YER
nacular. and told if we dared to put
free coal in the bill it would be de-
feated. A compromise. therefore. was
effected on the basis of 40 cents a ton.
What does it matter how anybody
voted in 1S94?' he inquired. rs that
an answer to the poor, freezing people
who now demand immediate relief?''
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
DingIey's Statement.
Mr. Vest had read an editorial from
a Washington paper. referring to a pri-
vate conversation, in which Mr.. Ding
ley was declared to have made the
statement knowing the correctness OF
the assertion.
Mr. Hale of Maine characterized the
article as a remarkable statement 1T
was never made in Mr.. Dingley's life
time" he said. Speaking of the Ding
ley bill, he declared it was great
magnificent and munificent gift to the
American people in the cause of pro-
lection and prosperity
Mr.. Hoar declared that such resolu-
tons as the one under discussion were
Idle and futile in securing the objects
sought, and contended that all iegis-
iation affecting revenue should origin
ate in the house.
Mr. Vest explained his action in Of
fering a resolution instead of a bill
saying he felt sure bill, after its ref
erence to the committee. would never
be reported. His object he said. was
TO call attention to the condition
OF the country and the intention of
United States had recommended the
removal of the duty on coal. and a
month had elapsed without action on
the recommendation. he thought that
even "a poor Democrat might make a
suggestion that might hurry up action
on this important question"
Proof Offered.
Reverting to the charge regarding
the object in placing the rates so high
in the Dingley bill, Mr.. Vest read a
letter from the editor of the Phila-
delphia Bulletin, saying the statement
attributed to Mr.. Dingley was made to
a writer on the staff Of the Bulletin in
March. 1897.
In an order effective Oct. 1 last, Mr.
Vest said, the secretary Of the treasury
had notified customs officers that in