The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-05-16

Washington, May 15.--A speech by Senator Johnston of Aiabama, abound ing with humor and caustic criticism. directed toward the pending tarin bill, caused much amusemeut m the Senate today.
 Senator Johnston began his remarks by humorously analyzing the free nst carried by the measure de saio .,
 Having waded through 102 pages ol this bili. struck the free list ana fine thirteenth item that appeared on , this priviiegei class was "apatite.
 A little further on I found that teeth. natural. or unmanufactured, were let in free, suppose to walt upon appetite and do its perfect work. l thought these were the cruetss. things in the whole bill; that after nuttine d duty of five per cent. a bound on hams and bacon and about four per cent. on every article neces- sary to sustain life. the framers or the bill should turn loose free appetites and free teeth. Distrusting the apa- rent error in spelling the word. n- naliy consulted the dictionary and found that the word ''apatite" was not inc good old fashioned craving for sornething to eat, which seems to be constantly increasing under RepubH- can administration, but was Vit- reous, sea-green, brown, blue-blaek, white, etc, transparent to opaque. cal-I cinm chlorophosphate or huophosphate. f(Ca 5, FTP 3, O 12), unusually crystal lizing in hexagonal priemo; used Tor. merly as gem and caled poroxlte. and that this word was derived from Hthe Greek .'apatre," which meant de- ceit." This is a good word to put Tn this bill. I was greatly relieved
 I know how the people must crave for this deceitful gem and how little use they had for good old-fashioned English appetite. They will not have the least use for either naturai or arll- ficial teeth if this exorbitant protec- tive tariff continues to Increase and the trusts to multiply.
 Pursuing my studies further, iis- covered in this free list cat gut, whip gut or worm gut. I was not amazed that the human article was not in- cluded, because we shall be able to diminish the number we need as the duties increase, But the people are not left entirely without hope. for there is included in the free list, Man na. joss sticks. epicac, nux vomica. dragons blood, asafoedfta and balm of gilead" These may be said to be in the nature of countervailing duties on apatite. I don't object to any of them. but there Is one still furher on which shall move to strike out: that Is n increase in their production under this bill. and that the supply will largely exceed the demand. Spunk is also put on the free list. I am delighted at that, for if some of my friends on the other side of this chamber had a little more of it, am satisfied that the coun- try would have lower taxes on the necessaries of life.
 Looking further into this admirable ct AH.A .aff N-n fkt A.. ty on the manufactured article is 50 per eent.) whilst a duty of nearly i35 per cent. is laid on wooden or worsted cloths valued at not more than 40 cents per yard, an article largely in use by 6 vast number of the people of this country. So that when q woman buys ten yards of cloth for a worsted dress. worth s4 abroad, she has to confront a protective duty or tax of 136 per cent. and contribute $5.40 to a benevolent government or a protected manufac- turer, making the cloth cost her $40; at the same time her more favored sis- ter gets her ten yards of silk by pay ing duty of only $5. Uncut diamonds come In free and the cheapest blankets are taxed TOT per cent. Cut diamonds and pearls are 20 per cent. Not many of our people are able to buy the geIs- ulne article and if they adorfi, thems selves with limitations they are charg- ed heavily for 1t. Furs, -undresssd, are admitted free of duty and brussels car- pets taxed at. 75 per cent. Bags are wisely put on the free list, and com mon shawls Dear duty of 92 per cent. tIt must be great comfort to our people toFknow that under Republican rule they still may get rags without paying a cent of tribute to the xov- ernnient or to any trust or manufac- turer: the women of the country win be delighted to know that whilst frocks are high and stockings are going up. rags are coming down.
 No Relief Tn BilI.
 want. Mir. President, to call attaS,- ton to this pregnant fact that not oniv has no substantial change been made the taxes upon articles of necassitv. but 1t Is observable that in many cases the duties are lower on the finer and more expensive grades especially of