( <> \GRESS. (THE DIXGLEY BILL.) 



171 



without violating parliamentary proprieties. After 

 r three months' consideration of the bill in the 

 te it went to a committee of conference, and 

 here considered for two months: and. as a last 

 i. in order t<> get a measure in some form of 

 the nature we desired upon the statute books, it 

 went through the House in some such way as the 

 treat leman from Pennsylvania has stated. Then, 

 the question of 'coal had been discu.-sed 

 through weeks and months, incidentally, in both 

 houses, after the sugar question had been consid- 

 ered in both houses, and after the ore question had 

 been debated for a long and almost indefinite time 

 in both houses, then, in the closing hours of the 

 n. when there was no hope or opportunity for 

 consideration and deliberation, we passed those 

 measures to which the gentleman from Pennsyl- 

 vania has referred. Ours is not now that situation. 

 We are at the very beginning of the session, or at 

 the opening of a Congress of which the friends of 

 the gentleman have the majority. Why is it that 

 they do not give us an opportunity for the discus- 

 sion of this great question f If they are actuated 

 by any spirit of deference to the department of 

 Government which now holds our fortunes in its 

 hands, why do not they put some other measure in 

 front instead of seeking in this Christmas time to 

 tax the American people to the amount of $40,000,- 

 000 or $50,000,000 an imposition against which 

 the Treasury itself prote- 



31 r. Henderson said in the course of his reply : 



" They talk of speed in behalf of the Treasury. 

 Do they forget the speed with which Democratic 

 policies have emptied the Treasury ( They have 

 emptied it, and we propose to put money there. 

 Since this Administration came into power it has 

 kept this nation oscillating between chills and 

 fever. We propose to stop these diseases and let 

 the American regain a normal condition. We will 

 do our part of it. 



"Talk about war; as one Democratic statesman 

 said, the President comes in here one day and 

 makes a declaration of war. and in three days after- 

 ward files his petition in bankruptcy. We are not 

 for war. The Republican party is against war. It 

 has made no declaration in this House for war. Let 

 the country take observation of that. True, the 

 President demanded money to carry out his consti- 

 tutional functions, and the Republican party said 

 it would supply him with the money ; but we have 

 not declared for war. 



The statement is made that the Secretary of the 

 Treasury says there is plenty of revenue. Mr. 

 Speaker, that is not true. I join issue with that 

 statement, but will leave the discussion of it for the 

 proper time, after this rule shall have been adopted. 

 Then we will demonstrate that the Treasury has 

 not sufficient funds. Then we will demonstrate, by 

 proofs that can not be refuted, that this country is 

 suffering for want of revenue to pay its legitimate 

 expenses. Greenbacks and gold are being taken 

 out of the Treasury to pay current expenses : yet 

 the gentleman from Georgia last on his feet dares to 

 sustain the statement of the Treasury Department 

 that we have sufficient revenue. 



Gentlemen of the House of Representa 

 this is a business matter. The pending bill is not a 

 general tariff measure. It represents neither the 

 aggregate judgment of the Republican side nor of 

 the Democratic side on the tariff question, but the 

 IVsident of the United States lias laid before us 

 the condition of the Treasury and the business in- 

 - of the country. 



" The business interests of the country say that 

 financially we are in a crippled condition. Now. 

 we all know that if we were to go into a general re- 

 vision of the tariff every member would feel bound 



to investigate details ami to stand up for his local 

 interests. That ha< been done by both sides of the 

 chamber whenever there lias been a general revision. 

 To enter upon such a course now would be to tic 

 our hands for months, and that would bring about 

 a crisis in this country compared with which the 

 Democratic crash of 1893 was a holiday entertain- 

 ment." 



Mr. Crisp said: 



"This rule is brought in not only for the purpose 

 of preventing this side of the House from offering 

 amendments, but to prevent gentlemen on the Re- 

 publican side from voting for amendments. It is 

 not necessary that you should tie us up by this rule, 

 use, if you all agree to this bill, you have a 

 majority far more than sufficient to vote down every 

 amendment that we might offer. The purpose of 

 the rule. Mr. Speaker, is to prevent any gentleman 

 on your own side from voting for any amendment 

 which he might conceive to be in the interest of his 

 constituents." 



Mr. Henderson replied: 



" The gentleman from Georgia wholly miscon- 

 strues my statement. It was upon the ground of 

 want of time alone that I called attention to the 

 fact that differences are dangerous in dealing with 

 this subject. As to Democratic amendments, of 

 course we would vote them down, for no Demo- 

 cratic tariff proposition would justify any patriot 

 in voting for it." 



The resolution was passed by a vote of 208 yeas 

 to 90 nays. 57 not votinir. 



The revenue bill was then read. It follows : 



"Be it enacted, etc.. That from and after the pas- 

 sage of this act. and until Aug. 1. 1898, there shall 

 be levied, collected, and paid on all imported wools 

 of classes 1 and 2. as defined in the act hereinafter 

 cited, approved Oct. 1. 1800. and subject to all the 

 conditions and limitations thereof, and on all hair 

 of the camel, goat, alpaca, and other like animals, 

 except as hereinafter provided, and on all noils, 

 shoddy, garneted waste, top waste, slubbing waste. 

 roving waste, ring waste, yarn waste, and all other 

 wastes composed wholly or in part of wool, and on 

 woolen rags, mnngo. and flocks, a duty equivalent 

 to 60 per cent, of the duty imposed on each of such 

 articles by an act entitled 'An Act to reduce the 

 revenue and equalize duties on imports, and for 

 other purposes.' approved Oct. 1, 1890, and sub- 

 ject to all the conditions and limitations of said 

 act : and on all wools and Russian camel's hair of 

 - 3, as defined in said act approved Oct. 1, 

 1890, and subject to all the conditions and limita- 

 tions thereof, there shall be levied, collected, and 

 paid the several duties provided by such act ap- 

 proved Oct. 1, 1890. And paragraph' 279 of Sched- 

 ule K. and also paragraph 685 in the free list of an 

 act entitled 'An Act to reduce taxation, to provide 

 revenue for the Government, and for other pur- 

 -.' which became a law Aug. 27. 1894. are here- 

 by suspended until Aug. 1. 1M'^. 



" SEC. '2. That from and after the passage of this 

 act and until Aug. 1, 1898. there shall be levied, 

 collected, and paid on all imported articles made in 

 whole or in part of wool, worsted, or other mate- 

 rials described in section 1 of this act, except as 

 hereinafter provided, 60 per cent, of the specific 

 pound or square-yard duty imposed on each of such 

 articles by an act entitled 'An Act to reduce the 

 revenue and equalize duties on imports and for 

 other purposes.' approved Oct. 1, 1890. and subject 

 to all the conditions and limitations thereof, in ad- 

 dition to the ad valorem duty now imposed on each 

 of such articles by an act entitled 'An Act to re- 

 duce taxation, to provide revenue for the Govern- 

 ment, and for other purposes.' which became a law 

 Aug. 27, 1894 ; and on carpets, druggets, bockings, 



