The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-09-27

trade by depriving it of the patronage they fur
niSh it through their wages. TO pass law that
would stop the running Of great manufacturing
establishments would destroy vast amounts
of capital invested in those undertakings
some demagogues nave tried TO ueVlse
schemes by which w0rkmen may be fairly
paid, and their employers receive no profit, out
this cannot be- done, The capitalist must receive
a fair return for his Investment or the workman
will receive poor wages. Aboub four years ago
the excess OF our revenues over the necessary
wants OF the government became so consldera-
be- that it was evident that a reduction was
requisite. Congress, Democratic in each house,
was unable to agree upon what should be done.
The Wood bill. proposed in the House by a Dem
Ocrat, was defeated, after debate, by Democrats,
by striking out the euacting clause. The next
Congress was Republican, and upon it drvolved
the difficult duty for which the Democrats had
proved unequal. 1t began by proposing the
creation OF commission, to be composed of
men Of great knowledge and experience, who
should carefully inquire into the state OF our in
dustries among all classes concerned IN them,
and who should report TO Congress the evidence
taken and their conclusions thereon. The COM
mission was appointed. II took vast amount
of evidence, Laborers and capitasts-all In
every ocou patton vino desired to be heard-were
heard wITh eager and courteous attention, and,
after having heard ali, IL made report to Con-
gress which surprised the country by the
thorough familiarity shown with all the ques
tions in hand. and by the wisdom and mOdera-
ton of its suggestions. 1t was a report friendly
to the industrial enterprises OF the country, yet
recommending, in most cases, serious reductions
in protective duties. 1t struck, as a rule, with
admirable Judgment, the middle line between
protective duties so high that they could not be
maintained along with the needed diminution of
our revenues, and violent and headlong reduc-
ton, which would have closed the doors OF thou
sands OF factories and been disastrous to the
wOrk.sAr dependent for their bread upon the
maintenance of those industries, IL was the ba-
sis upon which Congress acted at its last session
In preparing the bill passed by that body, which
reduced internal taxes and customs duties in
the estimated annual amount, as l have said, of
$40. 900, 000 The best commendatiOn which
that legislation can receive is the fact that the
N n nf he hnU mr. daf nd
themselves to the changes made Without great
disturbanc or commotiOn, and that in the DEM
ocratic party there is so much opinion in Its
favor that on the tariff question the resolutions
of Democratic conventions have tc be accom-
modated by ambiguous phrases to Opposite
shades of opinion, and that in the utterdnc6s
of their public orators, the speeches of the on
ponents of the law can be best answered by the
speeches of the orators opposing a reopsning OF
the questions settled by il.
The bill passed at the last session related to In
ternal taxes and customs duties. The Repuhli-
more unsatisfactory internal duties imposed
during the war-such as stamps upon deeds and
contracts, licenses for conducting various pri-
vate occupations, and so forth, and last session
removed all the residue of internal taxes, except
taxes imposed upOn liquors and tobacco. In the
tax on tobacco changes were made greatly to
the benefit or farmers engaged in the production
of that article. The result of the abolition of
the taxes mentioned has been to enable
ployed in the collection of internal duties. The
number of collection districts has been recently
reduced from 126 TO 81. In Indiana instead Of
six districts, we now have but three.
In the case of the new tariff law, as have be-
fore suggested the best evidence of the general
merits OF the measure Is the inability of our
Democratic opponents to agree upon any COM
mon system of assault. Mr.. Mcdonald. of my
own State--for whom, personally, 1 entertain
most kind regard-in speech lately delivered
in Iowa, dwelt, with severity, upon the duties
which, he maintained, increased the price of
wooden clothing. OF course his remarks APP
piled to the duties on wool and
WOODEN Those 6ntIpR
tefially decreased at the astsessiOn of Congress.
In the State of Ohio the Democrats-5hough
their represen tatives voted for a greater redue-
tion--are arraigning the Republicans for the
greatness OF the reduction made. Mr.. Mcdonald
is arraigning them in Iowa at the same time for
not having made much greater ones.
Mr.. Mcdonald is also much concerned about
the duties on steel rails When it is remembered
that vastly the greater part of railroads have
cy was adopted, and that we have now, young
as our country Is, nearly as many miles of rail-
road as all the continent of Europe, one would
think that the railroad companies had little oc-
casOn TO lament the condition under which the
railroad system has grown to such amazing
magnitude. II will be difficult to persuade the
people that, with more than 107. 900 miles of
railway, the wealth and development which
they indicate have grown under very adverse
conditions. It will rather be Thought that n
wise legislative policy lay at the root of them.
II may be mentioned, however, that more than
a fourth of the previous duty on steel fails was
taken off by last sessions legislation. Mr.. Nc
Donald complains in relation to steel blooms,
that by some legerdemain conference commit
tee got q tax placed upon them which greatly
cripples new home enterprises. I would wish my
self that the duty upon them had been reduced
as have no doubt II will be, but the effect of his
argument will De weakened when IL stated
that the tariff on steel blooms remains just as it
was before the law of last session was adopted.
In relation to boots and shoes, the duties upon
the raw material for which, and upon the manu-
featured article, he complains Of il may be stated
that the law of last session reduced the duty
upon the raw material ff5h and upon the mau-
ufactured article seventh.
In the face of the fact that Democratic Con-
gress had not been able to agree upon reduc-
ton in any degree of the rate of duties upon
these articles, but left them all standing to ar
raigu the Republican party for not having made
a more radical reduction shows how little is
cared in the Democratic party for consistency.
The difference between the Republican party
and the Democratic party is this: Under the
legsla tiOn of the former the great manufacture
to great proportions. They are here. They have
made great cities, they have greatly swelled
the population of our towns and villages. IL Is
shown by the most trustworthy statistics that
even the great commercial city of New York our
commercial emporium, is more dependent for it's
prosperity upon It's manufacturing tDdnries
than upon its foreign commerce. the millions
of persons these Industries employ, and the
families that are supported by them furnish
horne markets. Near to every Furnishing
manufacturing town and city lands greatly
increase in value. The demand made for agri-
cultural products, large part of which
are uuexpOrtable, make agricultural industry
go 100 nrodnc,ive The markats turntsha55
are stable markets. There is the same or an in
creasing number of buyers from year to year.
These markets do not huetuate like the fereign
markets. There, If there is good home crop,
there is a small or no demand for our products.
If other countries, like Russia, or even India,
expedite and cheaper their means of carriage,
they become formidable rivals, decreasing our
prices. MIR. Bookwalter, your late Democratic
candidate for Governor, has recently been inter-
viewed with regard to what he saw in India on
his late visit there. The interview Is an ex-
IremeIy interesting one. In 1t he shows that
Great Britain is determined TO make India an
important wheat producing country and to i'm
port from that country great part of the wheat
needed for her inhabitants. He has shown how
near India has been brought to Great Britain by
the Suez canal and by railroads He has shown
the efforts the latter is making to make India
seryiceable by cheapening and expediting in
every possible manner, the carriage of fire. ghts
He has demontrated that the British demand for
our great agricultural staples will grow more
and more untrustworthy The Republican party
believes in avoiding. in the face OF these facts,