The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1883-02-07


protective duties on cotton-ties, wire for
fences, tin plates, and many other inn
portant articles now entered ~ unenum-
Grated products Of steel and iron at
thirty and thirty-fve per cent adj yalo-
rem, the values Of which for the year
1882 amounted to $10,249, 1871, and the
duties paid amounted to So, ,285.
The bill under consideration more than
doubles, on the average, the duties on
the articles which now 90 TO make up
the enumerated products. Of course !
do not believe that the revenue received
from them at the increased rate Of taxa
tion will be doubled, the object being TO
make the rate 50 high as TO prevent i'm
p0rtation, and increase the cost of the
total consumption of them in this coun-
try up to a shade under the foreign price
with the tariff tax added, and thus en-
able the manufacturers TO pocket the
whole tax which they induce Congress
to compel the people to pay by prohibit
| ing competition from abroad. That Is, Of
course, one way of reducing the reye-
nues Of the country. Total prohibition
would be more cfiectual and equally
honest. This bill takes long stride in
that direction.
have very faint hope of success in
making valuable or important reduc-
tions, and if we do, | have still less of
| having them retained in the bill which
will become law. The protectionist3
are all looking to the all-powerful CON
ference committee for the results they
desire. -Four men at last will frame the
bill, and they will be sure to give the
men who rely on legislation to enrich
themselves, all they can. On all pro-
visions of importance to the m0nop0lists
which the Senate has increased or kept
In better shape for the protected inter
ests than the House has, the House con-
ferces viii concur in the provisions of
the Senate amendments, and having
done that much to obligc the Senate the
Senate conferees will OF course recipro-
cate their kindness by concurring in such
increases and adjustments as the House
conferees can show that their action has
made in the same direction. Thus the
bill will be made more oppressive than
either House would make it. | expect,
in short, to be called upon to vote, ms a
whole, without the right to amend, alter,
or even protest, for worse bill than
either House passes, and therefore pro-
pose to give my reasons for demanding
reductions now while we can consider the
items in detail. / propose to appeal
from Congress to the country, and to
make up the record now. OF course one
OF the three conferees of each House will
be Democrat and in favor of reduction
of taxes, but he will not be needed in
the conference and need not even sign
the report.
II we fail to vote for any bill, however
oppressive and unjust, that the confer
ence committee agree on, we will be de-
nounced as opposing all reduction of
taxes; and ii it passes in spite of us, no
matter how oppressive its provisions
may te, and we venture hereafter to
seek relief by legislation, we will beloud-
ly denounced by the able and well-paid
press of the monopolists as agitators and
disturbers of the business of the coun-
try. We may all as well make up our
defense as we 60 on. We will be told
that Congress was pledged by the APP
pointment Of the Tariff Commission to
accept rs finally the bill passed on its
recommendation and every man and
woman in the employ Of the protected
interests will be threatened with reduc-
ton of wages or dismissal from service
II they do not join in the hue and cry
that will be raised by those who seek to
perpotuate their monopolies.
Mr.. MaXey-Suppose we have con
ference committee, its majority being
gentlemen whose theory is that the rariff
should be laid for protection with
revenue as an incident, what chance
would the taxpayers haye?s
Mr.. Beck want the Senator from
Texas now to discuss this bill item by
item, SO that he can show to his people
in the permanent records Of the country
what the facts are.
We may as well look the facts in the
face and speak plainly. The ultimate
decision is in the hands of the Chair |
man of the Committee on Finance in
the Senate and Of the House, each with
the most reliable supporter he can select
from his committee TO sustain him. in
secret committee of conference, where
those four are omnipotent in regard to
all questions of difference between the
two houses Each Of the Chairmen
regards himself as the father OF the pro-
tective system, and each can establish
about equal claims to its paternity. The
Senator from Delaware may be at the
tail end of the Senate committee for
FORMS sake, and Mr.. Carlisle, Of Ken
lucky may be on the House com
mittee; they will both be powerless. The
commission they obtained was selected
because each member of it was inter
ested in maintaining the highest protec-
ton and the greatest privileges for the
monopolists he was chosen to advocate
each had to sustain all the others so rs
to secure his own; and the friends of
each made up tile schedules they were
Interested in, so as to obtain all possible, |
and when they were flung together into |
q bill, the combined forces Of protected |
wealth and monopoly rushed to Wash
ilgton, and have night and day besieged
Senators and Representatives, urg-
ing them under all sorts Of pretenses, / |
was about to say by promises, hattery
and threats to sustain what the Com
mission had done for them. Yet we are
told that the Tariff Commission and its