The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-03-14
THE TARIFF.
The Minority Report Of the Committee
ON Ways aud Means.

LIE IAKlFF.
The Minority Report Of tito Gommittes
ON ways and Meaus.
The following Is the minority report
(Republicap) on the tariff bill from the
Ways and Means Committee, the report
being presented by Mr.. Mckinley:
The undersigned, dissenting from ihe
views Of the majority Of the Committee on
the Tariff Bill, beg leave to present the fol.
lowing objections to its passage:
The last Congress made a general revi.
sion OF the tariff, securing important reduc.
tionB OF the duties on imports. In q few
cases the reductions wero below the point
OF necessity or wisdom. and In other cases,
as was believed, touched the lowest limit
OF safety.
There had been no general revision Of
the tariff lave since 1875. These laws
had been left practically undisturbed for
nineteen years, aud there was q manifest
necessity for a revision, while new %classiii.
cations were required to meet the changed
condition Of business. Every effort from
1861 TO 1883 at II full revision Of tho tariff
laws proved a failure. Some changes were
made during that period, but no full and
comprehensive revision wa accomplished.
Finally, In response to the general senti-
nent OF the country, the Forty.seventh
Congress, at Its first session, created a Tar.
III Commission to investigate the whole
subject and report a basis for q revision.
This commission, composed Of practical
men, alter the full study Of the subject,
calling to their aid representatives OF all
Interests and all views, made a recommend.
at OIL for Il revision Of the tariff, which,
with come important changes, was adopted
on the Sd day Of March, 1883.
The law went into effect on the LIST Of
July, 1883. and has, therefore, been in op.
Grafton about eight months-too short a
time to have given q sufficient practical
test. lis effect upon either the revenues or
the business Of the country cannot yet be
tascertained or determined. Itshould have
a fair trial aud it's results be fairly known
before We enter upon the subject again.
No1 A SINGLE INTEREST DEMANDING IT.
The reduction proposed by the bill now
under consideration is 20 percent, and it is a
noteworthy fact that not q single interestin
the United States has asked fer it-neither
the manufacturer the miner, the laborer, the
farmer nor the consumer has requested or
demanded the proposed reduction. On the
contrary, every interest, manufacturing,
laboring and agricultural, represented be-.
ioro the Committee OF Ways and Means
bus protested mess earnestly against the
change recommended by a majority Of the
committee.
: We have said that no'interest has asked
Tor il. We should have excepted the Free
trade clubs Of New York and Bfooklyn,
which were represented before the com-
miltee by a number OF go called political
economists, urging not this reduction alone,
but the entire abolition Of import dutiee
which in any way discriminate in favor Of
American producers. and favored the pro-
position because it is Il step in the direc.
ton OF absolute Free Trade, declaring their
preferencef for the collection OF the revenues
of the Government by direct taxation OF
the domestic products and duties upon
commodities that cannot DO produced in
this country. such as lea and coffee. With
these exceptions every interest nthis coun.
Try has spoken with the strongest emphasis
in opposition to the bill.
While all unite in opposition to any re.
ductloD, come inlert sts assert the necessity
Of an increase OF duties for the actual main
tenance Of tho industry and the labor EN-.
ployed therein. The wool growers Of the
country, representing every State in the
Union, demand the restoration Of the wool
duty Of 1867. The undersigned have sought
to respond iavorably to this demand Of
more than a million OF, our fellow citizens,
Representing the agriculture Of the country,
but haYe been overruled. The oppocenta
Of our viewa, not content with q refusal to
accede to the rtques's Of this large class Of
producers Tor BIZ increase Of duties, delib-
erately propose to reduce the duties still
lower. Against this We enter q most earn.
est protest. >
While we do not believe it proper at this
time, for reasons before given, t. enter
upon o fresh revision of tho tariT; there
are some inequalities found in the present
law which it would be only just to. corre,t
Amor & these wire rods, cotton ties and
tin plates bear greatly disproportionate
duties to kindred articlo5 and should be
made consistent and harmonious. In ad.
dition to the foregoing, We are opposed to
the bill because:.
Fi1st-1s will disturb business (the dis.
cussion Of it in committee has already done
this). it will unsettle values. retard incl
pient enterprises, cripple those now estab.
lished, impair confidence among business
men, 30 essential to our development and
prosperity, and bring no countefvailiag
benefits. H
second-It will OF necessity force down
the price Of labor in the United States, il
will stimulate. imports, incrsase competi.
lion from abroad, which can only be suc.
cesstully met by reducing cost Of home
product.
THE EFFECT on LABOR.
The testimon. is uniform, and not con.
tradicted, that labor will DO compelled to
bear o large share Of tho reduction. VIII
liam Weihc, the president Of the largest Ia
H. sA