The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-12-10
THE SENATE.
An Exposure of Democratic Hypocrisy in the
Matter of Tax Reduction.


Matter of Tax Reduction.
WASHINGTON, Dec. ga House amendment
TO the Senate bill for the relief of graduates OF
the United States Military Academy, and to fix
their pay, was among the matters submitted by
tho presiding officer when the Senate met TO
day. The amendment provides that the cadets
shall be allowed full pay second lieutenan,
from the date of their graduation to the date OF
their acceptance of commission. The amend
ment was concurred in, and the bill now goes to
the President.
Mr.. Cameron moved that when the Senate ad
journed to-day it be till Monday next Agreed
to-yeas %, nays %
On motion of Mr.. Eustis the House bill de-
claring a forfeiture of the lands granted to the
New Orleans, Baton Rouge & Vicksburg Railroad
Company (the Backbone railroad) was post
poned. as a special order, till Monday Dec. 20.
The Senate then proceeded to consideration
of the resolution introduced by Mr.. morrill,, on
Tuesday, declaring that 'the promise of making
any revision Of the tariff in spirit of fairness
tc all interests not to injure any domestic in-
dustries but to promote their healthy growth,
80 that any change of law must be at every step
without depriving American labor of the ability
to compete successfully with foreign labor, and
without imposing lower rates of duty than will
be ample to cover any increased cost of produc-
ton which may exist in consequence of the high
er rate of wages prevailing in this country ap.
pears so obviously hopeless aud impractcable
that any further attempts at revision by the
present Congress in contraventon of the fore
going cardinal declarations are to be- regarded as
inexpedient and detrimental to the revival of the
trade and industry OF the country"
Mr.. Morrill, eaid it was clear that the Demo
cratic presidential candidate in 1884 would have
been defeated but for the protective tariff back
bone inserted in the Democratic platform by the
national convention at Chicago, July TO- 1884
THESE strong pledges, pregnant with fair minded
protection In every sentence, had heen intro
dnced into the Democratic platform through the
insistance of protective tariff Democrats, who
were now receiving vitriolic denunciations from
the late half breed allies of free trade because of
their honest efforts to prevent their party from
violating pledges on which the party obtained
its victory by majority of only fingers
breadth Before the election "the devil was
sick the devil a monk would be-" But after the
election 'the devil was we'll. the devil O monk
was no." 1t would seem that the party of free
trade under the alias revenue reform y has de-
termined to run amuck against nearly all the
Industries and productions OF America. and such
As escape the first assault could not hope for
immunity from the next. He proceeded TO
ridicule Mr.. Morrson's schemes for u horizontal
reduction of the tariff. comparing
them to Dr. Sangrado's specific, and
said that their effect could only be
to let a food of foreign productions
pOnr in and overrup the American market
These measures, he said, not having inspired
love at first sight among members of house
anxious to escape Waterloo on the des of No.
vember, the Juvenile play of Bo-peep had com.
menced, and an amended bill had been hurriedly
brought to the 'front.' where the horizont tai
jumped to the perpendicular, and all about iron
dropped ont OF sight for safety. The authors
had seemed to realize
What pcrils do environ
The man that meddes with cold iron.
Finally the farmers had been selected as the
victims OF the new experiment, and the vast
wool interest, deeply identified with all portions
Of the country, was to be exposed to absolute
annihilaton. 1t might be, however, that the
lamb-like submissiveness OF wool-growers had
been overestimated In numbers. they had a
giants strength, and they might not consider it
tyrannous to use it in self-defense. Another
industry of no mean Importance, which the free
trade reformers also proposed to destroy. was
that of hemp and flax. AS to the cry that 1t was
time that war taxes" we're reduced, he said
that they had been repeatedly reduced and
likened this continual lond barking about swar
taxes" to that of Mr. Beechers dog, which
'barked at the hole for several days after the
squirrel had gone" revision of the tariff
called for much patient labor, and
should be grounded upon established facts
instead of upon theory which makes statistics,
history and experience go for nothing In his
career in relation to the tariff he had found no
commandment meant to love thy neighbor bet
ter than thy self but he had found promptings
in favor of that tariff policy which, while offer
ing an ample revenue for the support OF the gov
eminent, aimed, also, to advance the prosperity,
power and glory of the whole country. That
policy held out no exclusive favors and no posi-
bic monopoly OF trade, either to persons or
places. 1t was continental policy which en-
braced Augusta and Chattanooga much as
Lowell and Pittsburg, San Francisco as
much as Wilmington and Jersey City. All
places and all persons were not only permitted,
but invited to enter the race-foreign lands and
persons alone excepted; bat vet the frae-trade-
like Don Quixote, still waged windy battle
against the whole imaginary foe he called a
monopoly. new generation has appeared in
the South. The factories foundries and ma
chine shops on the James river and on the Ten
nessee-as potential as those on the Merrimac
and the Providence-were so many battering
rams. before which alien theories and crooked
distractions were tumoling down, to rise no
more forever, Hostility to and destruction of
these young but promising workshops involved
something akin to Herodian guilt of slaugh ter
of the infants But the time would come when
it would be said, they are dead which sought
the young chlIds life.' Referring to the famous
free-trade club of Chicago, he said that the Iro-
Quos were still employed by the British
to tomahawk Americans. He admitted
that the extinction of the public debt had
proceeded SO rapidly that temporary surplus
of revenue might become inevitable. The ques-
ton What should be done with tP was a
fair question. Some of the surplus would nave
TO be used for the new navy and for seaboard
defenses, and then the internal revenue tax on
tobacco might be wholly surrendered The con-
sumption OF tobacco added much to the working
mems cost of living, and to them the repeal OF
the tax would be substantial boon. The duties
on raw sugar might, also, be either wholly re-
moved or cut down to the lowest point from all
countries which do not impose export duties;
and then generous bounty might be granted to
all domestic sugars.
A proper revision OF the tariff at an early day
would be eminently desirable; but the work
should rot be intrusted to those who are color
blind, and who can see nothing but reduction or
Abandonment OF all duties. An excessive reduc
ton Of duties one year which forces their re