Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-04-26
CONGRESSIONAL NEWS.
Continued from First Pager.

| prosperity. That it had been gathered in
to the treasury without oppression or com
| plant, was an evidence that the protect
I've system was just one. If the surplus
| were under control of wise statesman
ship, 1t would be a national blessing but
| as 1t was safer to reduce it than to run the
hazard OF Ill advised expenditures he was
anxious to have a revision of the methods of
| taxation SO as to reduce the revenues to the
| lowest limit of national want But he
argued that the plan of reduction sketched
by the president in his annual message
would result in disaster to American in
dustrles. The Democratic party in the
house had not gone the whole length Of
| the presidents suggestions because it
feared party rather than financial disaster.
Why had the internal revenue tax been
reduced IN the presence of the president S
assurances that no just complaint could be
made against it? 1t had been done to avert
Democratic strike in Virginia and other
Democratic states. He, on conditions,
reduced the internal revenue system.
The law that taxed tobacco
and intoxicating liquors had been
acceptable to his people because
they regarded them as luxuriies and be
cause the consumption imposed grieveous
burden on the municipality and the state
On this point he was in sympathy with
his people. Looking at the internal reve-
nue. system from revenue standpoint
there was much to condemn in it and if
the people understood that the whisky tax
was kept on in order that the protective
system might be maintained the whis-
ky tax would have to go.
Turning to the wool provisions of the
bill he quoted figures to show that the do
nestle product had increased enormously
under twenty years of protection, had
grown from weakness into strength, while
by the reduction of duty of the act of 1888
the industry has been well nigh ruined.
1t was q little singular that while wool
was put on the free list sugar was to be
protected by an annual tax of S45, 100000
He congratulated the president upon hav
ing compelled his party to take issue on
the tariff question. The masquerade was
over The question of the day was wheth-
er the revenue system should be free trade
or protection, for this bill was the guard
of the free trade policy.
Mr.. Dockery, of Missouri, said that the
surplus was required in the channels of
business and trade and commerce in order
that capital might employ labor, and said
that the question presented was how that
surplus was to be disposed of. Would it
be done by the making of extravagant ap-
preparations? He warned congress that if
it did not reduce taxation that was the
way in which the surplus would be got
house today hundreds of measures which
would never have been heard of had it not
been that there was a surplus in the treas
ury. The Democratic party had always
been the friend of the laboring
men, and if the Republicans could
show that the protective system was bene-
fetal to the workingmen of the country,
he was willing to waive his objection to it.
But they could not do SO. On the contrary
many unprotected Industries paid their
employees higher wages than were paid to
laborers in protected establishments. He
had statistics to show the immense bonus
which the protective tariff put into the
pockets of the manufacturers, but which
did not go into the pockets of the working
men.
Mr.. Kerr, of Iowa, inquired why the
gentleman did not go out of the banking
business and into the manufacturing bust
ness, if it was so profitable.
Mr.. DOckery-I remain in the banking
business for the same reason that
the manufacturer remains in his
business, because it pays, but | never
went before legislative body asking aid
for myself and masquerading behind the
supposed interests of the laboring men of
the country The protective system had
built up an aristocracy of monopoly. He
wanted to sound note of warming, he
said, concerning the enormous aggregrat-
ing of capital in the hands of few men.
He contrasted the increase of individual
wealth in the manufacturing states of the
east with the decrease in the individual
wealth in the agricultural states of the
west, and said it was due to the discrim-
ination made by the protective tariff
against the west. The Democratic party
proposed to favor the revenue system
which would give all the incidents pro
lection which the manufacturers needed
but did not propose, ii it could avoid it, to
continue q system which levied an enorm-
Gus tribute on the agricultural states for
the benefit of the manufacturing states.
The committee then rose.
M McNIillen, of Tennessee, submitted
the resolution agreed to in the committee
of ways and means relative to night SEES
sons for debate upon the tariff bill and
prescribing the limit of general debate on
the measure. Adopted.
Mr.. Henderson, of Iowa. from the COM
mittee on appropriations, reported the bill
making an appropriation of $780, $50 TO en-
able the executive departments to partci-
pate in the centennial exhibition to be
held in Cincinnati in July, August and
September. Committee of the whole
The house then took a recess until D.
M, the evening session to be for debate on
the tariff bill.
EVENING SESSION.
At the evening session of the house the
tariff debate was opened by Mr. Shea, of
Maryland. who advocated that clause of
the bill which places tin plate on the free
list.
Mr.. Glass, of Tennessee, spoke at length
in support of the bill and at 1925 the house