River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1888-05-24


expenditures, includ- eAMUEf / RANDArt
ing the sinking fund for he current year.
He then quoted from the Presidents mes
sage defining his position Gu the tariff and in-
ternal revenue questions. and said that from
the utterance of the President he understood
the Executive to be adverse 10 any reduction OF
me internal taxes, as that mode of taxation
Afforded IN the opinion OF the President mo
just complaint and that nothing is so wen able
TO bear the burden without hardship TO any
portion OF the people"
The President had further said that the
Tariff law was a vicious and illogical source Of
inequitable tax and ought TO be revised and
modified; and the President had urged upon
Congress the immediate expression OF this
matter 10 the exclusion OF all others The
President had asserted in substance that the
reduction necessary should be made by ad-
ditions TO the free list and by the lowering Of
the rates OF duty.
In the absence Of such language, emanating
from the Executive. authorized by the direc-
ton OF the constitution 10 communicate and
from time TO time, give 10 Congress informa-
ton on the state OF the Union. and recommend
such measures as he should judge nee
essary II was required OF the
representatives OF the people 10
give fair, intelligent and prompt attention TO
the suggestions made. He had done So He
had introduced and had referred to the Conn
mittee on Ways and Means a bill TO re
duce and equaliZe duties on imports and
reduce the internal-revenue taxes. and
some provisions OF the bill showed
that the remedies he would apply
were at variance with those recommended by
| the President. The President sought to pre-
vent the continuation OF the surplus revenue
by resorting TO changes in the customs duties
only. The remedy he (RandalD proposed
| was through the repeal OF internal-reVenue
taxes as well as by full revision of the
! tariff, as promised 10 the people by the Dem
ocratie convention of 1884. The reduction pro-
vided for in his bill aggregated s77,9O000O on in
ternal taxes Those taxes had always been the
| last TO be levied, and the first TO be repealed
| when no longer necessary. Jefferson
had given the deathblow to excise
taxes-that most vicious OF all taxes-and
/ among other things he received the thanks OF
| the Legislature OF his native State for having
| the internal taxes abolished. The first tax also
| TO be repealed after the war ofisi2 had been the
! excise tax which was recommended by Mad
| iSon, and was the first law enacted under the Ad-
ministration OF Monroe The Democratic con-
| vention Of 1884 declared that internal revenue
! was war tax and this declaration taken in
| connection with the other declarations of the
platform, clearly established the fact that the
| opinion OF the convention was that some
| OF the internal revenue taxes should
first go, and that they should all 90 whenever
sufficient sum was realized from custom
house taxes to meet the expenses OF
the Government, economically admins
| tered. The country was practically in
such a condition now, and the true
| responses to these declarations were
warranted by the repeal OF the internal revenue
taxes to the extent proposed by his bill. He IA
vored now as he had always done, total repeal
| OF the Internal revenue taxes tapplause) In
the bill which he introduced, he proposed
TO sweep all these taxes from the statute
| books except a tax of 80 cents on
VIII sky, and he would transfer the col
lection OF that tax TO the customs on
cals If that was found TO be practi-
cable. With Albert Gallatin he had regarded
excise taxes as offensive TO the genius OF the
people, tolerated only as measure OF emer-
gency and as soon as the occas on for that had
passed away they should cease TO exist
Mr.. Randall then began analysis of the
Mills bin, but the gavel fell, the chair an
nouucing: THE gentleman's time has ex-
pired There were cries Of Go on" but
Mr.. Mills fTex.l objected. Members from
both sides of the House crowded around
the chairman of the Ways and Means.
but he was memorable Finally Mr.
| Randall asked as personal favor
that he be given a few minutes more. but Mr..
| Mills replied: No, must draw the line and
! draw it here" This greeted with groans
and Kisses. In the midst OF the confusion Mr..
| Mckinley 20 , who was 10 follow Mr. Randall,
| said he would give the gentleman from Penn
| sylvsnia fifteen minutes of his time, and Mr..
| Breckenridge Ky.l made similar offer.
Mr.. Randall then resumed. He declared the
/
10 the Industries Of America He could find
| nothing fl the bill which gave a return for free
| wool He found many inequalities in II, and
| discovered few features intended to relieve the
| poor or the laboring man. He quoted from
| Edward Atkinson to show that since the close
OF the war, and even since the so-called panic
| of 1873, there had been greater progress in the
| common welfare among the people of the
| United States than ever before. The state
| ments of Mr.. Atkinson. Mr. Randall thought,
whether we should adhere 10 the bcnevo-
I lent policy OF protecting home manufactures.
| II demonstrated Enthusiastically the truth that TO
increase wages products must be increased. for
in the end wages were but the l3borers' share
of the DR. oducts II the tariff itself did not give
| higher wages TO the laborer II did preserve
| from foreign competition the industries from
| which the laborer received his wages Re
| ferrng 10 the fundamental IrOpOs.t on which
| had been advanced IT. this tariff discussion,
that the duties were always added to the price
/ TO the consumer, Mr.. Randall said that on
| articles not produced in this country this
| doubtless was true gen raj rule.
and measurably true articles in part pro-
| duced in this country, but not n sufflc .ent
quantities to supply the home market On all
! commodities produced in sufficient quantities
10 supply the home market different principle
controlled In these things competition deter
! mined the price and the foreign producers
came into this market where the prices we're
| fixed, and the duties we're what he paid for the
| privilege of coming into the market. Another
| erroneous proposition that had been put for
| ward was that duties on articles produced in
| this country were a tax or bounty which the
! consumer paid to the manufacturer by which
the manufacture derived large profits. Mo
| nopolies. Mr.. Randall said, existed without
the tariff. The Standard Oil Trust and other
| trusts were not projected by II. lie was for
/ protection OF labor in all States Referring
10 the late Secretary Mauaing's re-
! ports on economic questions, he said that they
were marvcis OF honest. conscientious and ef-
/ them. He then took up the critic SINS that had
been made on the metal schedules OF
his own bill, and quoted figures
sustaining his position. The Mills bill
/ placed on the free list as sO-called raw ma
terials various articles which It would be i'm
/ possible 10 manufacture this country. ex-
cept by reducing American labor TO 4 worse
! condition than that OF the lG horers of Europe.
4 He assorted that instead OF reducing customs
revenue s54.00O.O00, The effect would be 20
| largely increase the revenue while it would
! destroy an incalculable amount OF material
wealth. He stated that the bill would give free
/ tin plates TO the Standard o Company, and
| would impose a duty OF 100 per cent. on rice.
| II would make free the animals imported by
| the gentlemen OF the turf, and free statuary 10
/ the m llionaire. He sad he I'd not think
that the adoption Of the committees
| bill would make sure Democratic control
OF the Federal Government. He would not
/ be coercei by party caucus. The period Of the
| POLITICAL caucus had departed never 70 return
and yet the party should confer and have unity
| IL possible In conclusion, Mr.. Randall spoke