Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-05-19
TARIFF TALK.
Three Leading Speakers
on the Question.
RANDALL EXPLAINS HIS BILL.
McKinle Speaks for Protection
Breckenridge Wins the APP
plause of the House.
ASSOCIATED Press Dispatches to the HERALD

ASSOCIATED Press Dispatches to the HERALD
WASHINGTON, May 49, The House OF
Assem- bling Immediately went into Com
mittee Of the whole on the tariff. An
derson, Of Iowa, spoke briefly in oppo
sition to the principle Of protection, and
at the close of his remarks Randall tool
the floor. He opened his speech by re
ferring to the Presidents recent message
in which the Executive advised Congres.
that the surplus in the Treasury at tlls
end Of the present fiscal year was expect
ed to reach $140, 100000.
He then quoted from the Presidents
message. defining his position ON the
tariff and internal revenue questions
and said that from the utterauces ol
the President he understood the
Executive to- be ayerse to any reduction
of internal taxes, as that mode of taxa
ton afforded, in the opinion of the Presi-
dent, no just complaint, and that moth
ing else is as well able TO bear the burden
without hardship to any portion Of the
people.
The President further said that the
tariff law was vicious and illogical
source of inequitable tax and ought to be
revised and modified, and the President
had urged upon Congress immediate ex-
preston on the matter, to the exclusion
of all others. The President had asserted
in substance that the reduction necessary
should be made by addition to the free
list and by lowering the rates Of duty.
RANpAII,,s THEORY,
In the presence of such Language, eman-
ating from the Executive, it was impera.
lively expected of the representatives OF
the people to give fair, intelligent and
prompt attention to the suggestions made.
He had introduced bill, some of the
provisions OF which were at variance
with that recommended by the Presi-
dent.
The President fought to prevent the
continuation of surplus revenue by re-
sorting to changes in the customs duties.
The only remedy he (Randall) proposed
was through the repeal of the internal
revenue'taxes, as well as by full revision
Of the tariff, as promised the people by
the Democratic Convention OF 1884. The
reduction provided for in his bill aggre-
gated $4,000, 600 on internal taxes.
These taxes had always been last to be
levied and first to be repealed, when no
longer necessary. jefferson had given
the death blow to the excise tax, that most
Vicious of all taxes, and received the
thanks Of the Legislature of his native
State for having the internal taxes
abolished.
WHAT HE WOULD DO.
The first tax also to be repealed after
e l., o~ofoo fo
which was recommended by Madison
and was the first law enacted under the
administration OF Monroe. The Demo.
ATTIC convention of 1884 declared that
the internal revenue was a 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
20. and that they should all go when q
sufficient sum was realized from custom
house taxes to meet the expenses of the
government economically administered.
The country is practically in such con-
dition now, and the true response of
these declarations warranted thejrepeal ol
the internal taxes to the extent proposed
in his bill. He favored now, as ne had
ALWAYS QOnC. ttlO tOt0A iOFo0i ~ eiiS AfA
ternal taxes. Applause
THE PRINCIPLES OF HIS BILL.
In the bill to which he referred, it was
proposed to sweep all these taxes from
the statute books, except the tax Of SO
cents on whisky, and he would transfer
the collection of that to the customs
officials, if found practical. With Albert
Gallatin, he had regarded the excise
taxes as offensive to the genius OF the
people, tolerated only as measure ol
emergency, and as soon as occasion foi
them had passed away they should cease
to exist.
Randall then entered into an explana
tion of the principles upon which his bill
had been constructed, and said that i
in any instance the rate was too low to
cover the cost OF production he was ready
to raise it, and if more than was needed
he could lower it. Monopolies existed
without the tariff. He was for the pro
lection Of labor, not in one State, but ii
all.
THE MILLS BILL CRITICISED.
Randall then analysed the meta
schedule of the Mills bill, and declared i
would bring about incalculable injury tx
the industries of America.
He could find nothing in the bill which
gave a return for free wool. He fount
many inequalities in it, and discovered
few features intended to relieve the poo
laboripg men. He referred to the declara
tions Of his colleague (Scott) as super
cilious. He pleaded with his Democrat,
friends not to undo the good which hae
been done to manufacturing industries
bv protective tariff, and read from
Jefferson, Monroe and other Democratic
forefathers to prove that projection was
fundamental Democratic principle. HI
closed with a tribute to the results ant
principles of protection, and asked tina
thew be maintained through the efforts Q
the party that instituted them.
M'KINLEY's SPEECH.
Mckinley entered into vigorous crit
cism of the bill and created much amuse
ment and applause by his analysis OF tn
incongruities of the measure. When b
said that owing to lack of time he coul
not point out all the ridiculous feature
of the bill, he picked out few sample
by which he said the bill could be judged
He showed that the duty on steel billet
had been increased from As to 81 pc
cent. ad valorem, thereby causing an IL
crease from one. quarter to one-half cent
on every pound OF wire fencing that eI
closed the farms of the West. The dut
on cut nails :, ade from steel billets wa
reduced rs cents, while the duty on ra
material was increased As per cent.
He criticised the dill which the Pres
dent had said must be passed whether
no. and for which he was disposing OIL
cial fayors to have passed. He declare