The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-10-10
THE SENATE TARIFF BILL
WAS THE WORK OF THE MAJORITY,
without the Sanction OF the Minority-A
Document in Favor OF Monopolists
From BeginnInZ to End
Both Reports on the BIZ.

From beginning to End
Both Reports on the Bill
WASHINGTON, Oct. 4.-The minority and
majority reports of the finance committee on
the senate tariff bill were presented in the
senate this afternoon, and, with Mr.. Beck's
views. ordered printed.
The report of the minority makes doeu-
ment of twelve printed pages. 1t begins with
the statement that in the preparation Of the
substitute for the house bill no member of the
minority of the committee was consulted or in
formed as to its provisions until il was re-
ported TO the full committee on Sept. %.
The minority recites the work of the sub
committee in hearing the Statements, argu-
ments and appeals of manufacturers and others
who demand that the present high rate OF tariff
taxation shall be maintained, and in most in
stances prompted, not by any revenue necessi-
ties, but alone for the purpose of increasing
their own profits at the expense Of 100000
taxpayers" Continuing, they say: at is safe
to say that all the interests benefited by high
protective tariff have been fully heard and
have had much influence in shaping this sub
Sttute, while the great body of the people,
the taxpayers and victims of this policy, have
not been heard"
1t is then said that the short time that the
substitute has been in the hands of the minori-
ty has made it difficult TO ascertain its effect,
but the essential difference between the house
bill and the senate substitute is apparent and
radical at the outset in the matter OF revenue.
The one is framed in the interest of the public
treasury; the other in the interest of private
pockets. The one is framed in the interest of
the whole people; the other in the interest of
100000 manufacturers. The one is destined to
reduce both government revenue and taxation,
the taxation especially which bears heaviest on
the necessaries of life; the other is intended
not to raise public revenues. but to maintain
private revenues by increasing and retaining
taxation on all the necessarles OF life.
The minority continues: "Ihe advocates of
the substitute freely propose to reduce duties
or abolish them on those things which yield
only government revenue, but refuse to reduce
or abolish duties on those things which produce
private revenue. But the minority thinks it is
safe 10 say that the chief reductions in tariff
taxations, provided by the substitute, are
confined to the articles OF sugar and rice, with
Jute and a few other unimportant articles put
upon the free list, while there is an increase Of
duties imposed upon the multifOrm manufact-
ures of cotton, wool, iron and steel-artieles
that the whole people, and especially the poor
and most needy classes, are cOmpt lied to use.
The substitute relieves the non-necessary, to-
bacco, in all its forms, except cigars, eheroots
gives free alcohol to the arts. Practically, the
substitute offers to the people free whisky and
Iree tobacco, leaving all the expensive machin-
cry for the collection OF revenue and enforce
ment of the law in full force, while it increases
taxation upon actual and indispensable neces-
saries of life."
To illustrate their point, the minority ite
the case OF railway iron, where it is said the
burden of tax is laid upon the entire trade OF
the country ultimately 10 TALL with crushing
force upon the agriculturist In this case, they
say the house bill made a great stride for the
farmers relief when it reduced the tax to Sill
per ton.
The minority continues: 'The rods out of
which the farmers iron fence is made are not
apparently changed in rate, but by various
changes in classification, actual and important
additional burdens are imposed. A reduction
in the dutiable value from three and half TO
three cents per pound weight accOmplishes
this An additional size, number six, added
without an apparent change of rate, does
adroitly increase the rate paid on wire
rods of this size from 40 per cent.
TO about 81 per cent and is an increased tax on
this one size of wire rods of nearly three hun
dred thousand dollars upon the basis OF the
importation of 1857, and there is added a pro-
viso by which rods smaller than No. 6 are
classified wire, and thus effect a third dis
tinct increase of tax in this one section-and
this is called part OF system" and rightly so
bars, etc, now pay 40 per cent. duty If valued
at less than four cents per pound. By the sub
stitute. If valued at one cent or less, they are
dutiable at one-half cent per pound; and as
some OF these items were valued at seven-tenths
OF cent per pound in the imports OF 1887, the
rate of one-half cent is an increase from 40 to
over 20 per cent, and nearly million dollars
tax added by this one section.
Cotton ties also receive their careful consid-
Grafton. Ii is not enough that the most for
- 4 = Il 1t
hands upon the throat of honest labor, threat
ening every class, from the poor colored cotton
pickers whose few pounds OF crop he could not
get to market for lack Of means to wrap il to
the merchant and capitalist who had advanced
the necessaries of life 70 sustain that labor
through the season. To these come the pro-
posed revision, not with helping hand, but
other burdens, and the cotton ties which their
own friends had reduced to 80 per cent in the
tariff of 1853 lone OF the bright cases in a
desert of iniquity) they omit by name, but in
elude in a new classification so that instead of
80 per cent. IL must pay according TO the val
uation of 1887 over 100 per cent, adding nearly
a quarter million dollars to tax on the i'm
ported ties alone, all of which is loss to the
cotton producer. Even with this
they are not content but still
further tax the struggling aRriculturist
in this schedule by raising the duties on trace
chains, and all other kinds less than three
eighths of an inch thick, from ~ cents which
is equivalent to 44.67 per cent. to 8 cents per
pound, equivalent TO rate Of 53.57 per cent.
Can ingenuity 90 further?
THAT taggers iron should be raised from 30
per cent 90 So per cent; that table cutlery for
the poor should be raised by specific rates
added TO ad valorem: that knives for the poor
should be heavier taxed and made cheaper for
the rich; that breech-loading shot guns should
be made cheaper for the two-hundred dollar
grade and dearer for the ffteen-dollar grade by
making each pay SO and 4.25 per cent. ad
valorem; all these and more are no longer
startling and prepare the mind for thousand
other Inconsistencies and determinations hid
den by new and obscure classihcations that
only time and patient investigation will reveal.
In the cotton schedule again the great proc
ess Of '9eveling up" is called into requisition,
to what end OF for what purpose, who can say
By changes IN classification and by new subdl-