The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-04-13
TARIFF TALK.

Minority Report of the ways and Means
Committee-The Mills Hill Discussed.
WASHINGTON, April 3.-The report of the
Committee on Ways and Means on the
Tariff bill was prepared by Mr.. Mckinley,
of Ohio. and rs signed by al the Republican
members Of the committee. The opening
paragraphs are as follows:
The extraordinary manner in which this bill
came TO the committee, and the total lack OF
consideration given to SO grave q measure by
those charged with its investigation demand
notice and comment 1t was fashioned outside
OF the committee, and reached IL, not by
the reference Of the House. which 10 the usual
channel through which committees obtain
jurisdiction of . subject. 1t was pre-
scented ready 70 the chairman Of the CON-
nittse, was framed completed and printed
without the knowledge Of the minority and
without consideration or discussion in the full
committee. II any consultations were held the
minority were excluded Thus originating,
after three months OF the session had gone. IL
was submitted to the committee. Since then
there has been no consideration OF It, Every
effort upon the part of the minority to obtain from
the majority the facts and information upon
which they constructed the bill proved unavail.
ing. .
Nowhere in the bill is the ultimate purpose Of
Its authors more manifest than in its treat
ment Of wool. 1t places the product upon tbs
free list and exposes our fiocks and neeces to
merclless competition from abroad In this
respect the bill is but the echo Of the Presi-
dent pessage and gives emphasis to the set
tied purpose Of the majority to break down
one of the most valuable industries of the
country. 1t iss public proclamation that the
American pollok Of protection, SO long I'D
hered to- and unaer which has been secured
unprecedented Prosperity IN every depart
NJ c. G Abandoned
have the majority mn, wool on the free list. Let
ttem make their 49, answer. We quote from
the reports. say to the manufacturer We
have put wool on the free list to enable him to
obtain foreign WOODS cheaper make his goods
cheaper and send them into foreign markets
and successfully compete with the foreign man.
ufacturer."
Frst-The purpose is to bring down the price
OF wool II this should be the result, we in
Quire at whose expense and loss. 1t must be
at the expense Of the American grower, and TO
his loss when at present prices and with the
present duty wool he is being forced out OF the
business by ruiHous foreisn competition. The
injury by the confession of the m jority, viii
fall upon the American wool grower He is TO
be the first victim. He can find no profitable
foreign market if he is unable TIC hold his own,
and it is absurd to talk about charging the
market Cor bis product at home with the wool
OF the world crow1Ing our shores unchecked
1l4,cUo.a.p pounds OF wool imported into
this country The last fiscal year ANA our oomes-
tic product. as a result even with duty OF ten
cents a pound on the higher grades was dimin-
ishcd to 2ji,0 or1o pounds. The bill will greatly
Increase importatons Of the foreign product
and diminish if not wholly destroy our own pro-
cuct!on. Every patton ought, il possible, to
produce Its own clothing well as its food.
This Nation can DO both if the majority will let
ii alone. 1t SHOULD be borne in mind that our
wool producers car not compete with countries
where no winter feeding and but little summer
attention is required and where labor is SO
cheap unless their industry has just and ade-
Quate protection. Is labor in manufacturing
more deserving Of the considerable concern OF
Congress than labor engaged in the field OF agri-
culture! Both are useful and equally honor
able and alike merit the thoughtful considera-
tion OF those charged with making laws.
The majority report asserts that we must pro-
duce our wooden goods at lower cost and be able
to undersel the foreign product. And after
this. how is the lower cost to be secured!
First by fleeing the wooi-grower, and next by
reducing the labor cost in the manufacture.
How are we to undersell the foreign prod
uct! BY making the manufacturing cost
Of our goods less than theirs! In other words
by cutting down the wages Of our skilled and
unskille6 labor. not to the foreign standard
Simply but below il, for the product must cost
IL
American farmer will not quietly submit to this
injustice. The American worklng,nan will in
Ggnantly repel this effort to degrade his labor
The majority brarely inquire in their report:
s'ff Congress grants the request Of the wool
growers. what are the people to do for wooden
Clothing?' We beg 10 suggest that the people
OF this country wore wooden clothing during the
existence Of the tariff OF IS61-and the tariff pro-
posed By the wool conference is substantially
that tarif-and the people were never better
clothed and never better able to buy them.
1t would be instructive to the majority
to compare the prices OF wooden
clothing in this country during the period from
1877 to 1850 under the low tariff then prevailing
with the prices now prevailing. ard they would
be profited also by comparison OF the price OF
wages then prevailing with those now MAIN
tanned. These Investigations would disclose
the wretched condition Of labor n the former
period. the starving prices then received and
the inability OF thousands OF worthy workmen
10 get work at any price Clothes at any price
were the dearest. II the laboring men could
have been heard by the committee they would
have been told story of misery during the free
trade era which might have deferred the
majority even from inaugurating the policy now
proposed.
Wool in the free list is deadly assault upon
q great cgri- ultural interest snd will fall with
terrible severity upon million people. It will
GeStroy luNeSlcu Cdpitii. uiiscttIe eStdUnSNeu
values, wrest from the fock masters their life
time earnings, bankrupt thousands OF our best
and most Industrious farmers and drive them
into other branches Of agriculture already over
crowded. II is a vicious and indefensible blow
at the entire agricultural interest OF the coun-
Try.
The report then says that if the proyis
ions Of the bill concerning wooden goods
and manufactures of wool become law. the
whole ready-madc clothing business of the
country will he transfer rcd to European
rivals.
The provisions proposed by the billunder
the fax and hemp. borax, earthenware,
glass, plate glass lumber. salt sind metal
schedules, the report declares, will, if en-
acted into law, be disastrous. if not en-
tirely ruinous, to many American indns
tries.
Under the head Of steel rails, the repors
says:
1.-THE majority desire to insure the handing Of
our steel rail marse; TO our English rivals. the
proposed duty OF sll will accomplish this pur
pose, unless the working men who ere employed
introducing the raw materials and finished prod
ucts OF our steel rail works willing to accept
sttll lower wages than they are now receiving
and the railroad companies which transport tho
raw materials willing to greatly reduce their
freight rates
Have the majority anJ assurance that the
workingmen and the, ral'o.Ad companies are
willing to accept thee conditions. Neither
were heard befors i,e com.mis;ee. The supply
OF steel rails on be PACIFIC coast is now in tho
hands OF foreierrs. because of the cheap trans.
portaiion by wler fro N foreign ports the e1-
listing duty Of a rof being suf1cient to enable
our r,auufactrere = TO compete for that trade.
1t is stated n - the Atchison, Topeka & Santa
Fe Railroad Company has lately purchased
10000 tons Of foreign rails 10 be delivered At
San Diego Cal. and it is mentioned that an
other lot Of $50 tons of foreign rails had 70
Gently been sold by foreign makers for Pacific