Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1888-04-12
THE TARIFF BILL.

MINORITY REPORT OF WAYS AND MEAN
COMMITTEE THE DEMOCRAC
PROPOSE TO SACRIFICE TIE INDU:
TRIAL INTERESTS OF THE NORTH.
WASHINGTON, April 2.-The commit
tee on ways and means amended the tai
iff bill this morning by the addition @
provisions slightly increasing the suga
duties so as to equal the net reductiO
of per cent. in the existing duty; au
thOrizing the secretary of the treasury
classify as woOlens, worsted cloths, AM
guarding against interference with ex
isting treaties. The Republican minor
ity report was presented and leave glyel
| to file.
The report of the minority of the com
mittee on ways and means on the tarit
bill was prepared by Mr.. Mckinley, ant
is signed by all the Republican member
of the committee. The opening para
graphs were as follows:
The extraordinary manner in whicf
| this bill came to the committee and tht
total lack of consideration given to 81
grave measure by those charged witt
its investigation, demand notice ani
comment. 1t was fashioned outside OF
the committee and reached it not by the
reference to the House, which is the
usual channel through which committees
obtain jurisdiction of subject. 1t was
presented ready made by the chairman
of the committee, was framed, compile
ted and printed without the knowledge
of the minority and without cOnsidera,
ton or discussion in the full committee
If any consultations were held, the
minority were excluded. Thus Origina-
ting, after three months of the session
had gone, it was submitted to the COM
mittee. Since there has been no cOnsid-
Grafton 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
unavailing;a resolution to refer the bill
to the secretary of the treasury for a
statement as to its probable effect upon
the revenue, together with statistical
abstract which would facilitate its con-
sideratiOn by the committee and the
House, was voted down by a strict party
vote The industries of the country, To-
Gated in every part of the country, rep
resenting vast interests closely related to
the prosperity of the country, touching
practically every home and every fire
side, and which were to be affected by
the bill, were denied hearing and the
majority shut the doors of the committee
against all examinations of producers,
consumers and experts whose testimony
might have enlightened the committee.
The farmers, whose investments and
products were to be disastrously dealt
with, were denied an opportunity to ad-
dress the committee. The wOrkingmen
of the country whose wages were at
stake were denied audience. The rep
resentatives on the floor of the House
were not permitted to voice the wants of
their constituents. Proposing q grave
measure which would affect all of the
people in their employments, their labor
and their incomes, the majority persist
emily refused the people the right of
hearing and discussion; denied them the
simple privilege of presenting reasons
and arguments against their proposed
action.
But as the bill is avOwedly political
one, believed to represent, so far as it
goes, the views of the President and his
party associates, bill which, with the
Presidents free-trade message, is to con-
stitute the issue and be the platform of
the party, it may account for but will
not Justify this extraordinary course of
procedure. The minority protested
without avail in the committee, and now
it to the House, as they feel
constrained to do, accept the issue ten
dered by the bill, accompanied with some
of their reasons for opposing it, and
make their appeal from the peoples ser
wants to the people themselves.
The bill is a radical reversal of the
tariff policy of the country, which for the
most part has prevailed since the foun-
datiOn of the government, and under
which we have made industrial and agri-
cultural progress without parallel in
the worlds history. Ifenacted into law
it will disturb every branch of business,
retard manufacturing and agricultural
and seriously impair our in
dustrial independence. 1t undertakes
to revise our entire revenue system, SUBJ
all of the tariff schedules are
both classification and rates are
a1n Hr1tin in
cases changed to an ad valOrem, which
all experience has shown is productive
of frauds and undervaluations. 1t does
not correct the irregularities of the pres
ent tariff; it only aggravates them. 1t
introduces uncertainties in interpreta-
ton, which will embarrass its admins
tration, promote contention and litiga
ton, and give to the customs officers a
latitude of construction which will pro-
duce endless controversy and confusion.
Its construction takes no account of the
element of labor which enters into pro-
duction and in number of instances
makes the finished product free or duti-
able at a less rate than the marerials
from which it is made. ''The poor mans
blanket" which the majority has made
burning issue for so many years, is made
to bear the same rate of duty as the rich
mans.
More than third of the free list is
made up from the products of the farm,
.he forest and the mine. From products
which are now dutiable at the minimum
rates, ranging from to 25 per cent. and
even this slight protection, so essential,
IS to be taken from the farmers, the
and the quarrymen.
The American farmer will appreciate
,he vicious character of the bill as ap-
plied to him, when he is apprised of the
fact that while the products of the land
md labor are shut out from Canada by
l protective tariff imposed by the Cana
lian government, the Canadian farmer
,an send many of his products here
without the payment of duty under the
bill.
How long will the rate of agricultural
wages be continued in the United States |
lnder such legislation? What sort of
is this? This will be direct |