The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-05-02
CUSTOM HOUSE ROBBERY
THE TARIFF DEALT A FEW MORE
KNOCK-DOWN BLOWS.

Mr.. McCreary, of Kentucky, Pictures
table if the Present State of Affairs
is Continued-Mr. sOFerrall Calls
Protection Wolf
WASHINGTON, May 1.-The House went
into committee of the whole this morning,
with Mr.. Springer, of Illinois, in the chair,
on the tariff bill, and was addressed by Mr.
McCreary, of Kentucky. He pictured the
financial ruin in which the country would
be involved if the surplus in the Treasury
were permitted to accumulate The only
method in which this surplus could be prop
erly reduced was by reduction of taxation,
which was not only an unjust extortion,
but legaliHed robbery. President Cleve-
land, he said, had made him
self conspicuous before the whole country by
the wisdom and courage exhibited III his
annual message when he recommended tax
reform and reduction of the surplus. Con-
gress should long ago have reduced taxa
tion; but the journals of the House would
show that the repeated efforts of the Demo-
cratic party in that direction had been
| thwarted by the gentlemen on the other
other side.
EVILS OF PROTECTION
Inveighing against the protective system,
| he said that the present tariff had last year
brought S2l7, 7,000,0 600 into the Treasury and
| put $S69, 100000 into the pockets
of the manufacturers. For every
dollar put into the Treasury 81 went to the
manufacturers. He thought that a reduc-
| ton of tue tariff taxes was the true method
of reducing the surplus, because those taxes
were upon necessities, while the internal
revenue was obtained from luxuries.
Mr.. Foran, OF Ohio opposed the bill, and
| prophesied that within two years the annual
| revenue from custom duties would be as
much as it had been in 1897. He was com
PEELED to believe that the projectors of the
| bill were governed more by desire to
cut and slash the tariff, than by an honest
wish to meet the condition the President ex-
pected them to meet. The bill, he regarded
as Il humiliating confession that all the
| evil things which had been said about the
| tariff were not true.
THE WOLF OF PROTECTION.
Mr.. O'Ferrall, of Virginia, declared that
the time had come when the Representa-
tives of the people should be awakened to
| the Importance of the high duty devolved
| upon them and no longer sleep at their
| posts while the wolf of protection was hang
| ing around the homes they represented. He
| en- cred his earnest protest against the system
| which raised more money than was needed
| to meet the demands of the government,
| and against a tax TO foster certain men and
| industries. The firm principle of the
| Democracy was tariff for revenue, which
| meant taxation for the economical support
| of the government.
| Mr. Kerr, of Iowa, remarked that the
| government raised SIG, 600 outside Of
Une taliR. Would it not be wise, he asked,
| to return to the policy advocated in the
| l. l,a cfu of i,I
WHERE THE LINE is DRAWN
Mr.. O'Ferrall--I favor cheap clothing and
necessaries Of life, as against cheap whisky,
advocated by the gentleman from Iowa.
Mr.. Kerr-I advocate prohibition of
whisky. You advocate a policy which
make it a permanent source OF National
| revenue.
Mr.. O'Ferrall-You want to give the
poor man cheap whisky, and make him
pay high prices for his clothing. No man
| need drink whi,ky, but every man must
wear clothing. [Applause.J
Mr.. Butler, OF Tennessee-How about the
| tobacco tax!
Mr.. OFerrall-I am in favor OF the re-
| peal of the tobacco tax.
MIR. Butler-How about iron ore9
| Mr.. OFerrall-I am for tariff on iron
| ore.
| NOT ON THE FENCE.
| Mr.. Butler-How are you on this billF
MIR. O'Ferrall--I am for this bill Zap
] plause.l
| Mr.. O'Ferrall then submitted an argu-
nent in support of the bill and in contro-
vertion of the claim Of the protectionists,
! that the protective tariff was the cause of
high wages in this country.
Mr.. Dorsey Of Nebraska, followed in
opposition to The bill. lie said that industry
| and not population created wealth He
adiured the citizens Of the West either to
stop trying to build up their cities orto
| defeat such attempts as were made in the
| pending bill to break down industries
At the conclusion of Mr.. Dorsey's speech
| the committee rose and the House ad-
iourned