The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-04-03

Is the case of an agricultural product upon
which duties have not been diminished but ad-
Vanced. There were 100000 pounds of it inn
ported in the year ending June 30, 1897 and
from June 80 to Dec. 81, 1887, 6,G23, ,415 pounds,
all OF which becomes dutiable at the advanced
rate OF &c. per pound, and if the importations
are maintained the revenue from this source
will be materially increased.
MAKING LEADER OF WOOL.
The American farmer will appreciate the vir-
tuouS character of the bill, as applied TO him,
when he is apprised of the fact that while the
products of his land and labor are shut out from
Canada by protective tariff imposed by the
Canadian government, the Canadian farmer can
send many of his products here without the
payment of duty under the proposed bill The
whole bill seems to be subject to the criticism
that it was framed to benefit other countries
rather than our own. Nowhere in the bill is the
ultimate purposes of its authors more manifest
than in its treatment of wool. 1t places this
product upon the free list, and exposes his
docks and feeces to merciless competition from
abroad In this respect the bill is but re-echo
of the Presidents message and gives emphasis
to the settled purpose of the majority
to break down one of the most valuable
industries of the country. 1t is a public
proclamation that the American policy of pro-
lection 50 long adhered to- and under which
has been secured unprecedented prosperity in
every department of human effort, is to be
abandoned.
1t should be borne in mind that our wool pro-
ducers cannot 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 adequate protec-
lection. Is labor in manufacturing more de-
serving of the considerate concern of Congress
than labor engaged in the field of agriculture?
Both are useful and equally honorable, and alike
merit the thoughtful consideration of those
charged with making laws Wool on "the free
lis" is deadly assault upon a great agricul-
tural interest, and will fal with terrible severi
ty upon million people, their households and
dependencies 1t will destroy invested capital,
nnSPtfla established From
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.
VICIOUS AND 1NDEFENsIBLE.
1t is vicious and indefensible blow at the en-
tire agricultural interest of the country. More
over, If the bill becomes a law the whole ready
made clothing business of the country will be
transferred to European countries. The report
takes up in order all of the chief industries of
the country and combats the argument of the
majority in favor of its action upon them. Free
tin plate and pig tin will only inure to the bene-
fit of the foreign combine the French
metal syndicate is characterized, and cotton
ties fare as badly as tin plates. They are also
transferred to the free list We now make
cotton ties in this country in small quantities,
and would make them in larger quantities if the
duty on foreign cotton ties were highter
than II now is. In the expansion of the cotton
tie industry in our own country the South
ought to largely share, for it possesses all the
Q
market for their sale and use is at its own door.
But the bill of the majority announces that the
manufacture of cotton ties is not to be tolerated
in the North or established in the South, and
that such machinery as we now possess for the
manufacture of cotton ties is to be thrown upon
the scrap pile. British manufacturers are in
vfted to make all our cotton ties. and of course
they Will then charge us what they please for
them. Why this article used for baling cotton
should be admitted free of duty, and when used
for any other purpose dutable at 114c. a pound
Is not manifest upon any principle of fair play
or economic science. There may be some reason
known to the majority which they have failed
to disclose to the minority We know of no
reason why cotton should enjoy this extraord-
nary and exceptional Legislative favor
STEEL RAILS
The minority also say:
If the majority desires to insure the handing
of our steel rail market to our English
rivals, the proposed duty of 81 will accomplish
this purpose, unless the workingmen, who are
employed in producing the raw materials and
finished products Of our steel rail works. are
willing to accept still lower wages than they are
now receiving, and the railroad companies
which transport the raw materials, are willing
to greatly reduce their freight rates. In pro-
posing to seriously cripple if not to DESTROY the
manufacture of steel rails in this country, the
majority probably do not realize the full signif
canoe of the results which they invite. 1t should
be remembered that our manufacturers of steel
rails consume almost one-half of
all the iron ore. and almost one-half
of all the pig iron that the country
produces. If this great market
for American iron ores and pig iron is to be de
Stroyed, the country need not be told of the dis
tress which will come to labor, and the bank
ruptcy which will come TO producers. A fragrant
defect of the bill of the majority is its pref
erence for ad valOrem over specific duties, al
though the testimony of almost every Secretary
of the Treasury since the foundation Of the
government has been recorded against the
frauds upon the Treasury which ad valorem
.lt finuI inv. n md CT
MAKING UP A RECORD.
The report presents a tabular statement of
the reductions Of taxation by Republican legS-
lation down to March 1888. The total is S2s4,-
000, 900, while the reduction during the time
the House has been controlled by the Demo-
Gratis amounts TO a little over S6000,000.
If il be claimed that for the most part during
the Democratic control of the House the Senate
was dominated by the Republican party, and
therefore the responsibility of the failure to re-
duce the revenues should bes alike shared by
them, we answer that Under the con-
stitution of the United States the House
alone can originate bills to reduce
taxation, the Senate having no jurlsdic-
tion of the subject until it is given to it by bill
which passes the House, and that during all
these years no such bill has gone from the
House to the Senate, and therefore the sole re
sponsibility for the failure rests with the present
majority in the House. If disaster results from
the failure of the President to use the surplus
now in the Treasury as the law
payment of our existing debts, and if the ma.
iority in the House, which alone can originate a
bill to reduce the revenue, fails TO send to the
Senate a bill of that character, the response
bility will rest with them. The minority are
powerless; they are neither in control of the
House nor the committees. They are in no
parliamentary position to report a bill or give
direction to legislation which shall surely ac-
complish the result so much desired. They
sought, by amendments in the Committee on
Ways and Means. 10 make this bill reasonable,
lust and practical: falling there they will seek
To amend and modify it in committee of the
whole House, and IL their efforts there
are unavailing they vii seek as a last
resort an opportunity to offer substitute,
which will assuredly diminish the revenues
without any impairment Of the American sys-
tenn of protection.
TRYING TO SHIFT THE BLAME.
II is therefore manifest that the responsibility
for the present monetary condition, which so
alarms the country does not rest with the
minority party IN the House, but with the Presi-
dent and majority of Congress, They can
not escape it; The President has for
three years failed. while having power to avoid
the financial condition he now complains Of.
the majority in the House for six years has sig
nally failed TO provide for reduction Of the
revenue They cannot avoid respons ibility for
the evils which are now upon us, and while
these are beyond their power TO relieve they
can by courage and wisdom. and governed by
business principles, provide against evils in the
future They must now act or make public
confessions OF failure. The minority regards
this bill not as a revenue reduction measure, hut
as a direct attempt TO fasten upon this country
the British policy Of free foreign trade. So
Ill Nes.N. 60. NNs.