Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1888-04-06
THE TARIFF BILL.
Minority Report on the Mills BIZ
Submitted to the House.
It Says tho Proposed Reductions on I'm,
ports wouldbc nDoath- Blow to AmertI
oan Jndustries-Tho President and
Ills Party Held Responsible,

oan Jndustrics-Tho President and
Ills Party Held Rcsponsibio,
THE REPORT.
WASHINGTON, April 3.--The following 4
the report OF the minority of tho House
Committee on Ways and Means on tho Mill
tariff bill, submitted to tho House yesterday
by Hon William Mckinley, Of Ohio,
Tho minority report nftor critcising tho Mill
| bill as avowedy political measure, believed :,
represent, so far rs it goes, tho vieWs OF t6C
President and his party associates, md which Il
70 constitute tho ISSUE and BIO the platform O.
tho party, goes on 10 asSail tho bill as radical
| reversal of the tariff policy OF the government
which for the most part since Its foundation has
made industrial md agricultural progress in the
history II enacted into law the Mills bill will
disturb every branch OF business, retard manu-
featuring and agricultural prosperity and seri'
ously impair our Industrial independence Tho
| whole bill, thoy say, seems framed to benefit
other countri 8, rather than our own. Fred
wool proposed by the Mills bill, they say, means
| loss and ruin to tho American growers. Plnc'
ing fax md hemp on the free list will tnture the
grower md manufacturer Placing tin plates
public proclamation that this country docs not
want n Tin plate industry.
or tho proposed reduction Of duty on steel
rails tho minority say: III the majority desire
TO Insure the handing over of our stcol rail
market TO our English rivals tho proposed duty
of sil will accomplish this purpose, unless tho
wortlngmon who are employed in producing the
raw materials and finished products OF our steel
rail works are willing to accept Ill lower
wages than they are now receiving, and the rail-
road companies which transport the raw mate
rials nre willing TO greatly reduce their freight
rates Have the majority any assurance that
the workingmon and tho railroad companies arc
willing to accept those oonditions' Neither
were heard before the committee. The supply
Ing of steel rails to the Pacific coast is now In
the hands OF foreigners, because of the cheap
transportation by water from foreign ports, the
existing duty OF siT not being sufficient to en-.
able our manufacturers to compete for that
trade"
Scaling down duties, thoy say as proposed in
the Mills bill, will not reduce the income and
surplus of the government Experience shows
that mere dimlnution OF duties tends to stlm-
ulate foreign importations and thus Increase
revenue. The tarr reductions OF 1888 on
window glass, braids, laces, trimmings, tin
plato and wool resulted in larger importations
nnd increased revenues-the increased tmporta-
I ons and revenue growing out of tho wool re.
duct on being the most striking of any In the
schedule, having increased from O9,OOOOOJ
pounds, wit about $4,000 y revenue in lSS2, to
i1400h,000 pounds and about sG0oO,00J revenue
In 1887.
II the "absolute peril" TO the business Of tho
country described by the President In his mes
snge last December us resulting from nm exist.
ing aud increasing surplus was Imminent and
wellfoundcd how easily he could have ayerted
1t by, purchase of outstanding bonds with tho
surplus money In tho treasury, power which
he possessed, clear and undoubted. under the
act of March 3, 1881, that authorizes the Score
tnry OF the Treasury at any time to apply the
surplus money in tho treasury not otherwise
appropriated, or so much OF 1t as mny be con
sdcred proper, to the purchase or redemption
OF United States bonds.
To have thus used tho surplus, they say.
would have been direct and business like-iust
what prudent business man would iave done
with his idle money-called in his creditors and
applied 1t to his debts. The President failed to
do this and when Congress assembled the con
dtlon" confronted 1t, II the House had even
then appreciated the situation, how promptly
and easily II could have, in part ut least, have
relieved II by nbolishng the entire tobacco tax,
amounting TO $1,000 01i annually, and by re-
leasing also from taxation alcohol used in the
arts and manufactures, which 1t is. estimated
would amount to six millions more.
The minority close their report with the fol-
lowing criticism OF the President and the Demo.
cratic majority in the House for ron.action in
the mnttor ofutilizing the surplus and effecting
revenue reduction: "If disaster results from
the failure OF the President 10 use the surplus
row In the treasury, as the law authorizes him
to use 1t in payment oi our existing debts, and
II the majority in the House, which alone can
originate bill to reduce the revenue, fails TO
send to the Senate o bill OF that character, tho
responsibility will rest with them. The mi.
norty are powerless, they are neither in control
OF the House nor the committees; they are inno
parliamentary position TO report n bill or give
direction to LEGISLATION which shall surely ac
complish results so much desired They sought
by amendments in the Committee on WAYS and
Means to m AXE this bill reasonable, Just and
racticnl: failing there, they will seek to amend
md modify IL in Committee of the Whole, and
II their Efforts there are unnvailing they VIII
seek u last resort in the opporiu un " TO oHer
substitute, which Will assurodly diminish the
revenues without any yimpairment OF the Ameri
can system OF proteo ion"
II is therefore manifest that tho responsibility
for the present monetary condition which SO
alarms the country does not rest with the mi
nority pa ty In the House, but with the Presi'
dent and the majority iu Congress. They can
not escape 1t The President has for three
years failed while having the 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 n reduction of the
revenue. They cannot avoid responsibility for
the evils which ara now upon US. and whil0
these are beyond their power TO retrieve. they
can, By courage and wisdom, and governed by
business principles, provide nganst like evils
in the future. The must now act or make pub
lie confession OF failure.
The minority regard this bill, not rs n revenue
reduction measure, but as direct attempt &c
fasten upon this country the British policy ol
free foreign trade. So viewing It, their sense OF
obligation TO the people, and especially the
working people employed In manufacturing and
agriculture in oil sections OF our common coun'
try, impe them to resist 1t with all their power.
They will assist the majority in every effort tG
reduce the redundant income of the govern
ment in direct and practicable way, but every
effort Mt fiscal legislation which Will destroy OF
enfeeble our industries, retard material devel
opment or tend to reduce our labor TO the stand
ard of other countries will be met with the per
sistCnt and determined opposition OF the minori'
ty represented in the House.
WAsHISGToN, April 3.-At the meeting OF
the Committee on Ways and Means, Monday
morning, the committee formally pissed
upon the Mills tariff bill, with three amend.
ments, which were offered and adopted by
the usual party vote The first amendment
related to the sugar schedule, and is very
slight. 1t is intended to wipe out the diff.
ference between the thirteenth and six.
teenth standard of low tests, and make tho
reduction effected by the bill more nearly
twenty per cent. IL also strikes out the
proviso, "that no drawback of duty shall be
allowed or paid on any sugar exported from
the United States"
The next amendment inserts after the
wool and woolen schedule the following:
"Provided, that from and after the passage
OF this act and until the first day of October,
1885, the Secretary Of the Treasury be, and
he is hereby authorized and directed to
classify as woolen cloth all imports of wasted
cloth, whether known under the name OF
worsted cloths or 'worsteds, or diagonals" 7"
The third amendment is new section, to
be inserted Immediately before Section 81
and applies TO the administrative features
of the internal revenue portion of the
bill.