The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-05-16
RELIEF FOR THE LAB0RERS.
THE RESULT OF TARIFF REDUCTION.
Congressman scott Points Out the Advant-
age of Reform in Our Tariff System
The Class Now protected" is
Not tho Workingmen.

business had been finished the house went
into committee of the whole on the tariff bill,
and Mr.. Scott (Pa.) took the floor. Mr. Scott
began his speech with defense of the science
of political economy and the correctness of its
conclusions. He asked whether this great
country, 6O,0OO,0O0 strong, with inventive
genius keener, with labor more skilled than
any other people on the globe, should decline
to compete for supremacy in the marts of
mankind, and continue to trade among our
selves under the insane delusion that we were
growing rich by the process? Our friends, the
enemy, said; eyes; let us build Chinese
wall around this young and vigorous people,
whose eager enterprise already chafes under
the bonds of nature, and if we cannot make it
wholly impervious, let us make it as
nearly so as we can" They were bour-
bons, boCrbons ell, and of the densest
kind. Their faces were turned backward, not
forward; they were looking through the dismal
shades OF the dead past, not through the glow
ing day of the living present. The bill was
framed in the interest of the people, of the
whole people. 1t was intended in the first in
stance to stay the mounting plus in the
treasury, threatening overwhelming and posi-
bly, immediate disaster even now wildly i'm
pending; and second, to relieve, as far as pru-
dence would permit at this time, the overbur-
dened industries of the country from excessive
taxation, the proceeds of which do not pass
into the treasury, but go directly to the sup
port OF grasping mOnopolies, which were, for
the most part combined in utterly indefensible
and atrociously Oppressive trusts. If the bill
did not measurably accomplish these purposes
II was because a majority Of the ways and
means committee was incompetent to frame
such a law, and OF that the country would be
the judge.
A bill had been introduced by a member of
this house 1.-THE Randall bill and referred to the
committee, which provided large reduction
OF internal taxes, and dealt very curiously in
deed with customs duties. At the same time Of
its introduction the republican press though
opposed to tariff reform, was loud in praise of
il as a bill on which all could unite, not only
gentlemen on the other side of the house, but
gentlemen on this side also, who were supposed
20 differ with the majority. 1t is fair pre-
sumo that those who had inconsiderately APP
proved this remarkable bill did not under
stand its provisions. Covering 127 pages, it
great labor But taking the iron and steel
schedule as n fair index of the genius of the
proposed bill and the one with which the mem
Der introducing 1t was supposed to be most
familiar, one which he would naturally desire
TO conform most nearly to the demands of his
immediate constituents or advisors, and passing
judgment on the whole from this, il was safe to
say it was not in line with revenue reform; not
in the interest of the consumer nor the mid
dlemen. nor the manufactures. In truth and in
fact, it increased the burdens on every avoca-
ton, every industry-the iron-worker as well
rs the farmer Taking II item by item, il gave
the astounding result that for every dollar of
reduction of duties in the iron schedule, $40
were added to the burdens OF the public,
already too onerous to be borne. Instead of
reducing taxation as advised by the administra-
ton, instead of checking the flow of the peo-
pies money into atreasury already dangerously
full, instead of relieving a tax-ridden people
clamOrOus for relief, instead of following in line
with the declarations of every public oflicerthis
government has ever habitat when we were
collecting more money than was needed, taxes
ought to be reduced-thiS bill actually proposes
to increase them.
He said that the measure, from whatever
point 1t was looked at was a msbegotten, i'll
shapen, pOrtent0uS, unjuStifable monster, with
no excuse for existence and no purpose in life
but to obStruct the democratic party and delay
the justice which the country demanded.
The majority Of the committee on ways and
means realized and appreciated the condition
of affairs existing in the country to-day, and
however DESTROYS IT might be to extend that
full measure Of relief TO the wage-worker and
the great agricultural classes OF the country
to which they so justly entitled, invested
capital had its claims upon 10. Keeping
these objects in view, il had sought, first, 10
relieve these manufacturing industries by plac-
ing on the free list, as far it possibly could,
such articles as were essentially necessary
10 enable them to compete, not only in
their home markets but in the markets OF the
world; and, secondly, in the revision ana re-
| adjustment of the various schedules under the
existing tariff, 20 leave ample duties on all
merchandise that could possibly be imported
from abroad in competition with our home
products and TO protect our home manufacture
ers and the labor employed by them.
Since the secretary of the treasury had re-
sumed the purchase of bonds this month May
the amount offered and purchased would not
equal even the surplus OF the daily taxes col
lected from the people, after paying therefrom
the daily expenses OF the government. The
bill now under consideration had been formed
for the double purpose of reducing the surplus
and relieving the country of needless taxation.
The changes made by the majority of the COM
mittee will accomplish these objects, but he
wished to be clearly understood that the interests
of the laborer had been steadily held in view at
every stage of the proceeding and that this bill
| furnished that protection to labor which his
| opponents professed TO give, but to which their
| policy had been directly opposed The effect
| OF the bill would be, not TO reduce his wages
but to lessen to him the cost of the necessaries
| OF life and to decrease his dependence upon the
| employer. Extreme poverty and liberty never
existed together Starving men and women
| could not be free.
| Protection, so-called, would add no penny 10
the wage-workers pay or give one days add-
| tiOnal labor in the year, but it would rob him
| of an undue proportion OF his earnings TO pur-
| chase the necessaries of life and keep him q
| trembling dependent since the recent history
| Of this country showed that the tendency of the
protected industries was toward combination
! in the form OF trusts, under which production
was arbitrarily suspended, raising prices to the
consumer and throwing the workman out of
| his job. Monopoly more terrible, more danger
| Gus TO the liberties of country, more oppres-
sive to the laborer could not be imagined. Upon
| no class of our people did the present fiscal
| burdens of our country bear so heavily as upon
| the farming class. One OF the strong arguments
/ that the protectonist made TO the farmer was
| the home market that protection was alleged TO
| insure for his product. IL was a fallacy and a
| fraud, and intelligent farmers would not be
| longer deceived by il.
Turning his attention to the metal schedule
| of the bill, Mr.. Scott cited the case Of the Ed
| gar Thompson steel-worlxs as exhibiting the op-
erations OF a monopoly duty, swelling the
| profits Of the manufacturer into most unrea-
sOnablc and even appalling figures while add
| ing nothing to the wages of labor either CON-
mon or skilled, and at the same time restrict
| ing the market Of the farmer for his produce,
through simply pillagng him upon his pur-
chases of implements and apparel. He called
| the attention Of the house and of the country
| TO the new and natural force, which in his
| opinion was destined TO revolutionize; indeed,
had already in a large degree revolutionized
| some departments of American manufactures.
| He alluded to natural-gas. It was used at
the Edgar Thompson works; but il appeared
that the economy of its use had not as yet en-
| abled the proprietors to reduce the price of
their product, or to add anything to the wages