The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-04-26
HIGH DUTIES HIT HARD.
THE POLICY OF PROTECTION
RIDDLED IN DEBATE.

Several Members of the House Take
PART in the OratoricaI Bombardment
The Republican Policy Shown to
be Entirely Out of Tune With the
Times.
WASHINGTON, April 25.-The House to-
dav went into committee of the whole on
the tariff bill.
Mr. Bynum, of Indiana, referring to the
slrnlus, said that the withdrawal of so
large a sum of money from the channels of
trade for any long period of time, would
tes1,lt in contraction of TIE currency which
would swallow up in bankruptcy and ruin
our most enterprising business men. Con-
gress could no longer escape the response
blty which rested upon it, without arous-
ing the indignation of an oppressed people.
The time had passed when the House could
refuse to consider a measure for the redrc-
ton of taxation. The time had come when
it must meet the question fairly and
honestly. The bill presented did not
meet with his unqualified approval. He
believed that duties on imports should be
levied and collected at all times to meet the
current ordinary expenses of the govern
hent and that any extraordinary expenses
should be met by resort to internal
axes Believing this to be correct,
he would maintain the present internal
revenue system of taxation until the last
obligation of the war was discharged. He
advocated a reduction of the duties on mate
rials upon which the laborers of the country
worked He advocated such reductions as
would give larger markets in which manu-
facturers could sell their products He ad-
mitted that wages had increased under the
protective tariff, but he denied that this
was on account of the tariff, because the
same increase had taken place in Great
Britain under free trade. The country had
grown great, but not by reason of protec-
ton, but in spite of protection. He argued
that the price of labor was regulated by the
law of supply and demand, and not by
protective tariff. The great trouble with
the country was want of a market.
NOT AFRAID OF A SURPLUS.
Mr.. Brown, of Indiana, expressed himself
as not in the least frightened at the Pile
thorc condition of the national treasury
This was not the firsC time that there had
b5el a surplus in the Treasury, but neither
President johnson nor President Grant nor
President Arthur, had made the condition
Of the Treasury a pretense for disturbing
the industrial policy of the government The
=
prosperity. The accommodating revenue might
he made the occasion for doing much for the
peoples benefit. The national debt might
he gradually paid off; the merchan marine
night be built up; harbor and coast de-
f9lses might be constructed; a navy might
be provided commensurate with our glory
and grandeur as a nation; and a grateful
people might tender to the old soldiers who
aved the country a parting benediction
Why should Congress be in such hot haste to
Cverturn the policy to which commercial
interests had adjusted themselves
AN EVIDENCE OF PROSPERITY.
That the surplus existed was an evidence
Of national prosperity. But as it was safer
to reduce it than to run the hazard of i'll
advised expenditures, lie was anxious to
have revision of the method of
taxation so as to reduce the revenues to the
lowest limit of the national wants. But he
argued that the plan of reduction s1etched
by the President in his annual message
would result in disaster TO American indus
tTies. That the Democratic party in the
House had gone the whole length of the
Presidents suggestion was because it feared
the party rather than financial disaster
There was feeling rapidly developing,
and III no section more rapidly than in the
solid South" that the country should
relieve itself wholly from internal taxation.
Looking at the system from revenue
standpoint, there was much to condemn,
md If the people understood that the
whisky tax was kept on in order that the
protective system might be maintained,
the whisky tax would have to go.
Mr. Browne congratulated the President
upon having compelled his pa ty to take an
issue on tie tariff question. disappearing
was over The question of today was
whether the revenue system should be free
trade or protection; for this bill was the
vanguard of free trade policy.
THE SYSTEMS CoNTRAsTED
Mr.. Dockery, of Missouri, said that the
revenue tariff was a tax designed to
furnish sufficient revenue to meet the cur
Il rent necessities OF the government economi-
n caly administered. Protective tax was
E a discriminating force attached to certain
Industries to the disparagement Of other IN
H oustries. reduction of taxation was and
would continue to be the dominating issue
8 IN american politics. Discussing the sub
lect OF the surplus, he declared that il was
Il required in the channels of business and
81 Tade and commerce in order that capital
might employ labor, and he said
nat the question presented was how
tlaG surplus was to be disposed of. Would
NJ IL be done by making extravagant appro-
Al Bliauons| he warned Congress that if it
ua Lot reduce taxation that was the way
ID " %hlch the surplus would be got rid of.
committee then rose and Mr.. McMillin
submitted the resolution agreed to in tie
E committee on Ways and Means relative TO
higght ses s'ions for debate upon the tariff
9ltl and prescribing the limit of the general
ogDate on the measure. The resolution was
&adopted.
The House, at 30 o'clock, took recess
ihtil o'clock, the evening session to be for
#ueoate only on the tariff bill
Al the evening session of the House Mr.
2hP", Of Maryland, and Mr.. Glass, Of
lehn3essee, spoke at length in favor of the
ending bill, these two gentlemen occupy
'ag the entire evening session.
Inc House at 1925 O'clock adjourned.
va
TO TALK SEVENTEEN DAYS.