The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-10-09

| the existing duty is retained on carpet WOOL which
all aries agree are not produced in thus country
cTeases taxation. and TO that extent increases the
cost OF the manufactured article and especially the
| cheaper grades-the clothing of the poor.
! To illustrate, take this example. Cheapest wooden
Qress goods costing only Is cents per square yard,
Is taxed by tthe substitute cents per square
yard and 40 per cent ad valorem, making the whole
| tax thus imposed so per cent.
| TAXING THE SALT OF LIFE.
Bulk SALT which is now dutiable at nearly so per
cent, is continued in the substitute at the same
rate Salt is the product of the and the earth,
| which natures God bestowed upon man for his
use So free is it in natures plan that little sea
water exposed to the SUMS heat aud air--natures
Wherever found we employ great forces of
steam and electricity, instead of manual labor,
posed on an article of such prime necessity and uni
| yersal use is not shown. The existing law gives
| and taxes salt to the farmer and dairyman. The
| hou'e bill makes salt free of tax to all.
The present arif is the nursing mother Of trusts
| II isa wall behind which these combinations are
fQrmed by which the people are plundered. Tariffs
Keep out foreign eomretition. and combination
suprresses the domestic, and the whole people are
| at their mercy and must pay whatever is de.
| manded.
| ROBBERY OF THE PEOPLE.
Language is inadequate to describe the iniquity
OF these corporations against the rights of the peo-
pie or to depict their disastrous effects upon the
| general welfare AS tariffs, which render trusts
| possible, are established and maintained at the
special instance OF those who form Them 1t would
seem but simple justice, well good policy, to
tear down as much as possible of their covert and
| refuse TO longer aid them in wrong-doing They
are not private affairs, as has been asserted, but
public evils of the giavest character affecting the
price Of every article which contributes 10 the
E sna of s ubsn 1he ToG them the
and Will serve to encourage their formation
| In still other branches of manufacture. Many of
those belonging to trusts appeared before the finance
committee clamorous for such legislation as would
promote their interests, They are all opposed to
the house bill, which should commend it to all who
| condemn their methods. 1t is bad enough 10 per-
NIT those who are the most interested manufacture
ers to appear before our committees and suggest the
| legislation they wish, but surely we should not
listen to trusts and aid them to rob with both hands
DOES NOT MEAN FREE TRADE.
| The minority cannot pass by in silence the alb
| surd accusation that the house bill means "free
trade 1.-THE ruin of Industry and 1.-THE degradation of
| American labor" These charges are as false as
| they are misleading. How the flow of surplus
money into the treasury can be stopped without re-
ducing the taxes which produce it, no man con de-
| vise How these taxes can be reduced without
| taking off from the top toward the bottom, no i'm
agination can conceive. Therefore, it would seem,
no man can propose to cut off the excessive taxation
without subecting himselfto the charge ofree trade
because any reduction whatever Hooks toward free
| trade" True, government revenues might be re-
duced by making duties so high as to prohibit i'm
portations altogether; but that IS the oiher end of
the road which increases taxes paid to private per
trade, the other leads to free plumber, which is
| worse.
ury for years past have warned congress of the ac
cumulating surplus and advised q reduction of
advsnz Were the taS ssyrueon free of G@s
and the degradation of labor? The tariff
commission of 1882, composed of nine men, eight of
latlng all the country east of the Rocky mountains
admitted the urgpfcy and necessity of reduction,
and reported a bill which they said would lower
| the taxes Is per cent. The minority respectfully
submit to the enemies of industry who so enhance
the cost of raw material as to restrict its production
n1 Iuhn mo frftn
| friends. They further submit that those are
enemies, to American labor who supplant
foreigners whenever that can be obtained cheapest,
and who receive by law IL per cent from the
snmer IN trust ior AmeEean labor, wnlch makes
hall that trust fund from the owners and who also
lessen and restrict the amount Of labor by limiting
production and markets by tariffs and trusts, and
those re its true friends who seek to shut off
UNNATURAL AND HEALTHIER COMPETITION,
enlarge its products and markets. and to lessen for
1t the cost of the necessities of life. Cotton long
| ago placed on the free list Did that make free
traders of those who voted for that measure? Did
it reduce the wages of operatives in cotton, and
close cotton mills I'D it destroy cotton planta-
| tons? On the contrary, we have grown more cot
ton than ever Our cotton mills are more profitable
| TODAY than apy other and our cotton operntiyea
| have steadier work and better wages than those
who work in other mills and we export their fin
ished products by the hundred million yards while
protected wool has stopped onetourth of the wooden
machinery and thrown So, per cent
than decade and hafago hides were placed
upon the free list. Did that destroy the leather in
dustry IN thls country? On the contrary, we lead
the world in its manufacture, save in few minor
branches, and with largely increased population
our nportatons of leather have decreased, and
expectations OF finished products have increased.
What has happened with cotton and with hides,
it is confidently believed and promised, will hap
pen with free wool. Our production of wool will In
| crease, our manufactures will revive, our wooden
operatives will have steadier work, and therefore
better wages, our products of WOODEN goods will In
M
| goods to foreign countries Not many years ago
| qunine was placed upon the free list against the
protests louder and moro vehement than are heard
now about the wanton destruction of an honorable
| industry. What was the result? An immensely
increased production IN TINS country without one
| the contrary, to their great gain, for as
we make 2,25o,OOO ounces, it cannot
but mean steadier work to more employees. and the
| ghivering consumers reaps benefits not by cents
but dollars per ounces The only destruction which
| follows in the wake Of this reduction of what
| was then the most formidable trust in existence
| The monopoly went down and legitimate manu-
facturers prospered. The minority is firmly con-
WINGED that incalculable advantage to the country
would result from placing wool on the free list. In
its demonstration no class will suffer, but each will
| reap his share of benefit. Considerable space is
devoted to argument on this point and the citation
| of statistics.
In conclusion the report says:
The minority, therefore, dissenting from the re-
| port OF the majority, commend to the senate and
country the bill Of the house Of representatives No.
alike upon justice and good policy.
IsHAM G. HARRIS,
LIB. VANCE,
d. w. VOORHEES,
concur in the above report. indorsing the house
bill in respect 10 the articles placed upon the free
list, but desire some notifications in dutiable list
J. r. MCPHERSON.
SENATOR BECK's REPORT.
Senator Beck in supplemental and indi-
vidual report, eulogizes the Mills BILL and says
the senate substitutes every feature aims at
| the increase Of the cost of goods to home con-
| sumers, and to close the markets of the world
| against imports and exports, as well, except
such as are clearly agricultural and have to be
sold abroad for any price they will bring in the
| free open markets with foreign competition.
| The object which the majority of the commit
tee seek to attain is to right the plundered peo-
| pie. The present surplus in the treasury
| he says, is not only needless, bu-
dangerous and corruptng in all its tendencies,
but it must continue to increase unless taxa
| ton is reduced.
| Senator Beck then proceeds to make various
| citations from the presidents annual message
and letter of acceptance, and says of the presi-
| dent
| "He, at least will not be accused of evasion or
cowardce IN the presentation Of his views and re-
| concentrations. Ifany president ever satisfied the
| American people. that insubordinated pri-