The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1888-10-18
THE MINORITY REPORT.

Senators Harris, Vance. Voorhees, and
McPherson ON tho Senate Tariff Bill.
Commenting on the connection be-
tween the tariff and trusts the minority
OF the Senate Committee on Finance
says:
1.-THE present tariff 10 the nursing mother Of
trusts. II is the wall behind which these CON-
binations are formed. Dy which the people aro
petition and the combination suppresses the
domestic, and the whole people are at their
mercy and must pay whatever is demanded.
Language is inadequate to describe the iniQuity
Of these combinations against the rights Of the
people, or TO depict their disastrous effects
upon the general welfare. As the tariffs,
which render trusts possible, are estab-
lished and maintained at the special instance
Of those who form them. it would seem but
simple justice, rs well as good policy, to tear
down rs much as possible OF their covert and
refuse to longer aid them in wrong-dotng.
They are not "private affairs" as has been as
serted, but public evils of grave character
affecting the price OF every article which con-
tributes to the comfort and support Of the
people. The provisions OF the substitute favor
them greatly and will serve to encourage their
format on In still other branches Of manufaot-
ure.
..The absurd accusation that the Mills bill
the degradation OF American labor Is - false
as misleading. How the fiow OF surplus money
into the Treasury can be stopped without re-
ducing the taxes which produce II no man can
devise. How these taxes can be reduced with
out taking OF from the top toward the bottom
no Imagination can conceive Therefore, II
would SEEM no man can propose to cut Oh ex-
cessive taxation without subiecting b mself to
the charge of free trade. because any reduc-
ton whatever looks toward free trade True,
Government revenues m ght be reduced BY
making duties so high as to prohibit importa-
tions altogether; but that Is the other end of
the road, which increases the taxes paid to
private persons. II the first method Of reduc-
tion leads to free trade the other leads to free
plunder, which s worse"
The report closes by recommending 70 the
Senate and tho country the Mills bill as
measure for the reduction OF taxes, based alike
upon justice and good policy.
Senator Beck. n his individual report on the
Tariff bill, says In substance:
THE struggle OF the majority OF the Com
mittee on Finance seems to be, and It's enect
certainly is, to close our ports rs Tar as posi-
BILE against commerce from abroad, and sur
render to other nations the trade and COM
merce OF the outside world, and subject our
exports TO such extortions in freight charges as
comb,nanons OF foreign shp-owners may soc n
TO exact"
Continuing, he argues that the attempt OF
the majority OF the committee to report Spe-
cific instead OF I'D valorem rates means that
the goods used by the poor shall be taxed and
out OF all proportion TO those used by the rich.
The pretenses upon which high tar.n are now
demanded will be as strong he says, hfty
years hence as they are ut present II 10 no
longer infant industries that are clamoring.
The manufacturers are stalwart giants now.
'sThe bills now presented by the respective po-
lit cal organ zations," continues Senator Beck.
..nre infin tely more important in the princi-
pies they represent than the amount OF tax'
alton troy propose to remove, measured more
ly by money"
Referr ng 10 the Presidents message he says:
"If any President ever satisfied the American
people that ho subordinated private ends 70
public interests and had the courage to express
convictions regardless OF personal conse-
ouences President Cleveland in this message
has satisfied them that he has acted with an
eye signal to the Iublic good 1t will be
striking evidence OF the power OF employers
over their working-men II they succeed 10
! making them believe that their welfare enters
into the contest 10 be waged- The struggles
made by their leaders General Harrison in
c,uded, to flood the country with Chinese.
sending money to China and importing 10000 OF
| them at time as the managers OF the Central
| Pacific railroad did. give the lie 70 oil thoir
| professions OF sympathy with high-priced
Amer can labor"
| Continuing he says that the President 5
/ message and the House bill were both eminent
| ly conservatives. The Senate bill in the WOOL
| cotton aud other schedules not only increased
/ the rate OF tar, but did II in the form OF com
/ pound and specific duties, 50 as to conceal the
/ increases. The cotton sos4cdulss were simply
outrageous. Senator Beck says he Is glad the
| committee has gone to the extreme OF protec'
| tiou, restriction and destruction. Concluding,
he condemns the cotton bagging trust . Q
i tariff creation.