Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1888-10-06
MINORTTY'S VOICE.
What the Democratic Senators
Think of the New Tariff Bill.
ABOUT THE DUTY ON WOOL.
The Provisions of the New Bill, Accord
ing to the Minority Report, Are I'm
wise and Ill Advised - Mr..
Beck Goes 1t Alone.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 5.-The majority and
minority reports on the tariff bill were pre-
sented in the senate. Both are very long and
explicit, and are intended for distribution as
campaign documents. The majority report,
representing the views of the Republican
members of the committee on finance, fills
eighty-nine closely printed pages, of which
over twenty-five are tabular. There are de-
tailed comparisons between the features of
the Mills bin and also those of the present
law and the bill upon which this is report,
making all of the essential points compre-
hensive TO the average reader.
The majority report opens with the state
ment that the demand for careful and
thorough revision of our revenue laws is inn
perative. This revision, it says, is necessary:
20 reduce the national revenues, which are
now excessive: to remedy the defects, anoma-
lies and incongruities which have been from
time 10 time discovered in the tariff schedules,
or which have been created by erroneous de-
cisions of the treasury department; to secure
the proper reimbursement and equalization of
tariff rates, rendered necessary by modified
business conditions improvements in method
of production; radical changes in prices, or
by new elements or sources of competition,
and 10 give relief and protection to many in
dustries which are now suffering on account
of the inadequate rates levied on competing
products.
The public demand, the report says, for
reduction of revenue is more urgent on ac-
count of the inexcusable retention in the ma
tional treasury, or in the national banks, of
volumes of money in excess OF the amount
required TO pay the current demands upon
the treasury and to meet maturing obliga-
lions of the government.
nishes occasion for constant anxiety and APP
prehenson of possible financial disaster. The
failsre to prevent this dangerous accumula-
ton netting as it does, extravagant expendi-
lures and constituting an ever present men,
ace TO the prosperity of all our people, cannot
be too severely condemned but it is failure
for which the executive department of the
government alone is responsible.
This accumulation could and should have
been profitably avoided, and the possibility
of business disaster ayerted by prompt re.
turn of the money collected from the people
to the channels of trade through the pur
chase of United States bonds that could at
all times have been obtained for prices
which, TO the government, would have been
equal to an investment, if otherwise unprofit-
able funds, at a rate of interest of not less
than per cent. per annum
1t is probably true that the $G0,00J, 900 de-
posted in national banks cannot now be with
drawn without peril to the business interests
of the respective communities where tho
banks are located, and that this sum must re-
main for an indefinite period a loan to
favored institutions without interest This
unfortunate situation, however must have
been foreseen when the deposits were made
and it should not be aggravated by further
deposits; nor should it furnish an excuse for
the failure to promptly dispose of the much
larger sum remaining in the treasury in the
manner indicated
To amend the provisions of law which en-
force the collection of excessive revenue, and
TO remedy the defects which we have emu
merated, are within the scoops OF legislative
relief, and congress may properly be held re-
sponsible for any evils resulting from con-
tinuance of existing conditions. It may,
however, be fairly said that responsibility
for delay in the adoption of the legislative
remedies rests upon the party in control
of the house of representatives, which by the
constitution has sole power to originate rev.
enue bills The anticipation of the senate in
any effort to cure existing evils by proper
legislation has not been possible, from the
fact that the bin under consideration is the
first that has reached the senate in more than
five years giving them jurisdistion over the
subject
Criticising the inaction of "those whose
anxiety Tor reform has been manifested by
repeated declaration the report says: "It
would have been easy at any time whea con-
greSS has been in session since the III of
March, iSS.5-and its sessions have covered at
leaSt twenty months of that perioi-.o have
secured tho concurrence of the two houses
upon measure which would have reduced
the revenue and amended the administrative
features of our customs law in satisfactory
manner
at has been the evident purpose OF those
who have controlled the policy of the party
in power to delay action, to magnify causes
for uneaSineSs and to multiply and intensity
evils until the people of the country should
imperatively demand relief. aud then to as
sumo that the evils and embarrassments
from which we are suffering are the neces-
sary incidents of the protective system,
and that relief can only be found
in the emasculation or destruction of that
system. The known attachment of the great
mass of wage earners of the country to sys-
tenn which has been productive to them Of
unexampled prosperity, prevented the adop-
ton of policy of open attack and made it
1kcCNcSti1 that SokAAc HdduSAoAS Itta>On SuOuiu
be found for the stealthy accomplishment of
their destructive designs
The majority say that after that a thorough
examination of the Mills bill, they have be-
come satisfied of its inadequacy as remedial
measure in view ''of the condition which con-
fronts us, andin some general criticisms Of
the bin reached these conclusions:
''Its adoption would probably result in an
ircrease instead of reduction of customs
revenue
1T provides no remedy for undervalua.
lions. but, ON ths contrary, it invites and
gives immunity TO unlimhed fraud by the
substitution of al valorem for specific duties
1T docs not remedy any of the inequalities
or anomalies, or cure any of the defects Of
existing law. while it perpetuates existing
infirnities and creates, by its obscursty Of
purpose and phraseology and by its faulty
construction, doubts and antiquities which
must multiply indefinitely the confusion now