The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1888-04-13
Republicans and the Minority Report.

The minority report of the Ways and
Means committee fails to satisfy Re-
publicans. Its evasion of the main is
sue, so far as advising Affirmative action,
is its striking feature. But why eva
sion? For the simple reason the Re
publicans are divided, and the only
point they can agree on is that of
obstruction. The Philadelphia Isle-
grcph Is a strong protectionist paper,
| put like brother Weeks, insists the
Republicans must move in the direction
of carrying out the pledges of the Chica-
/ go platform. 1t draws this notable com
parisou between the reports OF the
majority and minority of the Ways and
| Means committee:
The majority report of the Ways and
| Means committee Is very able document.
| Ii Mr.. Mills, of Texas, was the author CT it,
! then Mr.. Milsi is an ever SO much smarter man
! than he was ever credited with being before
/ he. e.became chairman of the Ways and Means
committee while IL Mr.. BreckinridRe. of
Kentucky, was the man who welded the
| pen, the effect will certainly he to bring him
/ a great deal more prominently to the front
| as a Democratic leader than he ever yet has
| been. Be the authorship of the document
| what 1t may, however. it was certainly an
admirable statement of the case of the Dem
ocratic tariff reformers, and it is not at all
necessary to agree with all OF its conclusions
| TO recognize the fact that 1t approached a
subject of grave importance in precisely The
right way anG in the right spirit. The re-
port of the miDority-OI OF a section OF the
| minority-of which Mr.. Mckinley is the
| reputed author, is, we greatly regret 10 say,
i not an BILE document is not at all in the
| right spirit, and is by no means a reply to
| the statement of the Democratic case. In
| deed, il is so little such a document as the
| occasion very imDeratively calls for, that il
will certainly leave the impression with the
| public at large that the Republicans do not
meet the issue forced by the Democrats be-
| cause they cannot
That is it exactly. The Republicans
are much divided-some of them insist
nothing snail be done, others that the
whisky and tobacco tax shall bs Gu. OF.
others that tobacco and sugar shall be
made free Of taxation, and others again
| that The tariff on wool and wooleD goods
shall be largely increased.
The New York Euening Post shows
| that the argument running all though
the minority report is that the interests
ofthe consumer must in all cases be
sacrificed to the producer. 1t saws 4:
The issue is thus clearly presented. It
runs through the report from beginning to
! end. No article is so necessary to the COM
/ fort OF the people, nothing so Indispensable
/ 10 daily life whether TO the poor or to the
/ rich, out that the buyers must pay tribute
/ TO somebody, and as much tribnte as the
producer considers an adequate profit to his
business 1t may be tin plate, which is
I hardly produced in this country at all, and
| of which we must have Sl6 ,0O0, 900 worth
/ every year. paying bonus of nearly "a per
cent. on IL, or IL may be common lime for
1 here since tSe days of the Pilgrims-all
/ must pay taTiE premium to somebody. Ii
/ must be paid not for revenue. but upon
| principle-the principle that the consumer
ha. NO. r3sr -
/ plicit than the assertion aud definition of
/ this principle. lt IL Is in direct contraveD-
/ tion OF the report of the Republican Tariff
/ Commission of 1888. Ii Is a doctrine tha
| will rend the party in twain. il not this
/ year, surely within a very few years
AND it quotes this warning note to
Republicans in Congress from a leading
Republican paper of Minnesota, the
| Minneapolis Journal
| IL the Republican leaders OF the House
were conscious Of the real Intensity OF the
feeling among Western Republicans in Con-
! gIess formulating a liberal tariff reform
measure aud placiLg the party on record iu
favor OF an honest and intelligent reduction
on the necessaries of life, they would not
| fail 20 submit some proposition in Congress
| They certainly cannot realize the true state
OF feeling among Western Republicans ol
they woald see the serious danger la pursu
| ing the present policy lt is producing
/ feeling of restlessness everywhere among
| western Republicans that threatens party
disintegration. This is not stating tht
case too strongly.
The feeling described by this Mime
apolis paper is not confined to Minneso
Ia. The Western States are honey
combed with it. It is not confined Il
he WesC; even New England is tori
by it. Tariff reform clubs are spring
ing up in Massachusetts, and Rhod,
Island which cut across party line:
with the utmost mpartiality.-Pitts
burg Post.