Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-10-25
THE MIhoRiTY's VIEWS.

Senators Harris, Vance, Voorhees, and
Mcpherson on the 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 is tie nursing mother OF
trusts. It is the wall behind which these COM
binations are formed. by which the people are
plundered. Tariffs keep out the foreign COM
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, as well as 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" az 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
formation in still other branches OF manufact-
ure.
1.-The absurd accusation that the Mills bill
means free trade the ruin of industry and
the degradation of American labor is as false
as misleading. How the f1ow of surplus money
ducin2 the taxes which produce it man can
devise. How these taxes can be reduced with
ous taking on from the top toward the bottom
no imagination can conceive. Therefore, it
would seem. no man can propose to cut of
ceSs1ve taxation without subjecting himself TO
the charge OF free trade because any reduc-
ton whatever looks toward free trade True,
Government revenues might be reduced by
making duties so high to prohibit importa-
tions altogether: but that is the other end OF
which AID tn
private persons. II the first method Of reduc-
ton leads to free trade the other leads to free
plumber, which is worse"
The report closes by recommending 60 the
Senate and the country the Mills bill as
measure for the reduction of taxes, based alike
upon justice and good policy.
Senator Beck, IN his individual report on the
Tariff bill, says in substance:
1.-The struggle of the majority OF the Com
mattee on Finance seems to be, and its effect
certainly is to close our ports as far as posi-
bic 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
combinations OF foreign ship-owners may see At
to exact"
Continuing, he argues that the attempt of
the majority of the committee to report spe-
cific instead OF ad 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 tarin are now
years hence as they are at present It is no
longer infant industries that are ciamoring
The manufacturers are stalwart giants now.
The bills now presented by the respective po-
lttical organizations" continues Senator Beck,
ARE infinitely moro important in the princi-
pies they represent than IN the amount of tax
alton they propose to remove. measured mere
~ by money"
Referring to the Presidents message he SAYS:
'L any President ever satisfied the American
people that he subordinated private ends to
public interests and had the courage to express
convictions regardless Of personal conse-
Quencea President Cleveland in this message
has satisfied them that he has acted with an
eye signal to the public good Il viii be q
striking evidence OF the power Of employers
over their working-men II they succeed in
making them believe that their welfare enters
into the contest to be wAged. The struggles
made BY their leaders. General Harrison in
cluded, 20 flood tho country with Chinese
sending money to China and importing 10000 of
them At time - the managers Of the Ceatral
Pacific railroad did. give the lie to all their
professions Of sympathy with high-priced
American labor"
Continuing, he says that the Presido q
message and the House bill were both eminent
" conservative. Tho Senate bin in the wool
cotton and other schedules not only increased
tho rate OF tax, but did It in the form OF COM
pound and specific duties. 90 - to conceal the
Increases. Tho cotton schedules wore simply
outrageous. Senator Beck says he il clad the
committee has gone 20 the extreme Of protec-
ton, restriction and destruction Concludinx.
he condemns the cotton bagging trust "a Z
tariff creation.