Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-05-08
HOUSE.

went into committee of the whole Mr.. Paysou
of Illinois in the chair on the tariff bill
Mr. Dockery (Mo.) said that the exercise oi
the function of government involved an e1.
penditure of money. Any system of taxation
which might be devised to provide for neces-
sary revenue should illustrate the principle OF
perfect equality. The burden of taxation
had always been willingly assumed by the peo-
pie when restricted to legitimate public pur-
poses, but history made no record of that will
lngness when taxation was intended to sub
serve private interests. That the present sys-
tenn IT taxation did not restrict the revenue to
the needs OF the government WAS shown by
THE SURPLUS II TEE TREASURY.
which had compelled the Treasury Department,
to purchase bonds. paying therefor a premium
of S47.0O0,O00. But the surplus was only an
incidental burden The substantial burden
was the oppressive taxation Of the people He
favored the enlarging of The market for agricul-
tural products and the unshacklng of life's daily
needs from unnecessary and paralyzing taxa
ton. In the last campaign the republican
party had claimed that the farmers would be
benefited by protection. Yet, after the re-
publican victory, the depression in agriculture
was greater than ever.
EFFECT OF THE INTERSTATE COMMERCE LAW.
Mr.. Morse Mass inquired whether the in
terstate commerce law had not something to do
with that depression
Mr. Dockery replied that so far as the inter-
state commerce law was concerned the same
conditions prevailed prior to the election as
subsequent to it. This depression had fol-
lowed great protective victory. 1t was not a
temporary condition that the country had TO
deal with. Farm prices had not recovered
since the panic of 1873 The constant tendency
in the west had been downward since that time
and today III every western city and town
to loan on improved farms" The avowed pur-
pose of a protective tax was to prohibit COM
petition by adjusting duties so high as 10 pro-
hibit importation or sufficiently high 10 enable
protected interests to advance materially the
prices OF their wares. Increased profits to
protected industries were the legitimate result
OF the republican position.
THE TARIFF AND THE PRICES OF FARM PRODUCTS
He then proceeded to argue that it was not
in the power of any tariff to raise the price of
any agricultural product unless it could be
seen that It was brought into competition with
a foreign article. Instead of having to meet
competition on our own soil the American
farmers exported their produce to supply the
agricultural deficiency OF European countries.
Mr.. Morse inquired whether the farmers did
not have to compete with the farmers OF Cam
ada.
Mr.. Dockery replied that the question re-
yealed another injustice of the tariff system
The western farmer had no competition. but
the effect of the tariff on agricultural products
was detrimental TO the farmers of the east.
Eggs, with duty of five cents a dozen,
were brought from Canada to New York. WhvP
Because it was cheaper to pay the duty on eggs
than to pay the railroad rates from the west to
the east. Therefore the tariff gave no benefit
to the farmer OF the west and taxed the eastern
farmer to the extent of the duty.
LONG AND SHORT HAUL.
Mr.. Morse remarked that if the long and short
haul section of the infamous interstate COM
merce law were repealed this would be cor
rected
Mr.. Dockery replied that whatever defects
might exist in the law both parties were
responsible for them. But he would NOT
discuss that law now. In order TO show
that the farmers of the west met with
no competition from foreign countries
he instanced the expectation of 10000 600
bushels Of wheat and the importation of !. GAG
bushels Of seed wheat. And yet (sarcastically1
the Mckinley bill was to relieve the western
farmer from this competition. The same was
true Of corn and other farm products. The ex-
portations were much larger than the importa-
tions
He then submitted an argument in favor of
tree wool and q reduction Of duty on the manu-