Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1890-07-29
THE FIFrx-FIRsr oonGnEss.

- = = lie Ak2S VN01 MSS
The Tariff Bin Taken Up at Two
O'CLOCK as Unanished Business-The
Senate Addressed In Opposition 60 the
Bill By Mr.. Vest OF MlssourI-Work OF
the House.
WASHINGTON, D. c., July 28.-After some
discussion to get the house bill for the trans
FER OF the revenue marine to the navy de-
partment ont of the way the tariff bill was
then taken up, and Mr.. Vest addressed the
senate in opposition to 1t. The advocates of
high tariff taxation, he said, were confront
ed by great peril. For years the farmers
had been told that the home market was all
they needed, and that the foreign merket
was bagatelle almost worthless. Now q
great change had come. The depression in
agricultural interests and the emphatic de-
mands of the farmers for something besides
lying statistics. and frothy defamation had
caused President Harrison and Mr.. Blaine to
urge upon congress legislation for subsidies
to steamship subsidies and for reciprocity
treaties with the South American
states in order to obtain q foreign
market for American products. Very little
was heard now of the home market, but
great deal of the South American market
and of the rascally devices by which Eng
land had robbed the United States of valu-
able trade. Mr.. Blaine now deprecated the
putting.o of raw sugar on the free list or OF
| increasing the duties on wool, and suggested
that the duties on sugar and wool should be
utilized to secure free trade with the South
American states. So that at last the protec-
| tionists had been driven from their preten-
| tious humbug about the home market and
were. forced to adopt the principle of free
| commercial intercourse which they had so
long opposed and derided. The high priests
of protection were now burning incense on
the affairs of free trade and were yielding for
| reciprocity treaties, subsidies to steam and
sailing vessels, pan American conventions
anything to bring about free trade with the
South American states so as to enlarge the
foreign market for American products.
Mr.. Vest spoke of the proposed increase of
duties on wheat, oats, barley, rye and other
farm products, and asked how 1t was possible
| to protect farmers against q competition
which did not exist. The whole thing, he
said. was nothing but q pyramid of fraud
and humbug. As to the proposed reduction
| of the duty on rice and rice -four. he re-
ferred to 1t as an evidence of not only the
unjust and wicked but sectional character of
both the house and senate bills. Why, he
| asked, was that brutal discrimination made
| against the rice planters of the south. There
could be but one answer-they voted the
| democratic ticket. The pending bill, he de-
contributions to the campaign fund of
the republican party during the last pres.
| idential canvass, and as the planters of the
south were democrats and the negroes were
regarded by the republican managers as
mere political chattels who could con-
tribute nothing the duties on northern man.
ufactures were increased while the duty on
rice was diminished. The proposed increase
of the duty on cattle while no cattle were
| imported except for breeding purposes Mr.
Vest characterized as the boldest and most
| disgusting piece of humbug ever exhibited
even in politics. The same pretense, he said,
was seen in the increased duties on hogs,
sheep, horses and mules. Referring to the
proposed increase of duty on tin plate (of
which $21, 900, 600 worth was imported from
| England last year,, Mr.. Vest said that it was
for the purpose of forcing the people of the
| United States to use Pittsburg galvanized
iron; and we then, said he, ask Great Britain
| to remove her quarantine restrictions OF
American cattle. We stand with sword
| of British goods, while we expect her
people to take our products without word
| of objection. The farmer who could not see
| that he was the victim under the high tariff
| system was hopeless partisan. The farmer
furnished nearly four-ffths of the exports of
the country, and If the foreign market was
unfriendly, or was absolutely closed against
him, he would have to keep his surplus pro-
ducts at home and help to lower prices by
Cutting the market.
The pending bill threw off all diguise and
defed the taxpayers of the United States to
resist its unjust and wicked exactions. Mr.
Vest discussed the proposed increase of
and collars and cotton and wooden goods. It
was claimed, he said, that the tax on wool
was for the farmers protection, but all that
he asked was that every farmer would put,
face to face, all that he received for his wool
and all that he paid for wooden clothing by
reason of increased taxation, and then turn
to the faces of wife and children for answer.
He asserted that the consumers of the
United States were being systematically
plundered under the pretense of protection to
home industries. No further concealment
was possible. The truth was at last revealed.
The manufacturers who were persistently ask
ing higher duties to exclude foreign compe-
tition were availing themselves of the
monopoly of the exclusive tariff to charge
the people of this country from 20 to 20 per
cent. higher for their goods than they could
sell the same articles for in the unprotected
markets of the world. It was no longer
protection, but pure, simple, naked plumber.
. States would submit to that system. Wrongs
crystaized by custom and panoplied with
| privilege and power had ofton become hoary
with age. Monstrous evils had existed fol
. centuries while the patient, accomplishing
| multitude had watched the stars and waited
for deliverance. The bastile had frowned in
dark aud sombre terror upon the populace
of Paris while king and courtier, philosopher
and patriot passed away. 1t seemed eternal
but at last it fell, and the nightmare of the
age descended. Amsricans boosted of their
free institutions, of liberty and equality, bui
who, he asked, could himself q free man,
save in mockery, when by force of law the
/ l.. e l.. IL n
taken to enrich anotherf The struggle fol
} the human rights was not ended, nor could
1t be until the unjust system of taxation
| which now, with the mask of protection
r rode, like booted and spurred highwaymsn
over the land, was trampled under foot b,
3 an outraged people.
Mr. Turpie next addressed the senate OF
: Mr.. McPherson's resolution to recommit th
8 | bill with instructions to report bill L
: | reduce revenues and to equalize dutie
a on imports In which the average ad valoren
Q rate of duty on all dutiable articles shall no
= exceed the average ad valorem war tariff rat
d of 1864 He declared him. self In favor of
= recommittal of the bill and would vote for II
n He would even vote for it's indefinite rost
n ponement. He would support any line o
:. policy calculated to defeat delay this en-
K actment. But he was not satisfied with tn
It instructions. He had been engaged for som
It years in making war on the tariff. He ha
.. | enlisted hnO re- enlisted III that berVlc6 an
d had not yet asked for his discharge, be
le lieving as he did that the pending bi
was one of the worst, the most upjus
le the most oppressive, that has ever characte
l. lied the legislation overtures of q free go,
eminent. If there was a choice between
IN and the Morrill, tariff of 1854 ian imperati,
le choice) he would choose the Morrill, tarii
It He thought it infinitely preferable. But
ut the proposed instructions were simply Il
10 expression of an opinion, and as senate
were not bound to indorse either the dogm
l. OF the details of the war tariff of 1854, !
o. thought that, if instructions were to
ne given in a line with the opinion of tn
he great leader of the people who poll,
a. a majority of the people for his re-electio
the scheme would be the imposition of Il
at lower duties on things in general use and
r. higher rates on articles of luxury and rein
or ment, the total sum of it not to exceed &
necessary expenses of the government 81
rs the interest on the national debt.
he The question was taken on the motion
in recommit and 1t was defeated by strl
on party vote-yeas 10, yeas 30.
81 The reading of the bill by paragraphs
cd amendment was begun, the first schedule
ing that as to chemicals, oils and paints.