Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-04-24

"The minority contends for the principle
of just and equal taxation upon all, accord
ing to their ability to bear the burden, while
the majority has in this bill thoroughly COM
mitted itself to the policy Of unjust and un-
equal taxation for the many for the benefit
of the few. We are as anxious as the major
ity can possibly be to promote and encour-
age American industries and advance the
interests of American laborers, and those
who impute to us any other purpose or de-
sign, either misunderstood misinterpret
our position, but we believe that both these
objects can be accomplished by reducing the
burdens of taxation, and not by increasing
them. and that the benefit thus secured will
be far more permanent and far more salts
factory to those directly concerned than
any supposed advantage that can result
from different policy.
according to statements made before the
committee the protected industries OF the
country have never been at any time in our
history in such depressed and discOuraging
condition they are now. After nearly
thirty years of continuous protection by
Government taxation for their support,
great many of them are reported to be on the
very verge of bankruptcy and ruin, while
very few of them, according to the testi-
mony, are yielding a fair profit upon the
capital invested. A great many of the parties
engaged in these industries have declared in
the course of our investigation that the
slightest reduction in duties now imposed
upon competing foreign products would
compel them to close their works and dis-
charge their employees, and others have even
gone so far as to assert that they would be
forced to go out of business If the rates of
taxation are not increased. At the same
time the laborers in those Industries
are complaining OF insufficient wages,
repeated suspensions of work and a general
condition OF uncertainty and insecurity In
their relations to those who give them en-
ployment. The laborers fully realizing the
fact that this system has wholly failed to in
crease their earnings or improve their con-
inn ivno Ipow, h0v 1nl -
organize trades unions and resort to other
methods Of combinations and cooperation
for self protection; and those various or
CARNATIONS now offer the only efficient
means at hand for the preservation even OF
the existing rates of wages"
The report states that the remedy pro.
posed by the majority Is the imposition of
more taxes upon every article OF foreign
origin which the people OF this country de-
sire to buy and for which they are ready and
anxious to exchange the cotton which they
can not spin, the corn and wheat which they
can not consume, the oil and coal which they
can not burn. and many other products OF
the FARMS the forests and the mines. These
surplus products must find q market some
where outs de of the United States. The inn
ports last year were $745, 1852, paid for
mainly in surplus agricultural products. It
would be impossible for the people of the
United States to send out of the country
that sum in cash and eN cry one knows they
did not do it. In fact it is spent there in the
production, preparation and transportation
OF the articles sent abroad to pay for impOr-
tations and IL they were not sent abroad the
money could not be spent here because there
would be no market.
The silk bounty is sew erely criticised in
the report.
Continuing, the report says the bill will
increase the taxes on wool and woolens
1885, 90 per annum. according to last years
importation, but really to a much greater
sum, while taxes on tobacco to the amount
40 q m or " n q n
not afford to do this at the price of an in.
crease on necesSaries.
The report then attacks some of the de-
tails of the bill as follows: 1.-The :owest
grades of wooden yarn, worth not over 30
cents per pound, are to be subjected to q
duty of liz per cen t., while the most costly
yarn will pay q per cent. One grade of
coarse, cheap blankets will be required to
pay 106 per cent, but the finest blankets will
pay y per cent. the coarsest and cheapest
wooden hats will be subject to duty of Ill
per cent and the finest to 66 per cent
Womens and children's cheapest dress
goods with cotton warp are to be taxed lie
per cent. and the finest 73 per cent. The
lowest grade of wooden cloths will pay 12s
per cent, and the highest grade Sc per cent.
The cheapest qualities of knit goods for un
derwear range from III to 1s' per cent, but
the finest and most expensive will pay 70 per
cent. WOO en- shawls of the coarsest and
lowest grades, used by the poorest people,
will pay 131 per cent. duty. and worsted
SOOUS Oh the lowest SraOe Will pay lSU PEI
cent, while the highest grade will pay 80 pei
cent"
Continuing, the report says: eve have
for a long time been endeavOring to increase
our trade with the people of Central and
South America and Mexico, and at our re-
quest, an Internal onal conference is being
held to devise means for the accomplish
ment of this result. The people of all these
countries have the right to suppose that this
Government was acting in good faith when
| it invited them to send their delegates here
| and that nothing would be done by us to dis.
| turb the harmony. of their deliberations
| or prevent the success of their mission but
| in the midst of their consultations and when
| it was earnestly hoped that some practical
| plan might be agreed upon for the establish
ment of closer commercial relations, this
bill is reported containing provisions which
will not only retard rec prOcal arrangements
for the future but will destroy large part OF
the trade now existing between this country
and those of our neighbors on the south.
"For the further purpose of inducing the
farmers of the country to believe that they
can and will derive some benefit from the
protective policy, this bill imposes rates OF
duty upon certain important agricultural
products which it is well known could not
| be imported to any material extent with OF
without duty. 1t is impossible to protect
| the farmer against foreign competition In
| his home market, for he has no such compe-
| tition, and the insertion or retention of these
| articles in tariff bill is a device which
ment's thought to the subject. During
| the last fiscal year we exported s., $50, 95s
| bushels of corn and imported only 2,38s
| bushels, not more than can be produced on
| $50 acres of good land in this country. We
| exported 313, 1S6 barrels of corn meal and i'm
| ported 396 bushels. Our exports of wheat
amounted to Al, Ala, 129bushels and our imports
| amounted to 1916 bushels. This statement
| shows how futile it is to attempt to afford
protection to the farmers of the country by
| imposing duties upon the importations OF
| these products and this large and Intelligent
| class of citizens can not be reconciled in this
way to policy which increases taxes upon
| their clothing, tableware, carpets, earthen
| and glassware, agricultural implements and
| other necessary articles.
"Wh lie the imposition of these duties on
| live animals and other agricultural products
| can not possibly do our farmers any good al
home, the increase made by this bill on man
ufactur ed and other articles which we i'm
port will certainly be great injury to them
in the markets abroad where they are com
PEELED to sell their surcc!us.''
The report criticises the sugar bounty and
protests against the gross favoritism and in
| Justice of such a policy. 1t says the bounty
on last years production would have been
| s. 100000 but as It is expected to encourage
| the producers to supply the demand, the re
| suit even if the consumption remained al
! last years figures, 200, 46l ,302 pounds
| would be an annual payment of SCI ,52S, 426 in