The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-05-14
The Tariff Bill.

WASHINGTON, May 13.-The House went
into committee of the whole on the tariff
bill. Mcmillan, of Tennessee, moved to re-
duce the duty On ammonia, as there was no
reason why an article of necessity to
Americans should be so heavily taxed
Mckinley, of Ohio, opposed the amend
ment. Since the tariff had encouraged
competition in this country the price of
ammonia had been reduced from 20 to TX
cents per pound.
Mr.. Butterworth, of Ohio, suggested
that while he knew nothing of the case
under consideration, the price of the
article was not reduced on account of com
petition alone. 1t was reduced on account
of improved methods of manufacture. He
never doubted that the protective system
was wise, human, benefcient and scattered
blessings upon the land from shore TO
shore. If there was any danger to the
protective system, it was in the oscillation
between the extreme of free trade and the
extreme which created inequalities among
Americans themselves. He insisted that we
should not create an inequality here: that
the protection system dealt with conditions
not within national boundary lines except
when the presence of those national boun
dairy lines indicated the presence of those
conditions against the influence to which il
was necessary to interpose the barrier of
protective tariff. Competition never Gre
ated new industry, they were created by
the work of brain, by invention. The com
mittee tried to do the best it could in franz
ing the bill, but 1t was not always safe to
rely altogether upon the testimony of bene-
ficiaries under the law. Applause ON the
Democratic sidel He indicated his belief
respecting the proper function of tariff
act and would sooner resign his seat than
depart one hairs breadth from that belief.
OF course, he respected the wisdom of the
committee. But why was Paul IA
vored and Peter turned down! WHY
increase the profits of certain
classess He could name capitalists whose
profits exceeded those of all the agricul
turalists in any state of the union. IAN
plause on the Democratic side1. He was
not, he said, disturbed by the applause on
the other side; he was exceedingly CRATE
full that they began to realize in any sense
that our countrymen deserved protection.
Butterworth then proceeded to expound
his views touching reciprocity with Can
ada. He said we were endeavoring TO Gull
tivate relations with fifty millions of peo
pie to the southwark and yet we were
afraid of Canada. There were some things
in the bill he did not like. He had known
of an industry that had been able to make
sec, 0O0,0 900 dividends on capital of 81 .25O.-
600. He favored proper protection but these
men held the world in their grip. When
he said he did not favor that
kind of protection he was told
'Y GU are not sound on the tariff The
time had come when some little concern
should be shown American homes and
American fresides. He did not believe it
wise or prudent to uake such a sweeping
reduction in sugar to be supplanted by
h011n MT Uhn fo,$ 4
was to pass a bill rejecting in the highest
degree the protective system. What he
wanted to avoid was paying too much for
an industry, and such was the case with
the tin plate duty; it would amount to |
$50, 600, 600 before the manufacturers of
plate could declare divident He was
anxious that his party should not take
false step. He did expect to participate
much in the deliberations of the House
hereafter. He was quite as ready to go
out as his Democratic friends were anx-
ious to get rid of him when they gerry
wandered him out. He was already out be-
fore they took that action.
Dingley, of Maine, said the debate had
upon the theory that muriate
and sulphate of ammonia were used for
fertilizers. In fact not a pound
was so used.
McMillin's amendment was accepted.
huUo Inv Gu W dul6uu w r6QuC- |
ing the duty on refined borax from to
cents per pound.
O'Ferrall read list of wha. he singled
out as excessive duties, laying stress ON
the duty on ready-made clothing, which he
held was in the interest of Postmaster |
General Wanamaker. ~ GU tickle me and |
| will tickle you; you legislate in my favor
and will put up campaign funds That |
was the explanation OF many of these high |
dutiesn
Niedringhaus' amendment was rejected. |
Biggs, of California, offered an amend |
ment increasing the duty on olive oil from
30 to 40 cents gallon. He advocated the |
protection OF the olive oil industry in the |
interest of pure olive oil. He was a good |
Democrat, but he was not hidebound. His |
party was opposed to his amendment, but |
ne, as an independent American citizen, |
advocated the proposition. The amend |
ment was rejected. Various other amend |
ments were offered, but were rejected, and |
after considering ID of the 156 pages of the |
bill, the committee rose and the House |
adjourned.