The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1890-10-30
AN OUTRAGEOUS TARIFF.

AN OUTRAGEOUS TARIFF.
The Burdens Of she People Increased Tor
the Dsoefit Of tho Piutocracy.
The tariff bill, - inally agreed upon
by the conferrees, was rushed through
The House Of Representatives recently.
10 opportunity being given .or its dis
:ussion. The members Of tho House
we're called upon to vote upon the bill
without having had an opportunity to
even read the conference report The
only information they had IS to what
1t contained was obtained from the
newspapers and the current rumors on
the streets and about the Capitol. The
request OF the Democrats for postpone
~ ignored by Mr.. Mckinley. It's thus
that tho most important legislation
legislation affecting directly the inter-
ests Of every citizen-is rushed through
under the system OF gag rules which
has been substituted by Reed, Mckinley
& Co. for the methods OF deliberation
which have been in vogue in the Amcri-
can Congress from the beginning OF the
Government
Tho various compromises" 50
called, made by the conference commit
tee were, with scarcely an exception.
surrenders to the trusts and combine
tions in whose interests the tariff bill
was framed. This is notably true as to
the tax on binding twinc. The McKin-
ley bill, a. originally reported, imposed
duty Of ~ cents per pound on bind
ing twine, which is used by every
farmer In the United States. In the
ators. under the lead OF Mr.. Davis, OF
Minnesota, made tight for free bind
ing twine. and with the aid Of every
Democratic Senator succeeded in hav-
ing the duty stricken out. Senator
Davis declared during tho discussion
OF this clause that the tax on binding
twine would cost the farmers Of Minne-
sofa alone nearly 81. 900. 600 year. He
also showed that the business Of manu-
featuring twine was in the hands Of
trust built up by tariff which con-
trolled absolutely the raw material in
tho places where it was grown, and
which limited It's product and fxed It's
prices to suit itself. Mr.. Davis said OF
the mem bers of this trust:
They are rs far above legislative control -
the clouds that float above the Capitol. They
are in need OF no protection. They are amply
able to protect themselves and 70 spoliaIe tho
world.
He showed that their profits were 40
per cent on an aggregate annual out
put Of 1O,OO0. 900 or $4,000, 600 year.
Yet this same trust went before the
ways and means committee and de-
manded additional protection of ~
cents per pound. saying II this was not
to close their mills. There is no doubt
that this trust is one of the most OPP
pressive upon the farmers that Is in ex-
istence. Nor is there any doubt that If
binding twine had been kept on the free
list the trust would have been destroyed
and the farmers relieved OF an onerous
burden. But the trust was strong
enough to induce the conference COM
mittee to put its product-binding
rate being fixed 1t TO Of . cent .
pound, while on other MANILA cordage
the rate was advanced from X to ~
cents per pound, more than was pro-
vided in either the House or Senate
bill. In the face Of this deliberate out
rage upon the farmers of the country,
committed 1t tho instance Of . combi-
nation which, we may safely assume,
made . big contribution to the Quay
naA1 S~ Do
publican newspapers and politicians
will no doubt have the unspeakable i'm
pudence to claim that the tariff bill is
in the interest Of the farmers Of the
country.
Tho tin-plato job retains Its place in
the bill. The existing tax of l per
cent per pound is to be kept on tin
plate until July next, after which tho
tax upon this article of universal con-
sumption-this raw material Of impor-
tant industries-will be increased to 2
2-10 cents per pound. This excessive
tax will ruin large interests, employing
. great number OF men and afOrding an
extensive market for farmers products
1t is levied purely in the interest Of .
ring Of Pittsburgh capitalists who. NO
doubt, had the fat fried out Of them in
most elegant style in 1858. The tax on
manufactures Of tin-plate Is correspond
ly increased. The Senate provision for
the free importation OF tin-plate after
1896. in case OF the failure Of domestic
works to produce one-third OF the
amount consumed, is retained. This is =
piece Of rank humbug. OF course the
tin-plate ring counts upon its ability to
secure repeal Of this provision before
1895 upon condition Of liberal payments
into the Republican campaign funds in
the meantime.
The only concession we can discover
which the conference committee made
to consumers is in the sugar schedule
and this Is not very important one.
The sugar trust Is to get its raw mate.
rails free as provided in tho original Nc.
Kinley bill. Its product above numbe
Is Dutch standard is to be protected by
duty Of u cent per pound. The coarse
grades of brown sugar between Nos. II
and l6 will be admitted free.
The bill rs it stands. and as it has be-
come law by the approval Of Benjamin
Harrison. fully merits the denunciation
passed upon it by the late Democratic
State convention. 1t lays new burdens
upon the farmers and wage workers oil
the country in the interest Of trusts and
mon0polies. 1t increases taxes upon
the necessaries Of life and decreases
taxes upon the luxuries. 1t affords nc
relief whatever to the agricultural in
terests of the country; in the words OF
Mr.. Blaine it does not open market
for single bushel of wheat or single
barrel Of pork. 1t will add enormously
to the profits Of the protected manu-
facturers, but will not increase the
wages Of single American working
man by penny. It is unquestionably
the most unjust and outrageous meas
ure Of taxation ever passed by the
American Congress-
This bill was supported by every Re
| publican member of Congress from In