The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1890-11-05
THE TARIFF OUTRAGE.
Che burdens OF the People Increased for
the Benefit of the Plutocracy

Ahe taflH Olll as llnally agreed upon
by the conferrccs, was rushed through
the House of Representatives recently,
no opportunity being given sBr It's dis
cussion. The members OF the House
were called upon to vote Upon the bill
without having had an opportunity to
even read the conference report Tho
only information they had as to what
it Contained was obtained from the
newspapers and the current rumors on
the streets and about the Capitol. The
request OF the Democrats for postpone
ment OF final action was contemptuous-
~ ignored by Mr.. Mckinley. tits thus
that the most important legislation
legislation affecting directly tho inter-
ests Of every citisen-is rushed through
under the system of gag rules which
has boon substituted by Reed, Mckinley
& Co. for the methods OF deliberation
which have been in vogue in the Ameri-
can Congress from tho beginning of the
Government.
The various compromises" so
called, made by the conference commit
tee were, with scarcely an exception,
surrendors to the trusts and com bina-
tons in whose interests the tariff bill
was framed. This is notably true as to
the tax on binding twine The McKin-
ley bill, as originally reported, imposed
duty of N cents per pound on bind
ing twine, which is used by every
farmer in the United States. In the
Snnnfa copoo Of +bo Mouth town Con-
ators. under the lead of Mr.. Davis, of
Minnesota made fight 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 the discussion
of this clause that tho tax on binding
tWine would cost the farmers of Mime
sofa alone nearly S1,OOO,UO0 year. He
also showed that the business of manu-
featuring Irvine was in the hands Of
trust built up by tariff which con-
trolled absolutely the raw material III
the places where it was grown, and
which limited its product and fixed its
prices to suit itself. Mr.. Davis said of
the members of this trust:
They are as far above legislative control as
the clouds that float above tho Capitol. They
are in need OF no protection. They are amply
| able to protect themselves and to spoliaIe the
world
lie showed that their profits were 40
per cont. on an aggregate annual out
put of $4,000, 900 or $4,000, 900 year.
Yet this same trust won't before the
ways and means committee and de-
mandcd additional protection of ~
cents per pound, saying if this was not
granted, it's members would be forced
to close their mills. There is no doubt
that this trust is one of the most OPP
pressiye upon the farmers that is in ex-
istcncc. Nor is there any doubt that if
binding Irvine had been kept on the free
list the trust would have been destroyed
and the farmers relieved of an onorous
burden. But tho trust was strong
enough to induce the conference COM
mittee to put its product-binding
twine-back on the dutiable list, the
rate being fixed at ITO of cent q
pound, while on other MANILA cordage
the rate was advanced from "a to ~
cents per pound, moro than was pro-
vided in either tho House or Senate
bill. In the face of this deliberate out
rage upon the farmers of the country,
committed at the instance of con BIZ
nation which, we may safely assume,
made big contribution to the Quay
Dudley corruption fund in 1883, Re-
publican newspapers and politicians
will no doubt have tine unspeakablo i'm
pudence to claim that the tariff bill is
in the interest of tho farmers of the
country.
The tin-plate job retains its place in
the bill. The existing tax of per
cent. per pound is to be kept on tin
plate until July next, after which the
tax upon this article of universal con-
sumption-this raw material of impor-
tant industrics-will be increased to Q
2-10 cents per pound. This excessive
tax will ruin large interests, employing
a great number of mon and affording an
extensive market for farmers products.
1t is levied purely in the interest of a
ring of Pittsburgh capitalists who, no
doubt, had the fat fned out of them in
most elegant style in 1888. The tax on
manufactures of tin-plate is correspond
ly increased. THE Senate provision for
the free importation of tin-plate after
1876, in case of the failure of Domestic
works to produce one-third of the
amount consumed, is retained. This is a
piece of rank humbug. Of course the
tin-plate ring counts upon its ability to
secure a repeal of this provision before
1896 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 the original Nc
Kinley bill. Its product above number
16 Dutch standard is to be protected by
duty of x cent per pound. The coarse
grades of brown sugar between Nos. Is
and 16 will be admitted free.
The bill as 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 of
the country in the interest of trusts and
monopolies. 1t increases taxes upon
the necessaries of life and decreases
taxes upon the luxuries. 1t affords no
relief whatever to the agricultural in
terests of the country; in the words of
Mr.. Blaine it does not open market
for sinple bnShel of wheat or a single