Hopkinsville Kentuckian., 1890-05-20
BASSETT & co.
ELLIS ON THE TARIFF.
Speech OF Hon. W.T.. Els Against the
Mckinley Tariff Bill.

Mckinley Tariff Bill.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Probably no dis
cussion ON the floor of this House ev-
or attracted more attention or was
more generally read throughout the
country than the debate in the Fif-
tieth Congress on what is commonly
known US the Mills bill The interest
in the subjcct ct-matter OF that discus
sion did not subsitle with the close Of
that debate nor with The national cleo
ton which followed, but from that
time TO the present moment the dis
cussion has gone on through the
newspapers and in the periodicals of
the country. Tho arguments have
been thorough and exhaustive. IL is
therefore reasonably certain that
nothing new now remains 10 bo said.
The question rs to whether the Gov
ernment may rightfully impose taxes
on the people for the purpose of pro
lection, or whether the limit of its au-
thority ceases when it has levied taxes
enough TO defray its ordinary expen-
SOS and TO meet its public obligations
us they may mature, is n question
which il is fair TO assume is now well
understood by the people and one
upon which they are prepared to rem
der a final verdict when the matter is
again referred to them.
| do not agree TO the correctness OF
the statement made by the distin-
Ruished gentleman from Ohio Mr..
Mckinley in opening the discussion
ON this bill, that the people had de-
clared in favor Of protection. True,
the friends of that system secured a
majority of the electoral votes in the
last Presidential election, but the pop
ular verdict was against the system.
Nor can | agree with the honorable
gentleman who has preceded me Slr.
Post in the position he assumes when
he says the doctrine OF tariif for row
enue only has been rejected by the
country. But am glad to agree with
him in the able argument he has made
in favor of the free coinage OF silver,
and il he and his party associates will
bring forward bill providing for the
free coinage of that metal such u
measure will have my cordial support,
and believe it will receive the sup
port OF nearly every Democrat in the
House. Applallsc.
But, Mr.. Chairman, the subject OF
taxation is always one of interest to
those upon whom its burden rests,
and since this bill deals with that sub
ject upon the largest scale it is per-
fectly certain that the taxpayers OF
the country will watch with interest
the final disposition this body will
make of the pending measure in which
they are so vitally concerned. l have
heard it claimed here many times du-
ring the brief period / have been a
member of this body that the party
now in power had failed to redeem
the pledges it made the country du-
ring the last campaign and especially
the pledge it made the soldiers. But
surely il it passes this bill, no one will
be reckless enough to say that it has
not fully redeemed all its pledges to
the manufacturing interests of the
country, which by this bill it makes
the favored objects of its bounty.
The majority of the committee
which reported this measure, in CON
sidering the subject of public ieye-
nues has not been guided in its de-
liberations, as the report shows, by
the question of how much money was
necessary to defray the expenses OF
the Government prudently and eco
nomically administered, and with that
fact ascertained proceeded to distrib,
ute the burden OF taxation justly and
equally upon oil according to the
ability of each TO pay. But starting
with the fact ascertained, that the ex-
penses of the Government for the
fiscal year ending June 80, 1890,
would amount to S293,000,0O0. and
that tho revenues for the same period
on the present basis of taxation would
amount to S3s5,000,0O0, which would
leave surplus in the Treasury on
June 80, 1880, of $92, 900, 900, the COM
mittee has not sought to reduce taxa
ton nor to equalize its burdens. On
the contrary, it is stated by tho mi
nority of the committee, that the
effect of this bill will be to increase
the annual duties on imported goods,
emitting the sugar schedule, in the