The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-05-09
EVILS OF HIGH DUTIES.
DoCKERY TURNS HIS GUNS ON
THE TARIFF BILL.


Oppressive Taxation the Burden of
the Hour-Burrows Declares that it
"a a Theory and Not a Condition
Which Confronts the Country-Mr.
r5cMillin Points Out Some OF the
Fallscies of the Republicans.
WASHINGTON, May 8-After the reading
Of the journal this morning the House went
into committee of the whole, with Mr..
psyson of Illinois in the chair, on the tariff
bill
Mr.. Dockery of Missouri said that the ex-
arcise of the functions of government
involved the expenditure of money. Any
system of taxation which might be devised
70 provide for the necessary revenue should
Illustrate the principle of perfect equality.
The burden of taxation had always been
willingly assumed by the people when
restricted to legitimate public pur-
noses, but history made no record
Of that willingness when taxation was in
tended TO subserve private interests. That
the present system OF taxation did not
restrict the revenue to the needs of the gov
ernment was shown by the surplus in the
treasury. which had compelled the treasury
department to purchase bonds, paying
therefor a premium of SAT, ,000, 900. But the
snrpIus was only an incident. The burden
was oppressive taxation of the people. He
favored enlarging the markets for agricul-
tural products and the unshackling OF life's
daily needs from unnecessary and paralyz-
ing taxation.
PURPOSE AND RESULT.
The avowed purpose of the protective tax
was to prohibit competition by adjusting
duties so high as to prohibit importation,
or sufficiently high to enable the protected
interests to advance materially the prices of
their wares. Increased profits to the pro-
tected industries were the legitimate result
of the republican position. Mr.. Dockery
argued that it was not in the power Of any
tariff to raise the price Of any agri-
cultural product unless it could be
seen that it was brought into
competition with a foreign article. Instead
of having TO meet competition on our own
SOIL the American farmers exported their
product to supply the agricultural deficiency
Of European countries. He then submitted
an argument in favor of free wool, aud a
reduction of the duty on manufactured pro-
ducts. In his state there were million
more people than sheep, and between sheep
and people his sympathies were with the
people.
A THEORY AND NOT A CONDITION.
Mr.. Burrows of Michigan opened his
speech with a declaration that 1T is a
theory and not a condition which confronts
US" There could be no condition of the
treasury that legislation could not remove.
If it was overfiowing with surplus it was
necessary only to diminish the supply. If it
was depleted increased revenue could be
furnished. The condition of the treasury
to-day was an overflowing one. what was
the remedyl The republicans would
reduce the surplus by one theory, the demo-
Gratis by another, and it was this conflict of
theories which had prevented a remedy
being applied. The voice Of the people in
the last campaign had declared in favor of
the theory of the Republican party, and
placed it in power. In the measure the
committee on ways and means presented it
had sought to execute the popular verdict
thus expressed, and to crystalize it into a
law.
AN UNwARRANTED ASSUMPTION.
1t had been thought that the Democratic
party would acquiesce and permit the ver-
dict to be executed, but the Democratic
party did not propose to accept the peoples
judgment as final The Democratic party
was again in opposition, and the conflict of
1888 was to be renewed. 1t was again going
before the people with an appeal that they
reverse their verdict of two years ago.
The Democratic party favored a tariff
for revenue. the Republican party favored
tariff for revenue and protection,
not incidental, not accidental, but inten-
tional. He who believed in free trade
must support the Democratic party. and he
who believed in protection must sustain the
Republican party. A tariff for revenue
only was a step toward free trade, and the
republican party was againstit Applause
That party did not believe in imposing a
tariff on foreign products the like of which
were not and could not be produced in this
country. All such products ought to be
admitted free of duty.
ENLARGEMENT OF THE FREE LIST.
On this principle the committee has ma
terially enlarged the free list in its bill. If
the committee had failed to place on the
free list a single article of foreign produc-
ton which could not be produced in this
country it was an error which the COM
mittee would be prompt to remedy.
II there was an article on the free list the
like Of which could be produced at home, IT
was an oversight and would be transferred
to the dutiable list. The bill was intended
as measure of protection from its enacting
clause to its closing paragraph. LApplause.
If there was single provision which in it's
workings would inure to the benefit Of any
foreign industry to the detriment Of our
own, such provision was there by inadvert-
ence and not by design. [Applause.] If
there was section in the bill which would
bring disaster to any American industry, or
paralyze the arm of any laboring man in
the United States, such section was there by
accident and not by design. [Applause.]
ADVOCATES THE BoUNTIEs.
Mr.. Burrows declared himself in favor of
the bounties provided in the bill on sugar
aud silk, and said that free trade meant un-
restricted competition. Unrestricted COM
petition meant cheap goods Composition
IN cheap goods meant cheap labor. Compe-
tltion in cheap labor meant cheap flesh and
oiood Competition in cheap flesh and
blood was slavery. Cheap cloth
Ing and cheap food were of
no value if human labor was
cheaper still. [Applause] Free trade
meant cheapness to the rich and idle, but
longer hours and harder work to the
Inaoorer. In this race for cheapness the
republican party did not propose to enter.
natever might be the cause of the present
agricultural depression, no one would be
ooio enough to assert that it was due to the
pohcy which had created home market
capaclous enough to consume exclusive
cotton and tobacco) 20
per cent. of the products of the
iarm. In this bill, said Mr.. Burrows in
conclusion, we have sought to reduce the
teVenues to the basis of the governments
needs needs without impairing single American
inuustry, or depriving a single laboring
man man Of the product of his toll We submit
eLils measure to the considerate judgment