Montgomery County sentinel., 1890-10-03

and not injure the protected interest. In
1875 this 10 per cent. reduction was re-
pealed, and the old war tax restored. In
1882 Congress appointed tariff commission,
composed entirely of protectionists, and
their report was made the basis of another
attempted revision. In 1888 the Senate
tackled to House bill reducing the internal
revenue taxes new monopoly tariff bill,
and then by trick in the House this bogus
measure was referred to a conference com
mittee made up of protectionists and agents
of monopoly
In this Star Chamber, ostensibly dcvising
ways and means of reducing the tariff, the
protective tariffs were largely increased
The House had fixed the tax upon steel
rails at $15, and the Senate at $15.68. The
conference committee Compromised" by in
creasing it to $17. The House had fixed
the tax upon bar iron of a certain class at
$50 per ton and the Senate at at $20.16 The
committee Compromised" this difference by
making the tax $22 per ton.
1t is this outrageous tariff, averaging about
AZ per cent upon most of the necessaries Of
life, that has now been revised up to about
go per cent, though no enemy threatens and
all the internal revenue taxes, save those
upon whisky and tobacco, have been re-
pcaled. This sort Of revision has been 60
ing on for twenty years.
Again, we sec that dealers Of all sorts
have no hesitation in saying that this in
famous tariff bill, as it goes into oieffect, will
have the tendency to raise the prices Of near
ly every manufactured article that the peo-
pie use or wear. This is the sslset II .ha
bill. IL igaihe first timn~id tie hfst6fy Of
the American people that u measure aslniit-
tedly designed to take money from the pock-
cts of the people and put it in the pockets
of the protected classes has been openly 0rad
deti0ntly dd0Ocated. Heretofore all tariff
bills have had some excuse, real or false
War, demagogy, experimentation, wages Of
labor, infant industries and nationalistic
prejudice have been advanced to deceive the
people as to the real object of the protective
tariffs. NOW ii is assumed that they are be-
sotted in their ignorance, or so corrupt in
their morals that bill notoriously con-
trived by the agents of monopoles and
openly defended because it will enrich mo-
nopolies will not be resisted by the millions
it is intended to oppress. The paltry pre-
tense that it is intended to benefit working
men in the matter of wages is ad vanced no
more. All disguises have been thrown off.
1t is monopoly measure-a monopoly ta1
measure, publicly demanded by monopo-
lists and supported by host of hired agents
under the cinched fist OF that same mo-
nopoly.
In conclusion-no man in this Congress
has given more untiring effort in fastening
the chains of this cruel and parayzing tax
upon our people than the bitter partisan and
violent extremist, Louis E. McComas. Re-
gardless of every hardship that is crushing
out the very life-bood of the sustaining
class for his own personal aggrandizement
and political preferment he would sacrifice
the interest Of every man and child. In ev-
cry revolutionary measure he has been a
bold advocate-from the unseating of duly
elected Representatives, the threatened force
bill, with all of its violent, unconstitutional
measures, down to this war tariff, he has
been the defiant champion. AS we pen
these lines we ask ourself, will our people
ever see the enormity of his crimes, his base
subserviency to the meanest and lowest pas
sions that ever permeated or outlined any
political organization In the darkest and
bloodiest hours of the French revolution,
there was Robespierre, with some redeem
ing qualities that lifted him above the aver
age OF the brute, but in the great events that
have marked the present Congress no one
man has evinced an angrier spirit or gone
to such extremes as Louis Il. McComas.-
Take him il you want him, and let him con
tinue in the future, as in the past, to give
you such legislation as will make you the
meancst slaves ON earth