Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-08-07


ne Kansas senator speaks Against Pro
feeding the manufacturers to che Detz4-
meat OF the People.
WASHINGTON. Aug. s--When the
Tariff bill was under discussion in the
Senate yesterday, and the glass and
earthenware schedule was reached
Mr.. Mcpherson moved to reduce the
duty on certain articles in that sched--
ule. and Senator Plumb voted with
the Democrats. He took a prom
1nent part in the debate i'm
Weighing against the exorbitant de-
mands of the high protectionists- He
produced letter from a merchant doing
business in St Joseph, Mo-, and Atchi-
SON. Kan. stating that on an invoice of
crockery he had paid thatoday customs
duty of S1fS40 and that under the pend
ing bill the duty on the same invoice.
would be SS1.S2 and under the McKin-
ley bill S57.12 The whole tendency of
civilization, Mr.. Plumb said. was toward
the reduction of prices Of alp products
Of human labor. To claim that the,
tariff cad been the sole or the main
factor in the reduction of the prices
of manufactured goods was to
ignore all the forces OFFS civiliza-
| ton The American people were
entitled to have cheap goods, if
competition could bring otharo about
When, he asked, was the time coming
when the people. of the United States
would get some benefit frem the estab-
lishment of home industries? But just.
as fast scthe point was arrived al when
lowers prices might be expected the.
maHufacturers vent to Congress- and
said that they wanted more duties.
whereby the downward progress of
prices might be arrested The people,
of the United States ought to have
sheir inning" some time and he thought
that time had come. He had no idea
that what he might osay was going to
effect the vote of the Senate. He coeld
conceive and he could see that the CO.
Aorts of protection were SD organized
| that the bill wasSto go through SUBJ
s5antially as it came from the Finance
Committee The manufacturers had
| Rad from Congress precisely what
they asked and yet, so far from
being satisfied, bill for their benefit
gas to be put through without debate
(if that could be brought aboIst) on the
| theory that the country was fsungering
and thirsting for more tariff legislation.
He believed in distributing the duties
that were necessary for the purpose of
| raising revenue for the supported the
Government III such way as TO equal
ise the conditions existing between the
manufacturers of this country and
those abroad. If he were in doubt he
would resolve that doubt in favor of the
American manufacturers, but if he knew
shat the exact conditions were he would
put the hone and the Rreign manu-
1 facturer on the same footing precisely.
| 20 Oh no IL. =
gave his support to such a proposition
IS the chinaware schedule
The Senate. Mr.. Plumb continued.
owed some duty to the American people
as we'll as ta the manufacturers There
was point where political sympathies
ended, and where business interests be-
gan The Democratic party had its full
share of responsibility for the iniouities
of the present tariff law and of that
which was now proposed The Dem
ocrats in the House had the opportunity
of correcting the errors andowickedness
Of the Mckinley bill. but they had
sought to evade the responsibility OF
their votes, when by Joining with the
Republicans who were opposed TO that
bill they might have eliminated many
OF its errors He could see theugam OF
| battledore and shuttlecock between free
trade and protection constantly going
on for political advantage on the one
side and for the personal advantage on
| the other, and between the two ex-
tremes the great body of the American
peoplewere being crushed and ground
He would apply the rule that whoever
demanded a tax for his own benefit
should be ready to show conclusively
that his interest was also the pablo in
terest The demonstration should be.
made that every single penny of tax
proposed was absolutely necessary.