The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1890-10-30
AN OUTRAGEOUS TARIFF.
The burdens of the People. Increased fer
the Benefit of the Piutocracy.

The tariff bill, as finally agreed upon
by tho conferrees, was rushed through
the House of Representatives recently,
no opportunity being given Tor its 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 The
only information they had as to what
1t contained was obtained from the
newspapers and the current rumors on
the streets and about the Capitol. The
request of tho Democrats for postpone
mont of final action was contemptuous-
ly ignored by Mr.. Mckinley. tits thus
that the most important legislation
legislation affecting directly the inter
csts OF every citizen-is rushed through
under the system of gag rules which
has been substituted by Reed, Mckinley
& Co. for the methods of deliberation
which have been in vogue in the Ameri-
can Congress from the beginning of the
Government
The various compromises" so
called, made by the conference commit
tee were, with scarcely an exception,
surrenders 20 the trusts and com bina-
tions in whose interests the tariff bill
was framed. This is notably true as to
the tax on binding Irvine. The McKin-
ley bill, as originally reported, imposed
duty of ~ cents per pound on bind
ing Irvine, which is used by every
farmer in the United States. In the
Senate some of the Northwestern SEN
atorS, under the lead of Mr.. Davis, of
Minnesota, made fight for free bind
ing Irvine, 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 the tax on binding
Irvine would cost the farmers of Mime
sofa alone nearly $1,000, 600 year. lie
also showed that the business of manu-
featuring Irvine was in the hands of a
trust built up by tariff which con-
trolled absolutely the raw material in
the places where it was grown, and
which limited it's 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 the Capitol. They
are in need Of no protection. They are amply
able TO protect themselves and to spoliate the
world.
He showed that their profits were 40
per cent on an aggregate annual out
put of $40, 000 900 or $4,000, 900 year.
Yet this same trust went before the
ways and means committee and de-
,nanded additional protection of ia
cents per pound, saying if this was not
granted, its members would be forced
to close their mills. There is no doubt
that this trust is one of the most OPP
pressive upon the farmers that is in ex
iStence. 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 onerous
burden. But the trust was strong
enough to induce the conference COM
mittee to put it's product-binding
twine-back on the dutiable list, the
rate being fixed at 40 of a cent a
pound, while on other MANILA cordage
the rate was advanced from IL to Ia
cents per pound, more than was pro-
vided in either the House or Senate
bill. In the face of this deliberate out
rage upon the farmers of the country,
committed at the instance of combi-
nation which, we may safely assume,
made a big contribution to the Quay
Dudley corruption fund in 1888, Re-
publican newspapers and politicians
will no doubt have the unspeakable i'm
pudence to claim that the tariff bill is
in the interest of the farmers of the
country.
The tin-plate job retains it's place in
the bill. The existing tax of l per
SC No
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 ,
30 cents per pound. This excessive
tax will ruin large interests, employing
Il great number of men and affording an
extensive market for farmers products
1t is levied purely in the interest of
ring of Pittsburgh capitalists who, no
doubt, had the fat fried 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
1896, in case of the failure of domestic
works to produce one-third of the
amount consumed, is retained. This is a
pItSc VI Iduh vi COuCSo Juc
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
a duty of = cent per pound. The coarse
grades of brown sugar between Nos. IL
and 10 will be admitted free.
The bill as it stands, and as it has be- !
come law by the approval of Benjami(
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 tho 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
forests ofsle country; in the words of |
Mr.. Blaine it does not open market |
for single bushel of wheat or a single |
barrel of pork. 1t will add enormously |
to the profits of the protected manu-
facturers but will not increase the |