New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-10-09

Canadian barley, because 1t can be bought cheaper
On the GaS that Er. Flower submitted the farmers
letter from which the abeve is an extract Representa-
tive Lansing made statement before the committee,
and this eoloquy took place: ,,, A.. ,s,,
malt.house and The Watcrt5wn malthouse in your
SMr. Lansng-I know both Of them.
"Mr. Flower-What they filled with 49,
"Mr. LahSing-l suppose they are filed with barr
imported from Canada. What the proportion Is
aMr Plowtr-1 have received letter on this point
Which wcu,G like 10 hle Ia CONNECTION with tbs,
nom the Farmcrs Alliance. stating that these malt
houses i,.t Wifi CanStlsn barley and that barley
IN that iistrlet could not be Sold
gne DISTRICT comprises the counties OF Jefferson
and ST. LswTence Which 20 ions ago as lSIg Pr9dueea
exported less tan lo,l69, $50 bushels OF barley 10
tho State Of New-lork or nearly 100000 bushels
more than the total production of the state Twelve
when the duty on beans was under discussion IN the
committee, Mr. Flower admitted that the farmers CT New
York find their chief e.mpeton IN Cinadlan imports safe
Among or g he a a psSn crop 6es 1
from their beans am not alludng to the see1 peas
we get the competition IS right from the Canadian
bean and II drove Us out Of the n,aTketo canada ex
But MIR Flower set his face like a flint against the
them and in favor Of cg Canadian competitors. lie
did the thing. with respect to the farmers and
hops oats rye Bjickwneat. vegetables, poultry and
eggs, hay horses, cattle. sheep and wool, field ana
products and other products which constitute the mag
nifcent agricultural industries Of the Empire stale.
FREE-TRADE "ChLAM1Ty WALLER
Among his earlier exhibitions Of craftsmanship in the
list Congress was Mr. Flowers against the bill
10 simplify the laws relating TO The collection Of revenue
from imports. This Lii was designed and calculated
10 prevent frauds bv Of undervaluatons as we'll
az 10 insure better and more equitable and uniform
administration Of the customs laws. Mr.. Flower Of
fercd several amendments which had been kindly
drawn for him by New-York importers. The most
Important one was TO strike out a definition OF
"marhet value" which the committee. Of which Mr..
Flower member. had adopted In accordance with
the recommendations Of both Secretary Manning and
Secretary Window. and which had been approved bv
decisions Of the United States supreme Court Mr..
Flower did not take prominent part in the debate on
The bill but he said enough to show that he knew Just
as much and more about Its provisions and the
effect OF them as certain importers In NewYork chose
to tell him. He not fluent then as he was
when he let his mind and vagrant imagination wander
the domain Of tariff and internal revenue leGs-
lhtion later in the session.
Referring 10 the proposition to increase the duties
sunatra leaf tobacco grown by foreign labor which
receives extravagant wages amounting to or 10
cents per day. Mr. Flower paid his respects to the
leaf tobacco growers Of NewYork and other states.
Among other things he said
1t IS another unwarraned interference of the Gov
eminent with the tastes aptitudes and occupations
of the people 1t will throw many persons out Of
employment and will sacrifice large interests to the
greed Of few Of kind OF tobacco that con-
do not desire to purchase, and il is extremely
doubtful II 1t will result in benefit to this small
class of people"
Mr.. Flower II seems had reused to believe the
statements made to the Ways and Means Com
mittee by importers well manufacturers to
the effect that the proposed Increase Of duties
would not prevent but only reduce the importatons
OF sumatrS leaf and therefore could not injure any
domestic Industry, although il would unQuestiOnably
prOIC Of Caf N
siderfng the proposed duties double barrelled
sholg1ins. Mr.. Flowers mind naturally reverted
TO tho unhappy condition OF the man Of small
means, who is disseminated against that his
purchases generally restricted To the barcst
saries Of life' In concluding his speech aaginst
the bill on this occasion Mr.. Flowers prophetic
soul stirred, and he said 4" II II becomes law
In It's present shape It viii destroy many industries.
throw ont OF employment the engaged in same,
and work reduction of wages In nearly ALL 1t will
tend to restrict trade in every seaport town and TO
drive American commerce from the ocean,
Perhaps Mr.. Flower will be kind enough TO show
IN the next great campaign speech which he delivers
before the election how many industries have been
destroyed: how many men have been thrown out Of
employment: how many have suffered reduction
OF wages and TO what extent the trade and
Inerce Of New York City have beer injured by the
law partial ulflment of his melancholy predictions.
On May IL 1890, Mr.. Flower moved TO amend
the bin "by striking out the last word" in order
that he might get the floor and have printed In
the Record" a dlfase essay in favor of abolishn8
the duties on WOOL which essay of course. had been
prepared by somebody else. 1t proved. to the salts
faction OF Mr.. Flower, at least. that the repeal
OF the duties would make wool dearer and woOlen
clothing cheaper.
when Mr.. Flower took the floor, September 90.
1890, 10 deliver his final speech against the bin,
he the mantle Of prophet we'll as OF states
man; he seemed to feel inspired rs, spurniHg the
letters of grammar. he thus began: Mr. Speaker,
It Is probably unnecessary TO say. for the minority Of
this committee, that non-cOncur In this cyclOnc,
stone-wall bill. The reason why l call 1t stone
WALL cyconc revision. IS because out West they build
their walls four feet high aud six feet thick. when
the cyclone strikes them and they blow over they
are taller than ever. So they have revised this tariff.
hi every schedule, or two, higher than 1t is
under the present tariff"
Whether by they Mr.. Flower meant Western
stone-was, or O. We the minority of this committee"
or some other persons things NE did not stop to
explain, but continued: "They have attempted by
1t 10 restrict trade to fix 1t that the coast states
cannot trade with any foreign country so that we
cannot get what want from abroad which we do
not produce and pay for in agricultural products
and manufactures; that In the future VIC
viii need shipping and have no nag upon
the seas. The theory of the majority Of the
committee has been to 50 arrange the bill
that between the thirty different nations with
which this country trades there shall be no
trade at all, II they can possibly help H.
1t will be observed that Mr.. Flower placed no re-
straint upon his vagTant and rOtous imagination. The
tariff law which has Increased the proportion OF free
imports TO more than Onehaf OF the total imports for
the first time in history, and which has been at
tended with an increase Of the foreign trade
and commerce OF New York aud other Seaports within
The short space twelve months IS the same measure
about which that persistent statesman, the present
Tammauy candidate for Governor OF the Empire State,
uttered such doleful prophecies one short year ago
Further on n the same speech he SAID 49,
Nv honorcd friend the chairman Of this committee,
expaated largely The question o Tree sugar below
10 Dutch standard. but that has string on IL. ny
fe first OF January, 1902, If H. is thought necessary.
Inc President may realiate upon those countries from
which VIC yet free coffee, tea and hides by pulling the
string and raising the duty 10 now nearly or sugar; ,
and tea eOnee and hides which are now jree may