The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-09-25

would give the farmers a market for an
other bushel of wheat or another barrel of
pork" to pass the force bill, which was
intended to silence the voice of people
aud to bankrupt treasury, which they had
declared in their platform was OVERLOOKING
There had been four years of honest, eco
nomical administration; the treasury con-
tanned large surplus; the famine was at
an end and a great feast was about to be
served. The manufacturers, out of
whom the fiat had been fried'' in 1888,
were there with tariff bill.
They succeeded beyond their most
ssnguine expectations. Before the session
was half over, the ory went up from
Peters, of Kansas, where is the money to
come from, the surplus is gone" The
business men held consultation. ut
won't do" said one, ITO leave nothing in
| the treasury that was ov6rhowing when
when we took possession" Another sug-
| gested that there was trust fund on de-
| post In the treasury of more than fifty mil
lions Of dollars that could not be withdrawn
by the ccStm que trust, and that they might
appropriate this, and they laid their legis-
latlve hands upon 1t and transferred II to
the general fund, and again proceeded to
! business. At the end OF their career they
were appalled, to ind that they had appro-
prlated more than billion of dollars. Not
wlthstanding the appropriation of the trust
fund Of over fifty millions of dollars for the
redemption of the national bank circulation,
when the treasurer of the United States
! prepared his monthly statement on the
hrst day of June last, there was an appar-
ent deficiency. That overhowing surplus
was gone. Another business meeting was
held. The treasurer's report could
not be doctored, and it was
oeemed advisable that it be sup
pressed and in the future abandoned.
The secretary of the treasury changed the
form OF bis statement; this is a favorite
method with insolvent notwithstanding
the books. There were twenty millions of
dollars in small silver coin in the treasury,
which, being legal tender to the extent of
only So, had never been included in the list
OF available assets; this was transferred 10
the other side and the treasury again made
to show surplus. The revenues, under
the operation of the Mckinley law began
to diminish and there was much specula-
ton, during the last month, as to whether
the treasurer would be able to meet the
qurrterly disbursements for pensions on
the LIST Of September. The secretary was
asked II there was not some danger of this.
"On, noW said he, there is the hundred
million OF gold reserve that we might use
in pinch, and there is seven millions to
the credit of disbursiug officers that will
not be called for right away, then there are
outstanding checks for seven millions that
will not be presented right off, and then we
have five millions of postoffice money that
we might use" After these are all ex-
hausted presume he could raise small
amount by pawning the furniture in the
! department.
TIE MCKINLEY LAW.
The great crime, however, which the late
Congress committed against the people and
for which the Republican party must
answer, in the coming contest, was the en-
sctmeut of the Mckinley law. We are
plainly told that this is not measure tc
raise revenue but is distinctly protective
one. The chairman of the committee On
ways and means, in his report of the bill tc
the House, stated that it was not designed
SO much to secure revenue as TO check the
Importation of foreign products. The
rates OF duty on many articles are from 100
to 400 per cent. The ty on window glass
Is from ll5 TO 12S per cent. The duty on
plate glass is al per cent Does the
foreigner, for the pleasure of selling his
goods and wares in the Ameri-
can market, pay to the gov
eminent, in the way of duties,
more than he obtains for themi II MIR. Nc
kinley believed that the foreigner paid the
cuty, why did he sacrifice nearly 60, OOO. OO0
OF revenue on sugar and eXpeud another
| 100000 in the way of bounty to do so.
Ii ne had the least thought that such was
the fact, why did he insert in his bill pro.
vision to refund to American exporters of
manufactures made from imported mater
ials, SO per cent. of the duty collected on
the same. The government paid back last
year to the exporters of tin plate, chiefly to
the Standard Oil company, 81, So, COS and
under the provisions of the Mckinley act
this amount will be more than dou bled next
year. Ask q Republican to name one re-
deeming provision in the Mickey law and
he will reply free sugar" Ask him WHY,
and he will say, "Because the tax
has been taken off and get my sugar thai
much cheaper" In making this confession
he has given away his whole case. he
has acknowledged, in the first place thai
the tariff Is tax, and in the second place
that it is paid by the consumer. Whstmo.
tives did the Republicans have in putting
sugar on the free list! Was it to benefit
the consumers. The tax on sugar was ex-
ceedingly obnoxious to protectiouists
About nine dollars out of ten, paid by the
people on sugar, went into the treasury
and if there is anything that real. gen
ulne, pratlotlc American protectionist de.
tests it is tax that goes to the govern
ment instead Of into his pocket. Of say
the Sl6,0OO,OOO worth of dress goods made
az home, and consumed by the women and
children, the American manufacturers re.
ceived by way of increased profits
on account of the high rate of duty
over -S1,OOO,OOO, not cent OF which
went into the treasury. The goverpmen-
must have its revenue; the bohdholders
must have their interest, the pensioners
their pensions, the officers their salaries
the clerks their pay, the army aud navy
must be maintained, so that the $50, OOO. OOl
Of revenue derived from sugar must come
of of something else. 1t must come off nj
dress goods, earthenware, window glass
and other products, the like of which are
lsrgely manufactured in this country. II
is clear, however, that every time q dollar
is paid into the treasury on these articles
from 81 TO 8 is paid TO the home manufac.
turers; SO that when the people have paid
to the government the $50 000, 900 formerly
paid on sugar, they have paid to The manu-
facturers on the domestic product
500, 100000 or mora. Nor is this
all: the people must not only make
up the loss of revenue on sugar
but they must raise $40, 900. 900 more with
which TO pay the bounty on sugar. and
while they are being taxed to raise this
sum the manufacturers secure from them
ten to fifteen millions more The people
If they only knew 1t, are paying dearl; for
their free sugar. | am for tariff tax for
revenue because it is the easiest, cheapest
and if properly adjusted the best mode OF
raising the same. If Justly framed, il
possesses the leaft of evil, If unjustly, il is
the most oppressive of all the systems OF
taxation. Taxation is not producer, but
q consumer of wealth, and whenever the
system is prevented from its Legitimate
objects-that of rails ng revenue-and take,
on the garb Of protection to private indus
tries it becomes a robber of wealth.
HISTORY AND RESULTS OF PROTECTION.
No. ,-as a-iF