The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-12-20
Free-Trade Theories and Democratic
Campaign Stock Arguments Rehashed
by Mr.. Wilson's Committee.
TAFFY FOR THE FARMERS
Promised Foreign Markets in
Lieu of Home Consumers,
And Given a Few Free Articles to Com.
pensate for Other LOsses-Reciproc-
ity Treaties to Be Abolished.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19.-Following is
the majority report of the ways and means
committee on the tariff bill:
The American people. after the. fullest
ana most most t nc 2 debate ets no ever gwen 10y
liberately and rightly decided that the ex-
listing tariff is wrong in principle and
grievously unjust in operation. They have
decided. as free men must always decide,
that the power of taxation has no lawful
or constitutional existence except for pro-
eminent. Every departure from this prin-
ciple Is a departure from the fundamental
principles OF free institutions, and newt
ably works out a gross inequality In the
citizenship of a country. For more than
thirty years we have levied the largest part
or our federal taxes in violation OF Ibis
vital truth. until we have reached, in the
existing tariff, an extreme and voluminouS
system OF class taxation to which history
may be challenged to furnish any parallel.
So many private enterprises have been
taken into partnership with the govern
ment: so many private interests now share
in the rich prerogatives of taxing seventy
millions Of people,, that any attempt 10 dis
solve this illegal union is necessarily en-
countered by an opposition that rallies be-
hind the intolerance of monopoly, the pow
er of concentrated wealth, the inertia OF
fixed habits and the honest errors of a gen.
GRAFTON of false teaching.
The bill on which the committee has ex-
pended much patient and anxious labor is
mandate of the american neopie' IT no
more Processes to be purged Of all protec-
ton than to be free from all error in its
complex and manifold details. However we
may deny the existence of any legislative
pledge, or of the right Of any Congress to
make such pledge for the eontinuanee OF
acknowledged protection, We must recog-
nize that great interests do exist whose ex-
reform either to imperil or TO curtail. We
believe. and we have the warrant OF our
G Pednc fpS1 of eNpdf nties VIII VII not Sahf iningTe. but
give more abundant life to all our great
manufacturing industries. however much
with the tariff question, as with every
other long-standing abuse that has inter-
woven itself. with our social or industrial
system, the legislator must always remem-
Der that. in the beginning, temperate re-
form is safest. having in itself the princi-
pie OF growth.
A STALE UNTRUTH REPEATED.
A glance at the tariff legislation Of our
own country ought to satisfy every INTEL
Iigent student that protection has always
shown its falsity as a system of economy
by it's absolute failure to insure healthy and
stable prosperity to manufactures. 1t
teaches men to depend on artificial help, on
laws taxing their countrymen. for prosper
ity in business, rather than upon their own
skill and effort. 1t throws business out Of
it's natural channels into artificial channels
where there must always be fuctuation and
uncertainty. and ii makes a tariff system
the football or party politics, ana the Sta-
bility of large business interests the stake
of every popular election. None have rec
ognized this truth more fully than the wiser
men who from time to time have engaged
in the socalled protected industries. Years
ago, Mr.. Edward Everett stated, in an
Grafton at Lowell, that the sagacious men
who founded the manufactures of New En-
gland were never friends of a high tariff
policy.
Hon. Amasa Walker, a former member of
this House from Massachusetts. and one
of our foremost writer's on economic ques-
tons, declared ii to be within his own per-
sonal knowledge that when the proposal
was made to impose the protective tariff of
1916. the leading manufacturers of Rhode
Island, amongst whom was. Mr.: Slater, the
father OF cotton spinning in this country,
met at the counting room of one of their
number and, after deliberate consultation.
came unanimously to the conclusion that
they had rather be let alone as their busi-
ness had grown naturally and succeeded
well. and they felt confident of its continued
prosperity if let alone by the government.
They argued that by laying a protective
tariff their business would be thrown out
of its natural channels and be subjected to
huctuation and uncertainty.
But. as usual. the clamor of selfish and
less far,sighted men, and the ambition of
| dence. prevailed. The country entered on a
| protective policy, with the unfailing result
that the government help begot a violent
| demand for more government help. The
tariff of denominations that carried the
country to the verge of civil discord and
/ provoked n natural IeNulSADl. IIOlcCliOIl
has run a Xix course since 1861. When Con
gress began TO repeal war burdens and TO
relieve manufacturers of the internal taxes
which they had used TO secure compensate
ing duties on like foreign products there
arose q demand throughout the country,
without respect to party, for a reduction
of the war tariff. Unable to resist this de-
mand, the protected industries baffled and
thwarted any reduction of consequence un-
til 1872, when they defeated a House bill
that did make q substantial reduction by
substituting q Senate bill which carried a
horizontal cut of 10 per cent As soon. how.
House TO the Democratic party, that bill
was repealed by the outgoing Republicans
and rates restored to what they were be
fore 1872. And although the demand for
tariff reform and for reduction of taxes
has ever since been a burning and growing
one in the country, the protected industries
have exacted and received from every Re-
publican Congress elected since 1874 an in
crease of their protection, occasionally per-
hitting the repeal or the lessening of a
der to keep away from or TO increase du-
ties levied for their benefit.
PROHIBITORY WALLS.
Protection left to its natural momentum
never stops short of prohibition. and pro-
hibitory walls are always needing to be
built higher or to be patched and strength
ened. A protective tariff never has and
never can give stability and satisfaction to
it's own benehciaries. Even if it's victims
are TOO weak OF TOO ScdllSTeu 10 agltate
for its decrease, those beneiciaries are sure
TO agitate for an increase. When the re-
form tariff of 1916 was before Congress the
air was full of prophecies that it would
destroy our manufacturing industries
throw labor out of employment, or compe
IL TO work at pauper wages and dwarf and
arrest the prosperous growth of the coun'
try. Every representative of the four great
manufacturing States OF New England
voted against il with gloomy forebodings
OF it's blighting effsct. The rate OF dutie.
provided III that tarlf was much lower
than those of the bill We here offer. Whar
was the result? Instead of practically kill
ing the Industries and pauperiZing the labor
OF New England or the rest of the country
the tariff OF 1876 gave immense vigor t.
MANUFACTURES. with steady employment anC
increasing wage TO labor. So that aftel
eleven years experience under it. the long
est period of stability we have ever en-
1oyed under any tariff. the representative
of those same States, with practical unan
Unity. voted for a further reduction of ?
pr cent, and by a tWO-thirds vote sus
duction OF 70 per centum. And SO vel
contented and prosperous were the manu-
lacturcrs OF that and other sections of tn,
country under the low rate OF tariff o
1857 that when the Morrill, bill Of 1861 tool
the first ackward step there was a genera
protes, against II.
The Hon. Alexander Rice. Of Massachu
sets, said in the House: The manufact
urcr asks no additional protection. He ma
earned. among other things, that tn
greatest evil next 20 a ruinous competition
from foreign sources, Is an excessive pro
lection which stimulates a like ruinous an,
irresponsible competition AT home."-Con
gressional Globe, 1S5s-60. page 1861.
Mr.. Sherman. of Ohio, said: When NJ
stanton says the manufacturers are urgin
- ----r-- - al - - $3.50