Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1893-11-30
GIVEN TO THE PUBLIC.

OF pIepdrdblOus lUFOlNiHR an exhaustive
study of the subject from a democratic
point of view, the tariff bill is at last
completed and has been given to the
public.
Mr.. Wilson, the chairman of the COM
mittee. has prepared the following
statement, which was given out with
the bill:
The democratic members of the committee
on ways and means have felt as none others
could feel the mCnentOus responsibility
resting upon them and the SURPRISING
magnitude, diriculty and delicacy OF the
duty assigned them OF framing tariff
bin for nation of 100000 people
The bill they were called on 70 reform Is o
vast and labyrin THAN system Of class taxation
the cumin8tion Of eighty years control OF the
taxing power by few great interests, gather
Ing on 10 their train host OF petty
tollgatherers II carefully framed 10
prevent as long as possible what It's
author called "any monkeying with the
tariff, by which he meant any successful effort
OF the people 70 undo or to lessen the boun
ties which its benehciaries were permitted
TO write therein In their own words and their
own figures II transferred 70 the free list
proper and fruitful revenue articles where
most Of the taxes paid by the people we're re-
ceived by their government, and greatly in.
creased the rates OF those articles where all or
most OF the taxes paid by the people went into
private Golfers And II was burthened about
by many defenses chief among which are
swept and garnished treasury and o swollen
and colossal scale OF permanent expenditure.
Such are the conditions that confronted us
at the threshold OF the work. The committee
has welcomed information and counsel from
every trustworthy source and while IL does not
expect It's bill to escape Just criticism In all Of
its details its does present II to the country as
~ NJ nat to
and OF an honest desire to discharge It's duty
purged OF all faint Of local and personal favorit.
ism or prejudice.
Main Features of the Measure.
It's main features are two First, the adop
ton whenever II seemed practicable Of I'D
valorem instead OF specific duties secondly
the freeing from taxes OF those great ma terials
OF industry that lie at the basis Of production
Specific rates Of duty are Objectionable for
these reasons They frequently conceal q rate
Of taxation TOO enormous 70 be submit
ted 10 If expressed In ad yalorem
terms the duty OF cents on 100
pounds on salt in bulk, which amounts
to over 70 per cent on a common neces
sary Of life They always bear heavily on the
common article used by the masses and lightly
on the expensive article consumed by the rich,
tax OF $50 on al houses would be little or
nothing on the great mansion and very high on
the humble home.
lead 70 greater frauds ia administration, for
counting ana weighing ~ the custom-house
are done by the cheapest and most easily
corrupted labor, while ad vai0rem rates
are assessed by the best paid ami most
responsible appraisers The ad yaioren
system has worked well in practice IS essen.
TALLY the fair system because II Is tax upon
the actual value OF the article, and was de-
clared By MI Clay himself 10 be Ia theory and
according to every sound principle OF justice
entitled 70 the preference, and indicated by
long trial
Large Free List.
The boldest innovation Of the bill Is Its large
free list OF materials Taxes upon
production are double wrongs. They gather
and accumulate on the consumer Of the
finished product They hurt labor by
narrowing the market for what IL pro
duces Coal and iron are the founda-
tons Of nodera industry Material prog.
ress IS measured by the amount OF their
consumption. No other country can supply
them as abundanty or cheaply Is we can No
possible competition can interfere with our
own producers a few miles in the interior Of
the country Remoteness from the sources
of supply Is Ia itself enough disadvan-
tage to any section Of the country
without further burdens in tariff taxes
Uniaxed ores, coal lumber. wool and
other hbers must immensely stimulate pro
ducIon In certain parts OK our country The
thin edge Of American manufactures has
entered every country. With release from
taxes upon their materials there Is no
limit 70 the growth of foreign trade
This viii more than compensate the
home producers Of raw material, who tar
III or tariff control all the interior Of the
country, for any apprehended loss VI markets
anywhere along the seaoOard Its incaleulaole
aIrantage 10 labor Is apparent In every great
line Of manufactures we can produce In six
months 10 nine months enough for our home
market We can got rid OF our surplus
only bg foreign trade. As long as we
have taxes the materials OF industry
we cannot build up that trade Hence.
the other alternative OF trusts tn keep
down production to the home market The
workingmsn see whether his interest Is
with system that represses production and
rohs him Of employment or with q system that
gives natural and healthy play to production
and emanepates him from trusts and like com
binations Of capital
Important Changes.
As to the details OF ire bill, / will briefly re-
eapitulate the salient changes OF the several
schedules In the chemical schedule we have
transferred 70 the free list quite number OF
articles used In manufactures the most impor,
tant OF which IS sulphurc acid. one Of the
corner stones Of al chemical industry
The duty castor Oil is reduced from is
cents - g cents per gallon, and the duty on
ltnseed OIL which was secretly raised TO 20
cents by the conference committee on the Nc.
kinney bill after each house had openly voted
for lower duty, put a, - cents gallon
Pig lead being reduced frola 20 / cent .
pound lead paints are correspoudjnggy reduced
The Mckinley bill increased the duty on
opium prepared for smoking to So o pound In
tie vain hope 81 lesseang IS importation
The custom house officers on the Pacific coast
declare that this increase II auty has sirnpiv
placed in the hands 81 smugg.ers the bringing