The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1893-12-21
THE TARIFF REPORT.
MAJORITY REPORT OF THE WAYS
AND MEANS COMMITTEE.
Exhaustive Review of the Tariff Legislation
In Past Years, With Their Reasons
For Certain Changes In the New
Democratic Measure.

is Inc majority report OF The Ways an
means committee: The American pee
pie, after the most full and thoroug
debate ever given by any people to
fiscal policy, have deliberately anc
rightly decided that the existing tariff
is wrong in principle and grievousl,
unjust in operation, They have de-
cided, as free men always decide
that the power of taxation has no law
full or constitutional exercise except fol
providing revenue for the support O
the government. Every departure
from this principle is a departure
from the fundamental principles oil
free institutions and inevitably work,
out gross inequality in the citizen
ship of the country. For more than
30 years we have levied the largest
part of our federal taxes in violation
of this vital truth, until we have reach
ed in existing tariff an extreme and
voluminols system of class taxation to
which history may challenge to fur
nish any parallel.
SO many private enterprises have
been taken into partnership with TIE
government, so many private inter.
ests now share in the rich prero3ative
of taxing 10000, 900 of people that any
attempt to dissolve this illegal union
is necessarily encountered by the OPP
position that rallies behind the intol-
verance of monopoly, the power of con.
eentrated wealth, inertia of fixed hap-
its and honest errors of a generation
of false teaching. The bill on which
the committee has expended much pa
tient and anxious labor is not offered
as a complete response to the man
date of the American people. 1t no
more processes to be purged of all pro-
lection than to be free of 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 continuance of duties
that carry with them more or less ac.
acknowledgement of protection.
We must recognize that great inter
ests do exist whose existince and pro
priety it is no part of our reform either
to imperil or curtail. We believe and
we have the warrant of our own past
experience for believing that reduc.
ton of duties will not injure but give
more abundant life to all great manu-,
featuring Industries however much
they may dread the change. In deal
ing with the tariff question as with
every other long standing abuse that
has interviewer itself into our social or
industrial system, we must always re-
member that in the beginning temper
ate reform is the safest, having in it.
self the principle of growth. Aglance
at the tariff legislation of our own
country ought to satisfy every intelli-
gent student that protection has al
ways shown its falsity as a system of
economy by its absolute failure to in
sure healthy and staple prosperity to
manufacturers. 1t teaches men to de-
pend on artificial help, on laws taxing
their countrymen for their prosperity
in business rather than upon their
skill and effort. 1t throws business
out of its natural channel into artificial
channels in which must always be
fluctuation and uncertainty and it
makes the tariff system the football of
party politics and the stability of large
business interests the stake OF every
popular election.
None have recognized this truth
more fully than more wise men who
have from time to time engaged liz So
called protected industries. Years ago
Edward Everett stated in an Grafton al
Lowell, that the sagacious men who
founded the manufactures OF New
England were never friends of high
tariff. Hon. Amassa Walker, a former
member of this house from Massachu-
sets, and one of the foremost writer's
on econimic questions, declared IT
within his own personal knowledge
that when a proposal was made to I'M
pose the protective tariff OF 1916 lead
ing manufacturers of Rhode Island,
amongst whom were Mr.. Slater, father
of cotton spinning in this country, met
at the counting room of one OF their
number and after deliberate consulta-
ton came unanimously to the conclu-
sion that they had rather be let alone
as their business had grown up natur-
ally and succeeded we'll and they feit
of its continued prosperity II
let alone by the government.
They argued that by lay
ing protective tarlfi thelr
business would be thrown out OF Its
channels and subjected to uncertainty:
But as usual the clamor of selfish and
less far.sighted men. and the ambition
of lawmakers to usurp place OF proml:
nence prevailed. The country entered
on prot .ctive policy with the unfail,
ing result that government help begot
. violent demand fer more govern,
ment help. The moderate tariff OF
1916 rapidly grew into a tariff OF
that carried the coun,,
try to the verge Of civil discord and
a natural revulsion. Pro-
lection has run like course since
1861. When congress began the. re-
peal of war burdens and to re!leVe
of internal taxes which
they had used, too, as compensation
on like foreign products, there arose
throughout the country with:
out respect to party for a reduction OF
the war tariff. Unable to resist TINS
the protected industries bal
fled and thwarted any reductlon oy
substituting the senate bill when
carried cut of 10 per cent. AS soon
however, as the election of 1874 gave
L.