Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1893-12-01

the late election and its meaning; and gay'
a short history of tariff legislation. h'
was heartily aPplauded.
The New Tariff Bill.
Congress meets in regular session neA'
Monday, and one of the first things
will tackle will be the new tariff bill. pre-
pared by the Wilson Ways and Mean
Committee. 1t was made public Monday
and il makes reductions in everything
Few specific duties viii be left il the oil
becomes law, while almost everything
ON which duties are placed will come II
ad valorem. The free list is greatly en-
larged, and includes agricultural impie
ments, wool, coal, lumber, salt and IRON
ore. Pig-iron, steel-rails, glass and pot
terry are given heavy cut.
1t il estimated that the bill will reduce
the national revenues about fifty millions
which is to be made up BY an increase IL
internal revenue taxes, and by an incom'
tar.
The bill has some inconsistencies one
which is pointed out by the Dispatch a
follows:
"Hoop iron is scheduled at 80 per CEN
dutv. which sufficiently illustrates the
com mittee's idea of the amount OF labor II
that highly finished product. But cottor
ties. which are hoop iron with some e1trt
labor. are not given q higher ad valorun
rate. They are not given the same rate
they are not even given a reduced rate
The solid South is the sole user OF cotton
ties; and while 80 per cent is recognized a.
the Just rate for the people who use hool
iron to pay, the section which furnishes
solid electoral vote and nearly Soho
Congressional one has got to have its COT
ton ties free of duty.
The Pittsburg Times denounces the Dill
as vicious Gin its general adoption OF ao
yolorem instead of specific duties, whereby
a great opportunity is given to the foreign
shipper to defraud our Government OF its
proper revenue and our workingmen OF
even the nominal protection ostensiDiy ex-
tended. II is vicious in placing the duties
on many important articles OF manufacture
much below the limit which would nave
placed our wage workers on an equaIl.y
with those abroad. 1t is vicious because,
while depriving at one fell swoop . great
and growing industry like TIN piate OF
practically all protection, 1t carefully COD
dles and protects the Louisiana sugar
grower. II il vicious because it places on
The free list wool, coal, lumber, salt and
iron ore under the false plea that they are
raw materials, thereby depriving thousands
upon thousands of our people engaged IN
their production Of their occupation. LII IL
especiallv vicious because its one great and
certain effect would be. if it became law,
to throw hundreds of thousands OF work
in0men out of employment and bring the
wages oe ths balance down to depths un-
known In this country for more tnan
third of century"
Ths Gazette says
"Tke bill will not go through congress
witL a whirl If Republicans can prevent II,
and they will probably manage to get q
fair hearing. BY the terms of the bill 1t is
to take effect March l, 1894, except the
wooden schedule, which is extended SO as
to begin July l. 1894. The purpose is to
have the bill well out of the way and IN
operation before the time when the con-
eressional nominations will have to engage
the nublic attention. If the bill reaches
tha president before the first of March con-
rress will haye to break all previous records
in tariff legislation"
Congressman Dalzell was interviewed
Monday evening and said in part.
"Of course, under existing circum-
stances, it is impossible for ne to express
any opinion except in o general way as TO
the character of the bill. / notice that it
is entitled "A bill to reduce taxation. to
provide revenue etc. As the effect Of the
bill, according to its friends, will be 10
reduce the revenues about 1000, 900 per
annum, it strikes me that it ought to be
called q bill to reduce the revenue. How
in the world bill that strikes of $50, 600. 600
Of revenue can reduce taxation is one OF
those things that only Bourbon Democrat
can find out.
'sThis is certainly not tariff bill for
revenue only but tariff bill only not
for revenue While / cannot say any
thing very definite as to its special provis-
ions, there are some general characters
tics that impress one at first sight. Ii pro-
poses the miserable ad valorem system Of
revenue duties which invariably results In
q cheating of the government and has been
by every secretary OF the treas
nry, Democrat and Republican alike, from
time immemorial.
sIts free list is wonder, including as it
does coal, coke, iron ore, gold, silver, lead,
copper, nickel, tin, salt, lumber, wool,
binding twine, cotton ties and various
other socalled raw materials too numerous
to mention. 1t contains also sweeping
provision that raw materials not mentioned
shall bear an ad valorem duty of 10 per
cent. and all manufactured materials not
mentioned an ad valorem duty of 20 per
cent. This last PROVISION might very
well be termed provision for the en-
of litigation. If L am Lot
very much mistaken, it will give rise to
lawsuits without number"
Gov. Mckinley, said in part
'I have read the accounts in the even
ing papers of its substance and notice one
terribly bad thing about il; thing which
should defeat it in its entirety and alone.
II is the feature that the duties are imposed
on an ad yalorem basis. This leaves wide
open the door for fraud and deception, and
renders almost inevitable the undervalua-
tion of invoices.
Tariff bills of late years have been
based altogether on specific duties-so
much a ton or so much yard, You under
stand. No less a statesman than Henry
Clay once said, / remember hearing, that If
he could be allowed to fix the value of the
article he would not care who fixed the
duty or at what rate. President Cleve-
lands first secretary of the treasury, Mr.
Manning, made g most exhaustive study of
the question and reported that the ad val
orem system was wrong and pernicious.
Yes, that is the weak point in the new
tariff bill"
The Philadelphia Press says: The Will
son tariff bill will arouse and alarm the
country. 1t is much more extreme and dras-
tic in its destructive features than has been
expected. 1t far outruns conservative
anticipations, and comes up to the most
radical demands of the most pronounced
enemies of Protection. No such bold ap
proach to free trade has ever before taken
legislative form in this country. IL goes
beyond the Mills bill in its sweeping cuts.
No wonder it is hailed with delight in Eng
land as a deadly blow at American indus
tries and as the open door for foreign
products.
THE Democratic brethren are already
kicking at lively rate against the pro-