The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1893-12-27
WILSON TARIFF BILL.
Tho Majority of the Committee on
Ways and Means
Submits Its Report to tho House--The His
tory of Tariff Legislation Reviewed
why Duties We're Heduoed-
Alleged That the Consumer
VIII be Benefited.


new tariff was submitted to the full
committee yesterday
II states that 1t has been decided that the
power OF taxation has no lawful or constitu.
tional exercise except for providing revenue for
the support OF the government
The bill on which the committee has expended
much patient and anxious labor is not offered
as complete response TO the mandate OF the
American people. 1t no more processes 10 be
purged OF all protection than TO be free OF oil
error in its complex and manifold details We
believe that reduction Of duties will not injure
but give more abundant life to oil our great
manufacturing industries, however much they
may dread the change.
glance at the tariff legislation OF our own
country ought 10 satisfy every intelligent stu
dent that protection has always shownits falls
ity Us system OF economy by Its absolute fail
ure to insure healthy and stable prosperity to
manufactures
Although the demand for tariff reform and
for reduction OF taxes has ever since 1872 been
agrowing one in this country, the protected In
dustries have cxacted and received from every
republican congress elected since 1877, on in.
crease Of their protection. occasionally permit
ting the repeal or lessening OF tax that was
paid into the treasury in order to keep away
from or TO Increase duties levied for their bene-
nt Aprotective tariff never has and never can
give stability and satisfaction to its own bone
hciaries. The history o! American industry
shows that during no other period has there
been more healthy und rapid development OF
our manufacturing industry than during the
fifteen years OF low tarin from 1870 TO 1881, nor
more healthy and harmonious growth OF agri.
culture and ell the other great industries OF the
country.
No chapter In our political experience carries
with II \ moro salutary lesson than this, and
none could appeal more strongly TO the law.
makers TO establish Just and rational system
OF public revenues, neither exhausting agrlcul.
ture by constant blood letting, nor keeping
manufactures alternating between chills and
fovers by artificial pampering. In this direction
alone lies stability, concord OF sections and OF
great industries.
We represent the people who are the many ns
well as the protected interests who arc the
few, and while we have dealt with the latter in
no spirit OF unfriendliness, we have felt that II
was our duty and not their privilege TO make
the tarin schedules Every tax on the producer
in this country Is protection TO his competl
tors In oil other countries, and so nGrrows his
market as 10 limit the number and lessen the
wages OF those to whom he can give employ.
ment
~ 30 N oIu bHOIFhlHuNfu NltN LlHl
srpposes that removal Of the tariff duties on
nocessarios OF industry will inllct any real loss
upon those who produce them in our own coun-
try. The enlargement OF markets for our prod.
ucts in other countries, the increase In the In.
ternnl commerce and In the carrying trade OF
our own country will insure q growing home
market for all these things that will quickly
outstrip anything they could have under the
protective system II could never have beenin.
tended that constitution which establishes
perfect freedom Of internal trade among states
should countenance laws that hold one section
OF the union, however remote, tributary 10 other
sections for the supplies OF those necessary ma.
terlals whose location is ordained by natural
law and not by human choice
The tariff on wool has disas strously hampered
our manufacturing industry and made cruel and
relentless war upon the health. the comfort and
the productive energy OF the American people
We have put undressed lumber on the free
list This may servo TO cheaper and improve
the dwelling houses Of some OF our people. but
tits justified II IL shall accomplish nothing
more than 10 oelay the rapid destruction OF
American forests. We have also placed hemp
and fnx unhackled on the free list for the rea
sons that we may give 10 tho American work.
ingman untnIed material TO work with and that
we may give the finished product as far as pos
sioie' W tne consumer WIN Duth single tnx, ana
that moderate one, instead OF medley and
cumulation OF taxes gathered during the pro
cess OF production In addition 10 these So
called raw materials we have released from tar.
in duties certain important articles and manu-.
features which we have shown our capacity to
produce cheaper than any other country, such
as pig copper and the more Important agricul
tural implements
ANY article of manufacture which can sustain
the competition OF like foreign articles In other
markets can defy such competition In the home
market, and Is not protected by the duty. but
by Its own intrinsic superior oheapness and
quality. The only effect OF q duty on such
articles Is 10 enable those who make them 10
charge higher prices TO the citizens Of their own
country than they charge to foreigners, and this
has been VIGOROUSLY the case with both copper
and many agricultural implements In adjust.
inZ duties upon what may be called the finished
products we have tried to impose such rates as
VIII not destroy or distress any Of our home In
dustrics on the one hand nor on the other secure
them an oppressive monopoly OF tho home mar
ket For this rule we have the recognized au.
thority both OF well known aud leading tarir
reformers and OF those who in days past we're
considered protectionists
In the earthenware schedule we have made
SUBSTANTIAL reductions stu leaving rates %
nign as were ueemed necessary In the war
hrin. In common window glass where close
eombinAtonA nave Kept up the prices to con
sumefs under scale Oh duties averaging more
thAn lOO per cent, we have made reduction OF
about one-hat
Upon the larger sizes OF plate glass; where
the duties were even higher, we have made
reduction OF ABOUT one'third In the iron and
steel sohedule beginning with free ore and
duty OF E.S per cent on pig Iron we have re-
ported scale OF duties considerably below
those Oh The existing law, graduated according
70 the degree OF manufacture, which should
bring benont TO the consumer without calling
Tor any halt In the imperial progress Of that
great industry In our country. The duty upon