The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1893-12-27
MINORITY REPORT
Nof the Ways and Means Oommi'-
tee on the Tariff Bill.
Ex-speaksr Rsed speaks for she hep1"
Iicans in Condemnation OF the MsHs
ure-Tho Report Declares tine
Wilson Bill Inconsistent ~
Well as Inaccurate.

out as IOllOWo' ..,- ~, a.. |
the fact that this proposition TO raise revenue W
vii, lower the revenue Of this country n4,VooV"
he,ovU the revenue Of 1893, which was only sNv''''
o1o above our expenses. This fact and the othet
tact that by this bill the larger part OF the our
den of taxation is transferred from ioreiSneFs
and borne by our own citizens snouiu n.
be kept in mind during the discussion. hau .ue
committee in making what the chairman on INC
soor q, the house has called political bill,
followed the plain, uncompromising declaraton
~ the marty which they represent ana aoohsneo
nrotection. giving us tariff for revenue only
our task in commenting upon the result o' 'no
committees efforts would have Teen mus
simple The bill would have been SralRhc
forward manly attempt TO carry OUT peuVeu
and would have placed in issue two great prln,
ciples and have led to clear and comprehehsf
bic discussion .,,.. T.,
nut the committee instead OF proceeding In
i,s great work OF ubolshing protection and pre-
saryinR the people from the load OF taxation
which they have always averred was tne resuaI
Of protection has presented bill whlen s only
another tariff i-tinkering bill, the ike OF Whicn
has disturbed the conditions OF business 80
many times the last thirty years IL Is greh'
misfortune that such is the case, ior hau 'ne
bill been for revenue only in the only sense pos
sible for that term, the people OF this country |
might have seen at one glance whether they oe' |
sired the ono policy or the other, and the ques |
tIon might have been settled once Tor oil anu |
the country might have attained to that repose'
stability and certainty which our business pros
perity so much needs As TO the new plan the
yery first questions one Is disposed 10 ASK ls'
why disturb existing business relations II tnete
is 10 he no change in principleg We are sun 70
hova nrotection. why take this time 70 cause
readiustment, when the business conditions are
| Of such character that the greatest amount oi
| disaster will be the result
| Were Il proposed to make radical change
| and cause the business OF the country 10 De con
Quoted on 4 new basis there might possibly DC
arguments adduced and plans presented Whicn
would be justinable with and satisfactory ou'
| II protection be the object, why choose TINS
time of all others TO substitute for system OF
nroteotion which has proved reasonably salts
factory ono OF which we know nothing and win
the principles OF which the revisers ore not In
acoordf This other and fresher plan has all the
faults which the trainers OF this bill chargeo
upon the old and very few OF It's virtues. The
new plan involves . new method OF encourag.
ing manufacturers by giving them WHAT'S calleo
"free raw MATERIAL 30 that what goes into the
mills pays no taxes and what goes INTO con
sumption pays oil the taxes The manufactur
ers nav no taxes on what they buy, and the peo'
nle the equivalent OF taxes on oil they purchase
II unfortunately happens also that free raw
material is an elastic term, and what Is one
, mans free raw material, is another mans mn
ished prcduct The manufacturer In Massachu'
setts is tod that he is 10 be encouraged oy nav
ina free lumber to build his factory and TO pack
his goods but inasmuch as that very lumber
thus made free is the Maine manufacturers
I. finished product no wonder the democrats
. of Bangor tho mills on the Penobscot be
ing unable 10 move o saw, denounce "class leg
c islatioar with q new appreciation OF what claa'
l. legislation really means And with the dwellor'
>, | on the Penobscot sympathiZe the lumoermenu
u Wisconsin and Michigan the Pacific slope, Ala
bsnin Georgih and Florida So about the MN
ers in Michigan struggling this very momen
with starvation, realize that the most odiou
Dt class legislation there can possibly DO is IN
is legislation which protects labor in the mill an
leaves the miners 10 tho charity Of the grea
cities =,
fy II the yoolens OF America need, as the bi
, assumes, 81 and 10 per cent 10 enable them
" have q fair chance in our own markets. where
u the unlimited foreign trade which awaits thel
~ in countries where they are stripped OF the
and 70 per cent protection and obliged 10 po
re freight and all other charges and hght bushes
n. connections existing for scores of. years. II
1. true, the consumer will no longer pay tribu
10 "a the Western farmer for the wool OF the she'
50 hut the New England and other manufacture
nj are still authorized TO lay tribute upon the ci
~ zena OF tho United States, who must pay,
en- these men have always said 50, 10 and 10 p
no cent TO the manufacturer on every yard
a woolens snd worsteds while the country "
hu only receive by way OF revenue lessenea su
lat unless increased importations signaliZe the
Ia, cay OF American production.
n0 Protection has established the clusters
Die great manufacturing and working centers viii
ali have given railroads the possibility OF exisier
which no scattered population could ever ha
uS created
ur without being guilty of that attempt 10 pr
the question into nutshell which Is the bane
economic discussion, II may be briefly said u
every product which goes TO market must mt
l., every other like product on equal terms
ls There is also a constant demand for lov
wo prices. which demand hns 70 be listened to Il
- country always striving toward higher civ
""- ration We have, therefore, before us alw'
IRA three problcms-wages 10 be maintained no
No oflabor 10 be lessened and prices TO be lower
Not one, but oil
4, ol Our goods orc now met by foreign goods
our own shores at price made up OF raw
terIals plus labor and plus the present rate
tariff on very near equal terms II the Ia
yen element be lowered then something must
re lowered on our side and in the last analyst
will be labor and capital, and In the long
m the loss OF capital is also q loss OF labor,
ear. capital employs labor aud lost capital sets
machinery in motion. We must then meot
reduction Of price OF foreign goods, when
list, our competitors, by the reduction OF the
Last Of labor
'"s' Lessened wages mean lessened consumpt
Is II wages were diminished one-half, one-half
q markets for products would be gone. Butw
this bill in It's principle, II II has any, is not
protectiyc, 10 will be absolutely so In prac
ON mot only in its direct reductions, but also In
eing indirec, naCo duties 10 nd valorem
How the bill will act as q revenue raiser,
how Il can act rs an injury 10 the governn
ana the producer both together, Is well Q,
'poIs plfed in the changes made In the pottery SC
ears ule
Only m amount equal 10 two-tfths OF
amount of the imports are made here, va
at tae0o,Oo0 Nine millions and half ore
n Ia portod Under existing law the revenue
tanned In $500, 900 Under the proposed b
the the manufacturers hold their own and the
sanEuine friend would NO. dream OF that
loss in revenue would be ,20O0,oOo II the
ufactures were entirely driven out and all
rider ware should DO imported the loss Of rev
even then would be Se2, ,0oo The crookery 81
ME seems hardly 10 DO managed with q vic
revenue
Another serious general objection 70 tn
III, IA that Il decreases the revenue accordi
'"u' the calculations usually made by the tret
have department ns compared with 1893, about
harl 600 900 This large deficit, coming as II
upon depleted treasury, 10 rather appalli
bill for revenue only.
I ord The bill ought not 10 be reported withou
internal revenue bill, which n 70 make u
other denciency. Are we 10 pass this bill and be
nded ooeroed into the otheri When tho schen
,h., raising taxes by methods used In the IL
s"'' war is presented, in addition 20 those mo-
They posod there may be such further revuls