Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1893-12-28
NEW TARIFF BILL.
democratic Report on the Ad-
ADMINISTRATION Measure. ~@

WASHINGTON, D. c., Dec. 19.-The fol-
sawing is the majority report Of the
Erays ana means committee:
frte american people, after the fullestand most
'sE.".eusEl debate ever given by any people to
sEseir fiscal policy, have deliberately and rightly
ssecisssd t1at the existing tariff is wrong IN
principle and grleVously unjust IN opera
a Is y decide that ths men OF
sasaas3p iaas no lawful or constitutional exer-
ea6ss pt for providing revenue for the sup
siJs principle is departure from the fuilda-
mss,al principles of free institutions and inevi-
sa5iy works out gross inequality IN me cltlzen-
ship OF a county. For more than thirty. years
gpgs ssaye levied The largest part OF our federal
TAXES iii violation of this vital truth, until we
flsspe reached in the existing tariff an extreme
ard voluTniaous system of class taxation to
wsclf history may be challenged to furnish any
Iaaaiiei 80 many prdgats entefpr5 fh nave
~crsfnesss. SO many private interests now
share IN the rich provocative Of taxing
:seeesty millions Of people that any attempt to
,<iIs.seEt.e this Illegal union is necessarily en-
'e>enatered bg opposition that rallies behind
zen ss3s'S wealth I the Inertia Of fixed habits
and the honest errors Of Il generation OF false
eeac}lngs
rho, bill Oh which the committee has expend-
ed much patient and anxious labor is not offered
as a complete response to the mandate of the
American people. 1t no more processes to be
aufGed Of all protection than to be free OF
all error in its complex and manifold
details However, we may deny the ex-
eight OF Congress to make such pledge. For
ffste CONTINUANCE of duties that carry with them
sneyc Or less acknowledged protection We must
fsc<ogaze that great interests do exist whose ex-
0seekace and prosperity it is no part of our re-
Germ either to irnperi or to curtal. We believe
sguG NC have the warrant of our own past expe-
ricucc for believing, that reduction of
duties will not iniure but give more al abundant
tif. 20 all our great manufacturing industries
sla~ever much they may dread the change. In
dealing with the tariff question. as with every
e1tler long standing abuse that has interviewer
htSelf with our social Or industrial system, the
legislator must always remember that in the
a,cgnning temperate reform is safest having in
dtselt the principle of growth,
glance at the tariff legislation or our own
.acauutry ought to satisfy every intelligent stu
dent taaat protection has always shown its taisity
as d system of economy by its absolute failure to
susure healthy and stable prosperity to manufac-
eurers. 1t teaches men to depend on artificial
@,elp, laws taxing. their countrymen
s1pon their own skill effort 1t throws
business out of its natural channels into arti
Mcal channels in which there must always be
aiuctuation and uncertainty, and it makes tar
aft >gsteIu the foot ball of party politics and the
stability Of large business interests the stake of
every popular election, None have recognized
CHS truth more fully than the wise men
Ssho from time ~ to time have .e FER, en-
] IN the Mr. EdWaTd sae n
orafion at lowell, that the sagacious men who
sa7aasled the manufactures of New England
"spta1e aescT friends of high tariff policy. Hon.
.Ayaasa Walker. a former member of this House
zsrom Massachusetts, and one OF our foremost
within his own personal knowledge tn at when
She proposal made to impose the protective
earih Of 1916 the leading manufacturers of
Bshodc Island amongst whom was Mr. Slater
@he father Of cotton spinning in this
country, met at the counting room Of one
'sf sasei1 number and after deliberate consulta-
siaa came unanimously to the conclusion that
Ehcy had rather be let alone. as their business
aand grown up naturally and succeeded WELL
sccity if left alone by the government. They
Esfgued that by levylng q protective tariff their
aus BE an nf0vn be out suScced
ea auctuaton and uncertainty. But as
essssaE the clanor OF selfish and less
ssaE- sighted men and the ambition of law max
.ata Sc usurp the place of Providence prevailed.
tac country entered on protective policy with
Tho Mafailing result that the government help
tS,essas violent demand for more government
s.e5n. The moderate tariff of 1916 rapidly grew
3uto the tariff Of abominatons' that carried
@av& and provoked natural revolution.
sues 1861. ''' When Congress began to
gcrs<al war burdens and to relieve manuta ctur-
-erS of the internal taxes which they had used to
secure compensating duties on like -orelgn
lftrsducts, there arose demand throughout the
s,s,sITstry, without respect to party for reduc-
Nton OF the war tariff.
Unable to resist this demand the protected in
duStrles baf1ed and thWarted any reduction by
substituting q Senate bill which carried a
tssog&@oatal cut OF 10 per cent AS soon, however,
stsc Democratic party, that bill was repealed by
TtS. outgoing Republicans and rates restored to
what they We're before 1872 And although the
tstemand for tariff reform and for reduc-
Ft1sE of taxes has ever since been
burning and growing; one EN- in the country
v-eceiVed from every Republican congresses
rn1sx.ied since 1874, increase OF their prote@-
slon, occasionally permitting. the repeal Or the
Reasoning eta tax that was paid into the treasury
i'm order to keep away from or to increase duties
F!s:cisa for their benefit. Protection left to its
gziou and prohbltors' walls are always needing to
ss,c huils higher or to be patched and strength,
snsd protective tatf never has and ana
So It's own benetciaries., Even if its
victims are too weak and too scattered
Eo asitate for its decrease. those benecari les are
xsuvc 10 agitate for an increase. When the
aorm tariff of 1876 was before Congress the air
Full OF pcophesies that it would destroy our
manufacturing Industries. throw labor out
az employ ment or compel it to work at
a~uter wages, and dwarf and arrest, the
prosperous growth of the country. Every
representative OF four great manutac curing
States et New England voted against it with
alGosay 1orebodings OF It's blishtlng effect me
'S.ss. Of duties provided in that tariff was much
Souer than those OF the bill we here OTTER " nat
the result? Instead of practically killing
ysse industries and pauperizing the labor OF
Ncw England or the rest of the country
tkc Rlyit OF 1916 gave immense yigor to
manufactures with steady employment emp ttae a,o and
years experience under it, the longest period Of
sssasility we have ever enjoyed under any tariff
stiass representatives of those same states with
practical unanimity voted for a further reduc-
gsoa, of IA per cent. and by two thirds vote sus
sa,ned the tariff of 1857 which made reduction
~ot 70 per centum; and well contented and
glros,serous were the manufacturers of that and
>staaci sections of the country under the low rate
OF tariff of 1857 that when the Morrill, bill OF 1861
saok the FIRST backward step there was general
,palySvss against 1t.
.Ene Hon. Alexander Rice. of Massachusetts,,
ssald in the House, 1.-THE manufacturer asks no
additional protection. He has learned among
ether things that the greatest evil next to
@yiEaYas competition from foreign sources is an
excessive protection which stimulates alike
e,aSsseass and irresponsible competition
%sa holne"-ICongressiona Globe, 1859 co.
page IS67l Mr.. Sherman, of Ohio
ssaSd- when Mr.. Stanton says the
saars1faeturers are urging and pressing the bills
sne says what he must certainly know is not cor
sgects the manufacturers have asked over and
over again 20 be let alone. Ibid 2O53l. Mr..
Morrill, himself has since said that the tariff OF
E.sta was not asked for, and but coldly welcomed
hs-ayssslrs. saeturers-[Congressiona Globe, 1862
-. Yssge s,:a5l. Senator R. NJ. I. Hunt
er -et Virginia, the chairman Of the
sSsy,ste finance committee, saidi "Haye
IF manuta cturerS here