The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1893-12-30
THE OTHER SIDE


! or the Tarifr Reform Question What the
Minority Report of tho Ways and Means
| Committee says-The Report Written by |
Ex-Spcaker Thos. q. Reed.
! WASHINGTON, Dec. 2S, The views OF
the minority of the committee on ways |
and means, as expressed by ex-Speaker |
Thomas II. Reed, starts out in charac.
| .eristic fashion as follows:
The most surprising thing about this bill I, |
| the fact that this proposition TO raise revenue |
will lower the revenue Of this country $4,000 0N !
| below the revenue OF 1893, which was only |
| t2C00,000 above our expenses.
! This fact and the other fact that by this bill |
/, the larger part of the burden OF taxation Is |
| transferred from foreigners and borne by our |
own citizens should always be kept in mind
dnring the discussion. Had the committee.
in making what tho chairman on tho
| floor OF the house has called
political BILL" followed the plain,
| uncompromisng declaration of the party which
they represent and abolished protection, giving
us tariff for revenue only, our tasl< In COM
menting upon the result OF the committees 8 cnort
would have been much more simple. The bill
would then nave been q straightforward, manly
attempt to carry out pledges, and would nave
placed in issue two great principles SO
far the committee has departed from the
| demands Of the nation that we are
tempted 10 borrow phrase from their
own platform and designated the bill rs q
"cowardly makeshift." were 1t not that the
results have been already too serious for mere
epithets. Such phrase, even thus sanctioned,
would be out of place in discussion which in.
| wolves much of Importance to all classes OF
| citizens 1t still. however, remains fact that
the bill can in no way be justified by people
| who claim to have obtained possession of all
branches OF the government on distinct
promise which they now as distinctly re.
pudiate.
But the committee instead Of proceeding in
its great work of abolishing protection and re.
lieving the people from the load of taxation
which they have always averred was the result
OF protection, has presented n bill which is
only another tariff .tnkering bill, the like Of
which has disturbed the conditions Of business
SO many times the last thirty years.
1t is Il great misfortune that such is the case
for had the bill been for revenue only, in the
only sense possible for that term, tho people
might have seon ut glance whether they de.
sired the policy or the other, and the
question might have been settled once for all,
and the country might have attained to that re.
pose, stability and certainty which our business
prosperity so much needs.
If protection be the object, why choose this
time of all others to substitute for q system OF
protection which has proved reasonably salts.
factory, one OF which we know nothing. and
with the principles of which the revisers are
| not in accord.
This other and fresher plan has all the faults
which the trainers of this bill charged upon the
old; and very few of its virtues. The new plan
involves method of encouraging manufacture
| by giving them what is called "free raw mo.
terial,' SO that what goes into the mill pays nc
taxes, and what goes into consumption pay s oil
the taxes. The manufacturers pay no taxes
on what they buy, and the people, the eQuivs
lent OF taxes on all they purchase
1t also happens that free raw ma,eral'i 1,
, about the same to the producer and exporter
ha lnd tori nlc frao
free coal and free iron not put on the free
list with any reference direct or indirect to
: raising revenue.
They are placed there to encourage manufac.
turers who are 10 be compensated for any loss
in this market by the markets of the world,
where they will have the chance to struggle
, with the cheaper labor of the old world, with
whatever energy they may have left after the
! struggle at home with that same cheap labor
let in to our markets by lower tariff which
does not give us the compensation even Of q
larger revenue. These delusive advant
? ? ages are to be given the manufac.
1 turers at the expense OF the miners
who dig out the ores and mine the coal, at
the expense of the farmers who raise the
wool, and the railroads which transport all
r these products With these advantages, thus
obtained at the expense Of other citizens, the
manufacturers, forced by the lowering Of the
tariff, to fight for their markets at home, are TO
+. enjoy unlimited foreign trade. How they can
Y
very bill is drafted upon the suppostion that
they can not keep their own markets without
protec lion, seems beyond domain OF logic
II the woolens of America need, as this very
8 bill assumes, 30 and 10 per cent to enable them
4 to have fair how in our own markets, where
is the unlimited foreign trade which awaits
them in countries where they stripped OF
The 30 and 40 per cent protection and obliged to
: pay freight and all other charges and fight con-
n nections existing for scores of years?
protection is robbery and should be abolished is
incomprehensible and sturdy. The new move.
! ment on behalf of mitigated and sporadic rob
berry is contrary alike 10 good morals and pub
}. | lie faith. All false pretenses are unwise, con
trary to sound policy and sound statesman
ship Hence many of US who are sure thai
: the democratic platform is utterly untrue ad
g mitted its StraightforwardneSs and directness.
+ This bill. framed by those who represent the
:, platform, can not receive that praise
1t pretcnds to revenue tariff, and does not
raise revenue. 1t pretends to give protection,
/. but destroys it in every way
4 How the bill will act revenue raiser, and
l. how 1t can act as an injury TO The government
G and the producer, both together, is well eXem
" plifed in the changes made in the pottery
e schedule.
t. While 1t would be impossible to specify the
o probable effects of this bill, few of the most
o important may be briefly touched upon
- AS to the future relations between Canada
and the United States, it perhaps would not be
!, decorous for us to talk fulg but here are those
), who believe that what they think is the mani
:. fest destiny of this continent is one nation and
= - one market and one development Those who
- have that thought in their minds they scar
= = the bi will sec how little This bill, compared
- with existing law, conduces 10 that end.
What effect also this bill will have upon the
- treaties made by the last administration with
Cuba and the Spanish.Amerlcan committee the
committee has presented no calculations an6
u made no suggestions.
lt Against the consideration Of such bill, Great
% ing such deficit and leaving 1t unac
n counted for, the minority vainly protes
=. ed when the bill was laid before the committee
- Who would dare IL Of sound and statesmanlikt
, mind to createa deficit of 1890 200 and blindl,
l. vote 1t, with no plan in sigh, whereby the gov
g ernment could meet Its expenditures? Tha
y, same protest we make to the house and to tht
:" country.
v The bill ought not to be reported without tht
internal revenue bill, which Is TO make up thu
deficiency. Are we to pass this bill and be thel
S, coerced into the otherg Who knows II the!
q. We're presented together that we might not pre-
=, fer TO stay where we are!
=. We will not strive in any way TO increase
'e the turmoil which this bill has already ere
" ated. An end can be put TO all this by th'
20 defeat of this bill and 10 the Accomplishment
j, of his every energy should be bent. The bes
way to put an end 10 this agitation is to put ~
sl,nn