The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1893-12-28
IT Is WRITTEN BY REED
THE MINORITY REPORT ON TIE
TARIFF BILL PRESENTED.
The Ex-Spcalxer Devotes His Atten-
tion to the Tariff Ind Tells Why
1t Is His Opinion That the Wilson.
Bill Is Not Il Good One.

the minority members OF the ways anu
means committee on the tariff bill has
been submitted to the house. The first
part of the report, discussing the bill
generally, was prepared by ex-Speaker
Reed. The other members of the minor
ity, Messrs. Burrows, Payne, Dalzell,
Hopkins and Gear, prepared the portion
of the report dealing with special feat
ures. The report says in part:
The most surprising feature about this
bill, which we will treat of in detail
somewhat later, is the fact that this
proposition to raise revenue will lower
the revenue of this country $74,000,OOO
below the revenue of 1893, which was
only 100000 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
brCr ght to our own citizens should al
ways be kept in mind during the discus
sion.
Had the committee, in making what
the chairman on the floor of the house
has called "a political BILL" followed the
plain. uncompromising declaration of tho
party which they represent and abol
fshed protection, giving us a tariff for
revenue only, our task in commenting
upon the result of the committees eff
forts would have been much more simple
The bill would then have been a stra ight-
forward, manly attempt to carry out
pledges, and have placed in issue two
great principles and have led to a clear
and comprehensive discussion.
So far. however, have the committee
departed from the demands Of their ma
tional convention that we should have
toI to ,obr
from their own Platform and lesi.n!t:
tn" bill as a ''>ovardly makeshiff.'
it not that the results have been already;
too serious for mere epithets.
Such a phrase. even thus sanctioned
would be out of place in a discussion
which involves so much of Importance 10
all classes Of citizens 1t still, however,
remains a fact that the bill presented
can in no way be justified by people who
claim to have obtained possession O! all
branches of the government upon I: dis
tinct promise, which they now as dis
linrtly repudatn.
II it should be said that these pledges
socmnly made on a Yea and nay rot,
after full discussion, We're not intended
for action, then the breaking Of the
pledges has ths additional Disadvantages
Of reconciliation. If subsequent events
and they have been numerous enough and
weighty enough to startle the country.
have convinced the committee that the
Democratic platform is as utterly wrong
and indefensihle as history will know it
to be. then it is a great misfortune to
this country that the committee 1ifl NOT
have the courage to openly abandon TIE
false doctrine ard leave th
disturbed. so that it might convHlrs.c
from the shock of its great miStlk
But the committee, instead of proceed
ing in it's great work of abolishiny pro
lection and preserving the people from
the load of taxation which they have al
ways averred was the result of protec-
ton, has presented Il bill which is only
another tariff tinkering bill, the like Of
which has disturbed the conditions of
, business so many times the last thirty
years.
1t Il great misfortune tnat such is the
case for had the bill for revenue only,
in the only sense possible for that term,
beel. presented, the people of this country
might have seen at one glance whether
they desired the one policy or the other.
and the question might have been settled
once for all and the country might have
l,1aiucu to that rcpose, stability and Ger
,uin1y which our business prosperity SO
much needs.
This other ana fresher plan has al the
faults which the trainers OF this bill
charged upon the old, and very few of
its virtues II is open to all the derisive
and harsh cpithets with which the pres
ent system used to be overwhelmed. ]:
taxes III. people with a tariff tax; it
creates, or rather proposes to 1naint lin;
|. what they used to clll privilege I'll classes.
and is defined by its authors By arCn-
j n.ents and expressions strangely Gk:
those which tkcy used so freely to de-
rs uuce. \ manufacturer is told that the
duty will protect him, and his claims are
listened to on that basis and are argued
for him on that basis just as in the
brave days Of old.
These sO-cafied free raw materials, free
WOOL free Goa! and free iron, are not put
on the free hist with any reference, direct
or indirect, to raising revenue. They are
placed there to encourage manufacturers
who are to be compensated for any loss"
in this market by the markets of the
world, where they win have the chance
20 struggle with the cheaper labor Of the
old world with whatever energy they
! may have left after the struggle at home
with that same cheaper labor, let into
our markets by a lower tariff which does
not give us the compensation even Of Il
larger revenue.
All the objections SO often urged by the
! dominant party against the existing sys-
TEN, we repeat, lie against this BILL The
difference is only one of degree. If the
present system be robbery as these
men have ite1ated and reiterated, the
proposed system is precisely the same
| It is true that the consumer will no
longer pay tribute to the Western farmer
for the wool of the sheep, but the New
England and ether manufacturers are
: still authorized to lay tribute upon the
citizens Of the United States, who mus
; pay, so these men have always said, 30.
! 40 and 45 per cent to- the manufacturer
! on every yard of woolens and worste'ls.
! while the country will only receive, by
4 way of revenue. a lessened sum, unless
increased importatious signalize the death
j of American production.
! .1ina,apc:fs School Board Loan
! Minneapolis, Dec. 22.-At a special
! meeting of the board Of education Tues
! day afternoon the report of the commit
: tee on finance advising the borrowing OF