The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-11-28

wAsmSoroy, D. C., Nov. 97.-Chair'
man Wilson has issued the following
in regard to the tariff bill:
The Democratic members OF the COM
mittee on ways and means have felt
az mono others could feel, this momeu'
tous responsibility resting upon Them,
and the magnitude, difficulty and the
delicacy Of the duty assigned them, Of
fering tariff bill for nation ot7O,OOO,'
600 OF people. The bill they were called
on to reform 10 vast and labyrinthian
system Of claaa taxation, the culnina'
ton OF thirty yearS control OF the tax
ing powers by few great interests,
gathering into their train host Of
petty toll gathers. 1t wSa carefully
framed to prevent az long as possible
what its author called ANY monReylnE
with the tariff" by which he meant
any successful effort OF the people TO
undo or 10 lessen the oounties when us
benefciaries were permitted to write
therein, in their own words ana tneH
own tiGure. 1t transferred to the free
Lat proper and fruitful articles where
most of the taxes paid by the people
were received by the movements and
greatly increased the rates OF these arti'
cles where all or most OF the taxes PAID
by the people went into private golfers,
ard IL was bolstered about by many de-
fenses, chief among which are a swept
and vanished treasury and swollen
and colossal scale Of permanent expen-
ditures. Such are the conditions that
confronted us at the threshold OF our
work.
The committee have welcomed in
formation and counsel IRON every
Trustworthy source, and while they do
not expect their bill to escape Just
criticism, they do present 1t to the
country as the result Of months OF
patient, anxious toll and Of an honest
desire to discharge their duty purGed
of all faint OF local and personal favor"
itism or prejudice.
Its main features are two:
First-The adoption wherever it
seemed practicable OF al valorem in
stead Of specific duties. -.-. a.s i.
Second-The freeing from taxes OF
these great materials OF industry that
lie at the basis OF production.
Specific rates Of duty are objections
BILE for these reasons.
SPECIFIC DUTIES oBJEcTEoNABLE -
They frequently conceal rate OF tax
alton too enormous to be submitted to
if exposed in I'D valorem terms, as the
duty of s cents hundred pounds on
aalt in bulk, which amounts to over SO
per cent on common necessary OF life.
They always bear heavily on the com.
mon article used by the masses and
lightly on the expensive article con-
sumed by the rich, as tax OF $50 on all
houses would be little or nothing on
the great mansion and very high on the
humble home. And contrary to COM
mon belief specific duties lead to greater
frauds in administration, for counting
end weighing at the custom house
are done by the cheapest and
most easily corrupted labor while
ad yalorem rates are assessed
by the best paid and most re.
spopsible appraisers. The ad valorem
essentially the fair system, because It is
tax upon the actual value OF an article,
and was declared by Mr. Clay himself
TO be in theory and according to every
sound principle OF justice entitled TO
the preference and indicated by long
trial.
The boldest innovation Of the bill is
Its large free list OF the raw materials
Taxes upon production are double
wrongs. They gather and cumulate on
the consumers Of the finished product.
They hurt labor by narrowing the mar
ket for what it produces. Coal and iron
are the foundations OF modern industry.
Material progress 10 measured by the
amount OF their consumption. No
other country can supply them as album
dainty or cheaply as we can. No posi-
ble competition can interfere with our
own producers few miles in the inte-
rior Of the country. Remoteness from
the sources Of supply is in itself enough
disadvantage to any section OF the
country.
TINE WORN THEORY.
Without further burdens in tariff
taxes, untaxed ores, coal, lumber, wool
and other things must immensely
stimulate production in certain parts OF
our country. The thin edge Of Ameri-
can manufactures has entered every
country. With releases from taxes on
their materials there is no limit to the
growth OF our foreign trade. This will
more than compensate the home pro-
ducers OF raw material who, tariff or no
tariff, control all the interior OF the
country from any appreheuded loss OF
markets anywhere along the seaboard.
Its incalculable advantage 10 labor is
apparent. In every great line OF manu-
facturos We can produce in six months
10 nine months enough for our home
market. We can get rid OF our sur
plus only by foreign trade. As long as
wo have taxes on the materials OF indus.
try, We cannot build up that trade,
hence the other alternative, trusts, to
keep down production to the home mar
kct.
The workiugman can see whether his
interest is with asystem that represses
production and robs him Of employ
ment, or with system that gives
natural and healthy play 10 production
and emancipates him from trusts and
like combinations OF capital. AS to de-
tails o. the bill, will briefly recapitu-
late the salient changes OF the several
schedules.
IMPORTANT CHANGES.
In the chemistry schedule, We have
transferred TO the free Iist quite nun
Der OF articles used in manufacturing
thu mnst important Of which is snl.