The morning call., 1893-12-22


the price is cheat on the duty, and not
only is the Government cheated but the
manufacturer is also cheated out of the
protection promised him. How great is
the deficit in our resources as nation to
be filed no one knows unless the Presi-
dent anticipating in his message to Con-
gress the report Of the Committee on Ways
and Means. shall afford to the committee
itself the wished for clew.
Against the consideration of such bill,
creating deficit and leaving it unac-
counted for. the minority vainly protested
when the bill was laid before the commit
tee We make the same protest 20 the
House and the country. The bill ought
not to be reported without an internal rev.
enue bill with which to make up the de-
fciency. When the scheme Of raising
taxes by methods used in the time of war
Is presented in addition to those now i'm
posed there may be such further revul-
sion of feeling as will accomplish the de-
feat of this bill. There is no need for us
TO present this to the country. 1t is pre-
senting ITSELF In 100 representative cities.
where the number of employed exceeds
2,500.000 people, fully one-thrd are without
employment. These were engaged in pro-
tected industries. We will not strive in
any way TO increase the turmoil which this
bill has already created. An end can be
be put to all this by the defeat of the bill,
and to accomplish this every energy should
be bent
The report characterizes the wooden
schedule as the destruction of the WOOL
growing industry, the seventh in value of
the product among the branches of agri-
culture. AT the prices now prevailing in
foreign markets our farmers cannot pro-
duce wool without absolute loss. During
the past year the threat of free wool has
deprecated the value of the sheep and
wool in the United States fully $4,000. 000
Over S300.000,000 is invested and go, 900
operatives employed in the manufacture of
wo0Iens, and this industry is offered up as
a sacrifice on the altar of tariff reform.
Attention is directed TO the fact of plac-
ing iron ore on the free list. The result of
this will be the loss of over $500, 900 ia rev.
enue, and to admit to competition with
American ores foreign ores produced at
from one-fourth to one-tenth the cost of
producing American ores. Significance is
attached to the fact that while hoop and
hand iron and steel bear 80 per cent duty,
iron or steel ties for baling cotton are on
the free list. The cotton schedules show
the same inconsistency and lack OF knowl-
edge en- the part Of the trainers of the bill
that have marked the preparation of other
schedules.
The removal of the duty from bituminous
coal Is considered an amazing proposition,
for the reason that this coal has little
value, except what it gets from labor. 1t
is the most universally prevalent of all the
subjects of American industry.
The plate-glass industry Is cited as
splendid example of the benefits of the
protective system. American competition
and enterprise have reduced the prices
one-half in the past ten years. W wbile twelve
plants, with capital of S18, 100000, employ
5000 men and support 10000 people.
Immediately after the holidays the tariff
bill will be called up in the House and
will of course be continuing business until
its final disposition. No programme has
been arranged by Chairman Wilson and
Speaker Crisp as yet indicating how long
the bill shall be discussed in general de-
bate. when the debate by sections shall
begin and when the final vote shall be
taken. 1t has been decided that Richard
son of Tennessee shall have conferred
upon him the signal distiac tiOn of presid-
ing over the House when In committee of
the whole during discussion of the bill.
Thus the South. besides having the
Speaker of the House. the chairman of the
Ways and Means Committee, the majority
OF the mem bers of the committee and the
majority of chairmanships in the House,
will have conferred upon it the Important
charm anship of the committee of the
whole during the tariff debate. Richard
son is veteran member of the House and
is good parl;amentarian, knowledge of
which will not tend to encourage recalci-
traDt Democratic members like Messrs.
Sperry of Connecticut, Cadmus of New
Jersey. Hayes of New York and others
who propose to introduce radical amend.
ments to the tariff bill when it is under
discussion in the House.
Senator Allison, who on behalf of the
Republican members of the Finance Com
mittee in the Senate will have charge of
the hearings of manufacturers and others
who desire to appear in opposition to the
Wilson bill, has suggested that represen-
tatives of industries affected by the bill act
in concert. The representative of every
separate industry which is threatened by
the bill should meet during the holiday
recess and should select some one advo-
cate who will present to the committee
their objections TO the bill. These objec-
tioDs. he says, should not take the form of
fervid eloquence or bitter denunciation of
the bill, but should consist principally of a
concise. statistical statement showing as
briefly as possible the history of the in
dustry and the injury that would be in
ficted upon it If the schedules proposed in
the Wilson bill are enacted into law 1t
would be preferable 10 select representa-
tive of the industry itself and not confde
the case to lawyers. however able. In all
such cases Allison insists that the repre-
sentatives be prepared to file their written
statements with the committee, and he
even intim ates that the filing of the state
ment would be more effective than a per-
sonel appearance before the committee.