The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1893-12-28
THE OTHER SIDE
or the Tariff Reform Question-wbat the
Minority Report of the Ways and Means
Committee Says-The Report Written by
Ex-Speaker Thos. B. Reed.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 23.-The views of
the minority of the committee on ways
and means, as expressed by eX-Spealter
Thomas b. Reed, starts out in charac-
teristic fashion as follows:
The most surprising thing about this bill is
the fact that this proposition to raise revenue
will lower the revenue Of this country S4 600 900
below the revenue OF 1893, which was only
S2,000,0O0 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 the chairman on the
floor Of the house has called a
political BILL" followed the plain,
uncompromisng declaration of the party which
they represent and abolished protection, giving
us tariff for revenue only, our task in com
meuting upon the result of the committees effort
would have been much more simple The bill
would then have been q straight forward manly
attempt to carry out pledges, and would have
placed in issue two great principles SO
far the committee has departed from the
demands of the nation, that we are
tempted to borrow phrase from their
own platform and designated the bill as
"cowardly makeshft." were II not that the
results have been already too serious for mere
cpl. .hcis. Such phrase, even thus sanctioned,
would be out OF place in discussion which in
citizens 1t still, however, remains fact that
tho bill can in no way be justified by people
who claim to have obtained possession Of all
branches Of the government on a distinct
promise which they now as distinctly Ie
pudiate.
its great work of abolshing protection and re-
liCving the people from the load Of taxation
which they have always averred was the result
of pro ection, has resented bill which is
only another tarifftiukering bill, the like Of
Which has disturbed t3i. conditions of business
so many times the last thirty years.
1t is great misfortune that such is the case,
for had the bill been for revenue only in the
| only sense possible for that term, the people
might have seen at q glance whe ther they de-
| sired the one 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 ma.
| terial," so that what goes into the mill pays no
| taxes, and what goes into consumption pay all
the taxes. The manufacturers pay no taxes
| on what they buy, and the people, the equiva
| lent of taxes on all they purchase.
| 1t also happens that 'free raw material" is
about the same TO the producer and exporter
The so-caled "free raw Materials" free WOOL
| free coal and free iron are 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 to 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-
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
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
obtain foothod in foreign lands when this
very bill is drafted upon the supposition that
they can not keep their own markets without
protection, seems beyond domain of logic
II the woolens of America need, as this very
bill assumes, 80 and 40 per cent to enable them
to have fair how in our own markets, where
is the unlimited foreign trade which awaits
them in countries where they are stripped OF
the 80 and ~ per cent protection and obliged tc
pay freight and all other charges and fight con
nectons existing for scores of years:
THE doctrine Of the democratic platform tina,
pro ction is robbery and should be abolished is
| incomprehensble 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
lrary to sound policy and sound statesman
ship Hence many of US who are sure tina
the democratic platform is utterly untrue ad
mitted its straghtforwardness and drectness
This bill framed by those who represent the
platform, can not receive that praise.
1t pretends to q revenue tariff, and does no
raise revenue 1t pretends to give protection
but destroys it in every way.
How the bill will act as revenue raiser, anC
how it can act as an injury to the government
and the producer, both together, is well exem
{ plifed in the changes made in the potter!
/ schedule.
While it would be impossible to specify tn,
probable effects OF this bill, a few OF the mos
important may be briefly touched upon.
AS to the future relations between Canad;
, and the United States, il perhaps would not b.
decorous for us to talk fully, but there are thos
/ who believe that what they think is the mani
fest destiny of this continent is one nation AM
one market and one development Those VIII
! have that thought in their minds as they seal
the bill will see how little this bill compared
with existing law, conduces 10 that end
D What effect also this bill will have upon tn
I treaties made by the last administration wit
Cuba and the Spanish American committee tn
committee has presented no calculations an
made no suggestions.
: Against the consideration of such a BILL Great
ing such deficit and leaving it unac
counted for, the minority Vainly protes
S ed when the bill was laid before the committee
: Who would dare If OF sound and statesman!ik
mind TO create deficit OF S4, 4,OOJ,0 900 and blnd
, vote it, with no plan in sight whereby the GOV
L ernment could meet its expenditures? Tha
: same protest we make to the house and to tn
: country.
The bill ought not to be reported without tn
internal revenue bill, which is to make up tn
deficiency Are we to pass this bill and be the
i coerced into the other? Who knows If the
: were presented together that We might not pre-
| fer Stay VIII. are?