The Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1893-1901, 1893-12-21
THE TARIFF BILL.
Chairman Wilson Gives Rea-
sons Why the Commit
tee Drew It.
1t Was Primarily Designed to Reduce
the Cost of the Necessaries
of Life.

NASHiNGTON. Dec. .O.-lhe majority
report Of the ways and means commit
tee on the tariff was submitted to the
House today at opening. The report
says: 'The American people. after
full and the most thorough debate ever
given by a people to their fiscal policy.
deliberately and rightfully decided that
the existing tariff was wrong in princ-
pie and grievously unjust in operation.
They have decided. as free men must al
ways decide. that the power of taxation
has no lawful or constitutional exercise
except for providing revenue for the
support of the government. Every de-
parture from this principle is depart
ure from the fundamentals of free inst-
tutions and inevitably works out great
injustice in the citizenship of the coun-
try.
For more than thirty years we have
levied the largest part of our federal
taxes in violation of this truth. until we
have reached the existing tariff. an ey-
tremc and voluminous system of class
taxation to which history may be chal-
lenged to furnish parallel. So many
private enterprises have been taken into
partnership with the government. SO
many private interests now share in the
rich prerogatlve of taxing seventy mill
ions of people, that any attempt to dis
solve this illegal union is necessarily en-
countered by an opposition that rallies
behind it the intolerance of monopoly.
the power of concerted wealth. the iner-
tia of fixed habits and the honest errors
of generation of false teaching
The bill. on which the committee has
expended much patient and anxious
labor. is not offered as a complete re-
sponse to the mandate of the American
people. 1t no more processes to be
purged of all protection than to be free
of all error in its complex and manifold
details. However much we may deny
the existence of any Legislative pledge or
the right of any Congress to make such
pledge for the maintenance of duties
that carry with them more Or less ac
knowledged protection, we must recog
nize that great interests do exist whose
existence and prosperity ii is no part of
our reforms either to imperil or curtail
We believe, and have the warrant of our
own past experience for believing. that a
j reduction of duty will not injure. but
| give more abundant life to all our great
manufacturing industries. however much
they may desire change.
In dealing with the tariff question. as
with every other long standing abuse
| that has interviewer itself with our social
, or industrial system. the legislator must
always remember that. in the beginning.
temperate reform is the safest, having
in itself the principle of growth. A
glance at the tariff legislation of our
own country ought to satisfy every intel
ligent student that protection has al
ways shown its falsity as system of
economy by the absolute failure to in
sure healthy and stable prosperity to
manufacturers. 1t teaches them to de-
pend on artificial help, on laws taxing
their countrymen for the prosperity Of
business. rather than upon their own
skill and efforts. 1t throws business out
Of its natural channels into artificial
channels, in which there must always
be fiuctuation and uncertainty, and
makes the tariff system the football Of
party politics, and the instability Of
large business interests the stake Of
every popular election. No one has rec
ognized this more fully than the wiser
men who have from time to time engag-
ed in the so-called protected industries. $
The report then deals at lenth with the
tariff history of the country.
The majority report is signed by the
Democratic members Of the committee.
The Republican members will submit a
minority report.