The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-12-27
REPORT on THE TARIFF BILL.
Chairman Wilson Presents the Views
of the Minority.

Chairman Wilson Presents the Views
of the Majority.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 19.-The follow
ing is the majority report Of the ways
and means committee. 1t was presented
by Chairman Wilson today and reads:
The American people. after the fullest
and most thorough debate ever siven BY
lfberately and rightly decided that the ex-
listing tariff is wrong IN principle ana
grievously unjust in operation. They have
tnat the power Of taxation has no lawful
or constitutional exercise except for pT0-
vi3ing revenue for the support Of the gov
eminent livery departure rom TINS prln-
ciple is a departure from the fundamental
principles OF free institutions, ana inevl-
tably works out gross inequality IN the
citizenship OF "a country. For more than
thirty years we have levied the largest
part of cur federal taxes i'm violation Of
this vital truth, until we have reached. in
the existing tariff. an extreme and volurn-
nous system OF class taxation, 70 which
history may be challenged TO furnish any
parallel 80 many private enterprises nave
been taken into partnership with the gov
eminent, 50 many private interests now
share in the rich prerogative OF taxing
100000 Of people. that any attempt 70
dissolve this illegal union is necessarily
encountered by an opposition that rallies
behind the intolerance OF monopoly, ths
power Of concentrated wealth, the inertia
OF fixed habits. and the honest errors Of a
generation of false teaching.
The bill on which the committee has eX-
pended much patient ard anxious labor Is
not offered as a complete response to the
mandate o. the Amerscan people. 1t no
more processes 10 be purged of all protec-
ton than 10 be free Of all error in its
complex and manifold details. However
We may ueAy the existence OF any iesls-
lative pledge or OF the right OF any con-
gress 20 make such pledge for the contin-
uance or duties that carry with them more
or less ACKNOWLEDGED protection, we must
Interests
whose existence and prosperity il Is no
part Of cur reform either TO imperil or to
curtail. We believe, and we have the war
rant Of our own past experience for be-
Ieving. that reduction OF duties viii not in
jure but give more abundant life to all our
great manufacturing industries, however
much they dread the change. In dealing
with the tariff question, as with every
other long standing abuse that has inter-
woven itself with our social or industrial
system, the legislator must always remem-
Der that in the beginning temperate reform
is safest having in itself the principle OF
An Artificial system.
A glance at the tariff legislation OF cur
p Les ought 70 satisfy every in
telligent student that protection has al
ways shown its falSity, as a system OF
economy. by its absolute failure to insure
healthy and stable prosperity to manu-
features. 1t teaches men 70 depend on
artificial help on laws taxing their coun-
than upon their own skin and effort IL
throws business out Of its natural chan
nels into artificial channels where there
must always be nuctuatiOn and I'M
certainty, and IL makes a tariff system the
foot ball OF party politics, and the stability
of large business interests the stake OF
every popular election.
None has recognized this truth more
fully than the wiser men who, from time
to time, have engaged IN this sO-called pro-
tected INDUSTRIES Years ago Mr.. Edward
Everett stated in an grafton at Lowell
that the sagaoious men who founded the
manufactures OF New England were never
fr-ends Or high tain policy. The Hon
Amasa Walker, q former member Of this
house from Massach usetts. and one Of our
foremost writer's GA economic questions,
declared Il TO be within his own personal
made 10 impose the protective tariff OF
lSl6 the leading manufacturers OF Rhode
Island, amongst whom was Alr. Slater.
the father or the cotton spinning in this
cyuptry. met at the counting room Of one
Of their number ana after deliberate con-
sultatiOn. came unanimously 10 the con-
clusi0n that they had rather be let alone,
as their business had grown I'D natur-
ally and succeeded well, and they felt con-
fdent Of its continued prosperity II let
alone by the government They argued
that by layins a protective tariit their
ural channels, and be subjected 70 fiuctu-
alton and uncertainty. But. as usual the
clamor Of selfish and less far-sighted men.
and the ambition OF lawmakers to usurp
country entered on a protective policy,
with the unfailing result that the govern
ment help begOt a violent demand FOR more
government help.
The Tariff of 1sIG.
The moderate tariff OF 1916 rapidly grew
into the tariff Of denominations" that car
ried the country 10 the verge OF civil dis
cord and provoked natural revulsion-
Protection has run a like course since
1851. When congress began TO repeal war
burdens and 10 relieve manufacturers OF
the Internal taxes, which they had used
TO secure compromising duties on like for
eign products, there arose a demand
throughout the country, without respect
TO party, for a reduction Of the war tariff.
Unable to resist this demand the pro-
tected industries bafied and thwarted any
reduction OF consequence until lSl2. when
they defeated a house bin that did make
a substantial reduction by substituting a
senate bill. which carried horizontal cut
election OF 1874 gave the next house 10 the
democratic party that bill was repealed
by the outgoing republicans and rates re-
And although the demand for tarir re-
form and FOR reduction Of taxes has ever
since since been burning and growing one in
eXacted and received from every repub-
llcsn congress elected since 1874 an in
crease of their protection, occasionally per-
hitting the repeal or the lessenine Of a
tax that was paid into the treasury in
order 70 increase duties levied for their
benefit Protection left to its natural mo-
mentum, never stops short Of Prohibition
and prohibitory walls are always needing
10 be built higher or 10 be patched and
strengthened.
Can Not Give Stability.
A protective tariff never has given. ana
never can give. stability and satisfaction
to its own benehciaries- Even If its vic
tins are too weak, or too scattered to
agitate for its decrease. those benehciaries
are sure to agitate for an increase When
the reform tariff OF 1916 was before con-
gress the air was fun Of prophesies that
IL would destroy our manufacturing in
dustries, throw labor out Of employment
or compel it to work at pauper wages, ana
dwarf and arrest the prosperous growth
OF the country Every represen tative OF
four great manufacturing states Of New
England voted against &c, with gloomy fore
bodings of its blighting effect. The rate OF
duties provided in that tariff was much
lower than those OF the bill we here Offer
What was the result2 Instead Of practf-
cally killing the industries and pauperizin<r
the labor of New England or the rest OF
the country. the tarin Of 1876 gave I'm
mense vigOr to manufacturers. with stead.E
employment and increasing wages 70 La