The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1893-12-21
WILSON'S TARIFF BILL
1t Is Now Before the House
For Action.
ALONG MAJORITY REPORT GIVEN.

Jbe Chairman Explains the Provisions az
the New Measure-TarIf LegisIatIon Re-
ylewed-Chnnges in the Glass, Iron.
Steel and Tin Schedules.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 2O.-The majority
report accompanying the Wilson tariff
bill, which has been reported to the
house, says:
The American people, after the
fullest and most thorough debate ever
given by any people to their fiscal
policy, have deliberately and rightly
decided that the existing tariff is wrong
in principle and grievously unjust in
operation. They have decided, as free
men must always decide, that the
power Of taxation has no lawful or con-
stitutional exercise except for provid-
ing revenue for the support of the gov
ernment. Every departure from this
principle is a departure from the funda-
mental principles of free institutions
and inevitably works out a gross in
equality in the citizenship of a country.
The bill on which the committee has
expended much patient and anxious
labor is not offered rs a complete re-
spone 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 mani
fold details.
The report then reviews the history
of tariff legislation, and quotes the
language of early prOtectionists for the
purpose of showing that their princi-
pies were not identified with q high
tariff policy. The report further
Il.
failure. 1t throws business out of it's
natural channels into artificial chan
nels, where there must always be fluc-
tuation and uncertainty, and it makes a
tariff system the football of party
politics and the stability of large bust
ness interests the stake of every popu-
lar election.
The report then declares: The his
tory of American industry shows that
during no other period has there been a
more healthy and rapid development of
our manufacturing industry than dur
ing the 10 years of low tariff from 1916
to 1861, nor a more healthy and harmon
ious growth of agriculture and all tho
other industries of the country.
Upon the larger sizes of plate glass
we have made a reduction of about one
| third. In the iron and steel schedule.
| DbBlIulilH VIII lItt OlC anu a uuOJ VI
| 21 l-2 per cent on pig iron, we have re-
| ported a scale of duties considerably be-
low those of the existing law, gradu-
| ated according TO the degree of manu-
facture, which should bring benefit to
the consumer without calling for any
halt in the imperial progress Of that
| great industry in our country.
| The duty upon steel rails has been
put at % per Centum, which, according
to the reports of our department Of
labor, quite cOmpensates for all differ
ence in the cost of production in this
country and abroad. There seems to
be an authentic report that the pool Of
American railmakers, which, under
the shelter of the present duty Of $l3.44
per ton, has kept up prices to the Amer
lean consumer far beyond the cost of
production and legitimate profits, has
been reOrganized to continue the regu-
lation Of their prices above the proper
market rates.
AS all shippers, and especially Amer
ican shippers, are vitally interested in
the cost of transportation, rates of
duty upon steel rails should be adjusted
so as to protect them from monopoly
prices and monopoly combinations.
Upon tin plate the duty has been
gauged with reference to the revenue ii
will bring into the treasury, and the
difference between this duty and that
upon the black plate has been lessened
with a view TO discourage what may
not unjustly be called the bogus in.
dustry of making American tin plate
by the mere dipping in this country OF
the imported black plate.
In the sugar schedule, we should have
preferred to wipe out at a single legis.
lative stroke the existing bounty sys,
tenn. We believe it to be contrary tC
the spirit of our institutions, and can
conceive of no circumstances under
which we should have advocated or ap
proved its introduction into our laws
We have found it existing there as we
find 1t virtually existing in every other
> schedule of the tariff, and dealing with
it in this more open and offensive form
, as we have dealt with other schedules
where large property interests ais a
stake, we have reported provision fol
its repeal by such stages as shall gradu
. ally obliterate 1t from our laws, while
y permitting those who have invented
/ large means under the expectation O
its continuance, reasonable time IL
which they may prepare TO take thei
stand with the other industries of tn,
n country.
? Duties upon imported tobacco lea
A suitable for cigar wrappers, which wer
4 enormously advanced by the act o
1890, have been placed at such figure
!" as, after careful investigation, wer
deemed likely to produce most revenue
to the treasury, but this object ha
/. alone decided the rates. The amour
is 30 high that no domestic produce
n heed complain that there is not enoug
protection, and to spare, for his product
l. Baggagemen 20 Be Discharged.
PITTsBURG, Dec. 90. 1t is announce
that number of discharges will b