New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-09-18
ANXIOUS FOR AN ENDING.
TARIFF HEARINGS TOO MUCH FOR THE
DEMOCRATIC MEMBERS.
AN OVERWHELMING MASS OF TESTIMONY
AGAINST REVISION WHICH THE FREE
TRADE STATESMEN CANNOT IGNORE
fry TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE

vaohi,oton Sent lit is expected that the
formal hearings before the Ways and Means Com
mittee will close the day originally set by the
Democratic majority, Wednesday. september ~
rbat the rersod allotted this purpose was entirely
TOO short everybody who is familiar with the sub
iect knows whether he will admit 1t or not vi 'he
thousands of branches of industry in the Uniteo
States whose prosperity or very existence Is d.
stake comparatiyely few have been will be rep
resented the oral hearings, although many others
desnairfne Of an opportunity thus to submit their
arguments and communicate facts and figures pear
ing upon the proposed legislation, when the coii-
ttee can hardly hope to obtain from other sources
have filed written or printed statements or given
notice of their intention TO do so. The value ana
force of such statements would have been inueH
greater however II they had been supplemented
by oral arguments and statements. the presenta-
ton of which would have afforded opportunity
TO catechise the representatives of the various III
dustries and interests who might have appeared
1t is only fair TO say that many more Industries
would have been heard by their personal represen-
tatives If Chairman Wilson had not been forced 10
deny their applications on account OF the early oa
set for the close of the hearings In this relation
II Is pertinent to call attention to the important
and significant fact that although Congress mas
been In session six weeks not single peutioh vi
memorial praying for reduction of existing rates
of duty or demanding the repeal of the tarn ac,
of 1890 has been referred to the Ways ana Means
Committee. The only persons who nave appeaieu
before the committee in that behalf nave pee" 0ei-
tain importers of foreign manufactured goods 'he
American agents of certain foreign manufacturers
and producers and foreign producers and mahuiac-
turers who subjects of Great Britain ana AUS
tria. OF the great body of persons whom 'he DEM
ocratic members of the Ways and Means committee
constantly refer to sixty millions OF consumers
engaged in unprotected industries" not single
representative has to plead his cause In per-
son and appeal for relief from the exactions OF the
''robber barons" No. not one except importers,
agents of foreign manufacturers and producers ana
alien producers and manufacturers themselves has
lifted his voice in behalf Of the poor consumer
and demanded relief in the name of "toiling mil
lions who are grooming under the burdens OF tar
If taxation and there is pretty good reason 10 be-
lieve that the motives of those persons who have
done so were not always and absolutely phian-
thropc and unselfsh
THEIR MINDS ALREADY MADE UP.
Some persons might say. and the suggestion would
not lack force, that the members of the majority
of the WAYS and Means Committee have already
made up their minds the subject of "tarin re-
FORM" and that, nothing which "tarin REFORM
ers'' could say would stimulate them to greater
zeal or strengthen their purpose so nothing that
manufacturers, workngmen and other friends OF
American industries have said or may say VII!
shake or in the slightest degree weaken that pur-
pose Indeed. many of the latter who have APP
peared before the committee have been made Keen
" to realize and appreciate that fact The attl-
tude of most of the Democratic newspapers III re-
spect to the hearings is essentially the same as
that of the Democratic members of the committee
The latter or such of them as have honored the
hearings with their presence. wear the air of men
who are bored and who feel that they are engaged
I'm unnecessary and useless drudgery as well as OF
men whose preconceived opinions and prejudices
cannot be affected by any argument. however
strong or any array of facts. however imposing and
persuasive
1t is an attitude which conveys an impression
of contemptuous indifference and of latent hostility
toward industrial interests which occasionally
flashes into open anger. The Democratic press for
the most part chooses ignore and suppress the
earnest arguments and appeals or man.
ufacturers who represent industries in which
hundreds of millions of dollars Of Ameri-
can capital are invested interested, and in
which hundreds of thousands of honest and indus
lrous American citizens are engaged and en-
ployed. Not only the claims of these people
ignored. but concerted and constant efforts are
made to array against the socalled protected in
dustries'' the cotton growers, one-ffth OF whose
cotton is consumed by American manufacturers;
the wheat growers. corn growers, meat producers
and farmers generally. s. per cent of whose prod
ucts find home market mainly because of the
growth and diversifcation Of industrial enterprises.
and the mechanics and day laborers, who find
daily employment at good wages because of the
demand created by the activity and competition
among these so-called protected industries
THE ARRAY OF TESTIMONY.
There is one sound from the standpoint
of the Democratic members of the committee, as
we'll as from that of the freetrade editor why the
former should bring the hearings to an end as
speedily as possible, and why the latter should
try to ignore and suppress the arguments and facts
that have been presented. 1t Is that an overwhem-
inc array of testimony has been and will be offered
TO show that the theories which are to control the
preparation of the forthcoming tariff bill, as well
as the propositions to be embodied in that meas
ure, are unsound and injurious. This testimony
the free-trade statesmen charged with the respon-
sibty Of tariff legislation, cannot ignore as easily
and completely as free-trade editors can, and the
sooner 1t ceases to accumulate the more contented
and grateful they will feel. During the last twelve
DAYS they have been compelled to hear, day after
day, not from the lips Of American manufacturers
alone. but from importers as We'll arguments most
cogent and protests most earnest against the sub
sttution of ad valorem rates of duty for specific
or compound rates and these arguments and pro-
tests have been backed by an array OF testimony
which has been not only overwhelming but even
startling 1t Is true that contrary test-
mony has been offered by few importers
and by several manufacturers who are also
importers but it has been relatively weak and
wholly insignificant when compared with the vast
bulk and enormous weight of the evidence on the
other side. The majority of the committee is wed
ded to the system OF ad valorem duties. and the
testimony of honest importers well as of manu-
facturers showing that the American consumer
and the honest importer. as well as the Govern
,nent are defrauded ny ad valorem rates has made
the Democratic members exceedingly uncomforta-
BILE although none of them has shown any sign
that IL has changed his opinions or may influence
his vote. ,.,, . =. c,.,n,,or
II is apparent that some of the Democratic mem
bers have been surprised and disappointed, as well
IA disturbed and annoyed by the attitude of the
manufacturers and workngmen In regard TO free
raw materials" They had evidently expected that
the former would greedily swallow the bait Of
fered and that latter would feel no interest in
the matter; they had depended on greed in the one
cos. and on lack of intelligence in the other. and
.h.., have been rudelY undeceived in both cases.