The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1893-12-29

the republican minority ofthc commit
tee on ways and means. a. expressed
by ex-Speakcr Thomas II. Reed. starts
out in characteristic fashion. as fol
lows:
THE MOST SURPRISING THING
The most surprising thing about this bill Is
the fact thar this proposition TO raise the
revenue will lower the rsvenus OF this country
t1+vo,ooo below the revenue Of i-ss. which
Was only E.oJo0o above our expenses
THIS PACT AND THE OTHER FACT.
This fact. and the other fact. tina. by this bill
the larger part OF the burden Of taxation j.
transferred from foreigners and borne by our
0sn citizens. should always tie kept In mind
during the discussion.
NOT ATAnir - EvE>r MEASURE
Had The committee. Ia making what the
chairman on the noor Of the house has called a
political bill. foliowes the plain. uncompro-
missing declaration. of the party which they
represent. and abolished protection. giving US
a tariff for revenue only. our task in comInen
ing upon the result OF the committees efforts
would have been much more simple. The bill
would then have been "A straightforward man
" attempt To carry out pledges. and ~culd have
placed in issue two great principles. and have
led TO a clear and comprehensive discussion.
80 far. however. have the committee departed
from the demands Of their national convention.
that we should have been much tempted 10
borrow a phrase from their own platform and
designate the bill as
A "cowARDLy NAkEsHIFT."
were ii not that the results have been already
too serious for mere ep.fhe,s. Such a phrase.
even thus sanctioned would he out OF Place In
a discussion which involves 80 much OF impor.
lance To all classes Of citizens II still. how
ever. remains a fact that the Till presented can
In no way he justified rs people who claim 10
bar. ,t.afr.F roa..zs4nr ~ all franrh.. ~
the government upon a distinct promise, which
they now distinctly repudlate.
THOSE SOLEMN PLEDGES
II IL should he said that these pledges. sol
emnly made. on a yea and nav vote. after full
discussion. were not intended for action. then
the breaking OF the pledges has the additional
disadvantages Of generalization II subsequent
events-and they have been numerous enough
and weighty enough 10 startle the country
have convinced the committee tina; the dem
ocratie platform Is utterly wrong. and indie
feasible as history will know IL 10 he. then IL
Is a great misfortune 10 this country that the
did not have the courage to openly
abandon the false doctrine and leave the coun-
try undisturnei. so that IL might eonvalesce
from the shock OF its great mistake.
CALLS IT TARIFF
But the committee. instead OF proceeding In
its great work OF abolishing protection. and
preserving the people from the load of iaSa
iion which they have always ayerrej was the
result OF protection. has presented a bill which
l. only another taria -tinkering till. the like Of
which has disturbed the conditions Of
business so many times the last thirty years
IL is a 4rea. misfortune that such Is the case.
for had the till been for revenue orly. in the
only sense possible for that term. the people
of this country might have seen at one glance
whether they desired the new policy or the
other. and the question might have b-en set
He'd onee for ALI ana the country might have
attained To the repose. stability and certainty
which our business prosperity 50 much needs
THE VERY FIRST QUESTION
As TO the new plan. the very FIRST question
one is disposed 10 ask Is. Why disturb exist
ing business relations II there il TO be no
change In principles II vs. are >tili 10 have
protection. why take this time TO cause a re-
adjustment. when the business conditions are
OF such a character that the greatest amount
o. disaster will he the result Were
IL proposed TO make radical
change. AMI cause the business OF
new basis. there might possibly - -
adduced and plans presented which would be
lustinahle and satisfactory. INT II protection
tie the object. why choose this time OF all
others TO substitute for a system % prot ,ctiol
which has proved reasonably satisfactory for
one OF which we know nothing. and with the
principle OF which the ~reyisers are not in &c.
cord,
This other and fre-her plan has all the faults
which the trainers OF this bill charge upon the
old and very few OF its virtues
FREE RAW MATERIAL.
The new plan involves a new method Of en-
couraxing manufacturer ny giving them What
Is called free raw mat rial. 50 frai wh.t
goes into the mill pays no taxes. an WINS. goes
into consumption pays all the taxes The man
ufacturers pay no taxes on what they buy. and
the people the equivalent o. taxes on all they
purchase.
II unfortunately happens also. that free
raw mat rial j. an elastic term. AMI what l.
one man free raw material l. another man :
finished product The manufacture ia Mas
sachuse;,s Is told that h, j. 10 be encouraged
by making free lumter 10 build his factory and
10 pack his goods. hut inasmuch a. that very
lumner thus made free IS the Maine manu-
facturers finished product. no wonder
the democrats OF Bangor. the mills on
the Penohscoi heing unable TO move a
saw. denounce class legislation. with a new
appreciation 81 what class legislation really
means. Aud with the dwellers on the Peno5Srot
sympathize the lumbermen In Wisconsin and
Michigan. the Pacific coast. Alabama. Georgia
and Florida. 20 ABOUT the miners Ia Mich
igan. struggling this very moment with starva-
iion. realizs that the most obvious class LEXIS
lation there can possibly tie j. the legislation
which protects labor ia the biii and leaves IL
In the mines TO the charity OF TIE great cities.
THE Wool QUESTION.
n the w0oieus OF America need. as this very
hin assumes. 20 and ~ per cent to enable them
to have a fair chance In cur own markets.
where il the unlimited foreign trade which
awaits them In countries whore they ar.
stripped Of the 30 and 40 per cent protection.
and Obliged TO pay freight and all other charges
and fight business connections existing for
scores Of years.
IL Is true the consumer will no longer pay
tribute 10 the western farmer for the wool Of
the sheep. but the New England and other
manufacturer are still authorized - lay trib-
ute upon the citizens 81 the United States. who
must pay. so these men have always said. ~. ~
and a. per cent 10 In manufacturer on every
yard Of wooiens and wor~tcds while the coun-
trv will only receive. ~ Way ~ revenue. a les
scncd sum. unless increased importati0as
signalizc the decay 81 American production.
TARIFF AND ORGANIZED ~
The moral aad social wrll.tcin- 81 a nation
does not depend - mneh nron it, absolute
wealth a. upon the yearly distribution ~ the
ycarl, gain. Whatever can ic said Of the pcC-
nv OF the United States. nothing can tc more
iraly said than hat the distribution 81 the
proceeds OF united labor and capital has Dccn
among them more even and fair than any
where else on earth. Men ia general who en-
piuy labor are no more naturally DISPOSED - pay
49,.