Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1894-04-13
Senator Hill on the Tariff.


been the speech of Senator David B. Hill
of New York on the Wilson tariff bill,
which he delivered Monday, and in course
of which he assailed the Cleveland admin
istration, denounced the proposed income
tax, and gave it to be understood, as the
plain inference from his speech, that he
will not vote the bill as it now stands. He
spoke to an audience which must have
gratitied his pride. The Senators were
nearly all in their seats, members of the
House filled the remaining space in the
Senate chamber, the galleries were packed,
and the corridors were crowded with
throng of people who could not get within
hearing distance. Mr. Hills opening SEN
tences clearly indicate the aggressive tone
in regard to the administration which per-
yaded the whole speech. lie said:
"The political revolution which began in
1890 and eliminated in 1892 was an en-
phatic expression of the popular will in
behalf of certain governmental policies.
Measures and not men were largely the is
sues invoved in that movement" He
summarized those measures as opposition
to the odious Federal election laws, discon-
tinuance of silver bullion purchases, better
and more economical administration of
public affairs, and a condemnation of that
abuse or peryersion of the taxing power of
the government which is known as the pol
icy of protection for projections sake
alone.
Before launching into the main body of
his speech the Senator paid his respects to
the Hawaiian policy of the administration
in caustic terms. 1t is not denied, he said,
that some mistakes have occurred. Our
foreign policy has not met the expectations
of the people a sense of humiliation
prevailed when the project for the restora-
tion of a deposed monarchy was unfolded
by the administration, and qualification en-
sued when its abandonment or failure was
reluctantly announced influenced largely
by an aroused public sentiment. This
blunder, Mr.. Hill considered. was the nat
ural consequence of placing the depart
ment of state in charge of a Republican
statesman. He regretted that the Presi-
dent should not have been able to find in
his own party some safe and honored
statesman in whom he and his party could
have placed confidence, one Of Democratic
instincts and training, whose management
of foreign affairs would have reflected
credit upon the country, and would have
avoided the PRONUNCIATION OF that un-
American policy-a departure from Demo
cratic precedcuts- which was sought to be
forced upon an unwilling people.
Coming to the question of tariff reform,
he drew contrast between lSS7 and 1890,
and said an extreme reduction of tariff
duties at a time when the treasury was
H.. I'll q lstA
when all our industries We're in motion,
assumed different aspect when proposed
now, with a large and growing treasury
deficiency, with our industries paralyzed
our manufactories closed, our working
men idle, and following upon the heels of
| one OF the most disastrous financial panics
in our history. What was safe and
prudent and wise then it would be criminal
folly to attempt now. Then he proceeded
to assai the Presidents dilatoriness Of
action in this matter, saying: "A month
| prior to his Inauguration the President
was forcwarned OF the approaching mon
etary panic. He convened Congress SIX
months later, when the panic was subsd-
| ing which should have been averted.n
He feared that this Congress does not
! keenly appreciate the awful devastation
which the financial cyclone of last summer
! has inflicted upon the business interests of
our country. But it is no time for
| partisan reprOaches, however Just. "Ths
Senate is nearly equally politically divided,
and it is apparent that if prompt remedial
| legislation is expected then radicalism in
any direction must be discarded. The
extreme features of the Mckinley bill
must be eradicated, but patriotism alike
demands that extreme in the opposite
must be avoided. For my own part, as a
| Democrat, prefer indirect taxation and
tariff reform above direct taxes and tariff
extinction. | prefer taxing foreign prod
ucts rather than taxing home products.
follow Jefferson in regarding even the
species of indirect taxation on home prod
ucts by internal revenue war taxes as moi
good to be extended, and the first to be riC
of when their need is passed"
Referring to that passage in the Presi
dents annual message in which he said
measure has been prepared by the appro
pirate committee ION the lines herein sug
gested, including a small tax from incomes
derived from certain corporate invest
ments." Mr.. Hill said: at will strik,
the thoughtful observer familiar with tn,
history of the government as a strange an,
unusual procedure that the Presiden
| should seriously inform Congress OF Wha
one of its own committee has been doin
in the preparation of bill. 1t might b
safely assumed that Congress already ha,
such information, unless the bill had beei
prepared in the executive department, AM
had been submitted t. the committees con
currently with the transmission of the mes
sage to Congress"
From this the speaker proceeded to pa
his respects to the proposed income taN
to which he objected as a departure frOr
the accepted theories of the government i
raising revenue, and as an interference
with the taxing powers of the states. Ii
approval was limited to the platform {
the newly formed Populist party and il
advocacy was restricted to Populst orr
tors He protested against the Demo
cratic party being made "a tail to the POpl
list kite and declared his belief that til
complete substitution of internal, direct {
income taxes for tariff taxes would prov
utterly ruinous to the business interests
this country.
E Summing up his opinion of the DEM
t cratic tariff bill as a whole, he said thi
; the measure proposes a suicidal polio
when it seeks by its extreme provisions
,wer.-Latest U. S. Govt Report