Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-09
FOR PROTECTION.
First Speech Of the Opposition on the
Tariff Bill.
REPRESENTATIVE J. c. BURROWS.
The Democratic Policy OF Free
Trade Arraigned.
FACTS AND FIG U RES.
REPRESENTATIVE ]. c. BURROWS.
FACTS AND FIG RES

FACTS AND FIG RES.
The opening Of the debate in opposition
to the Wilson tariff bill was accorded to
Representative ]. c. Burrows Of Michigan.
a member Of the committee on ways and
means He began with the following words:
"Mr. Chairman. the measure now under
consideration has for its avowed object
radical modification of the tariff act Of
1880. 1t involves not only a change of rates.
but a complete reversal of an economic
policy. The law. Of 1890 was enacted not
only with a view Of securing revenue for
the support Of the government but for the
further purpose of giving encouragement
to the creation Of new enterprises and pro-
lection to American Industries and Ameri-
can workingmen against unequal and in
judicious foreign competition. In its prac-
teal workings it accomplished both these
results"
IL the Election Had Resulted Diner-
emily.
Proceeding then to an examination Of the
working of the act Of 1890. he presented
a statement Of the receipts and expendi-
lures of the government in the past sew
eral years and he asserted that so long
as the operation of the bill was undfs-
turbed, as revenue measure. it met the
requirements Of the government. The de-
cline Of revenues this fiscal year, he sug-
gested. was not due to any defect in the
law of 1880. but to the general depression
of business brought about by -''the ascend
ancy of political party pledged to the de-
struction of our protective policy. This
has not only crippled and suspended the
operation of our domestic manufacturers.
but the importer of foreign fabrics natural
ly curtails his importations in the hope Of
securing their admission into our markets
upon more favorable conditions. l conf
aently assert that II the election Of 1872
had resulted in the retention of the republi-
can party in power, accompanied as 1t
would have been with The assurance of the
continuance of the American policy Of pro-
as well as the general prosperity of the
country would have been entirely reversed"
Benefits Of the Mckinley Act.
In justification of this assertion Mr.. Bur-
rows quoted from various sources including
President Harrison's last acnual message,
and dwelt especially uI.on the development
of the tin plate irdustry. In no single
particular" he said, did the act of 1890
fail to secure the benefcent results its
authors designed, and every prophecy of i'll
in which its enemies irdulged utterly failed
of fulfillment. You said 1t would develop
no new industries-it created them by the
hundreds. You said II would bring no re-
sultant b(nefits to our workmeE5-it secured
FOR tnem enlarged employ m efft' 'sifidN.sih-
creased wages iou said IL would enhance
the cost of the protected article-it cheap
en- I'd II to the consumer You said It would
diminish our foreign trade-it augmented
IT In lSS2 to 81, ,S57 $500 an increase over
the previous year of sl2s. ,Ool. You said
1t would shut oat our products from for
eign markets-our expert trade increa sed
$l45. 1913 swelling it's volume to 81 U:,O.-
2'Sl4s. the largest ever known in the his
value of our imports by $oO2, S75, CSC. You
said 1t would paralyze our domestic trade
II was never more vigorous than that in the
years Immediately following its enactment.
ana SO every prophecy OF i'll found swift
ana complete refutation in increased in
dustrfal activity on every hand and en-
hanced individual and national prosperity"
And further: This Industrial depression
came. therefore. not as the result of exist
ing tarin rates. but from an apprehension
Ut seems now to have been well foundeil
tnat these rates were to be SO modified as
to overthrow and destroy our protective
pohcy exposing our domestic manufacture
ers to a ruinous foreign competition andsin-
ausLrate In this country an era of free
trade with all its attendant evils.
How to Restore Confidence.
How easily you might demonstrate the
ben efcial effects of restored confidence.
You have but to abandon the policy upon
which you hare entered recommit this bin
and permit existing tariff reeula tions to re-
main undisturbed, and all our industries
will quickly revive. But such an exhibi-
ton OF wisdom and patriotism is not to be
expected Of party pledged to tariff re-
form, and American workmen must tramp
and starve. great industrial plants must go
into disuse and decay, while the democratic
party Is attempting 10 secure revenue from
| hnv for
tion upon American capital and American
labor"
Considering the general character and
purposes of the bill. Mr.. Burrows called at
tention to the similarity between the demo-
cratic platform of 1892, as to the subject of
protection, and the declaration on the same
subject In the South Carolina ordinance Of
nullifcat ton. The issue between the par
ties was stated as follows:
Party Policies COntrasted.
ION the ono hand the democratic party
insists that revenue is the only lawful pur-
pose for which any duty can be imposed,
and that such exactions, therefore, must be
for revenue only, regardless Of the conditions
or necessities of American Industries or
American labor, and to that end they would
admit free of duty, indiscriminatey, all
products which they are pleased to denomi-
nate raw material and impose a rate OF
duty On manufactured articles sufficiently
market, and thereby secure the only pur-
pose of a democratic tariff, namely, 'reve-
nue.
On the other hand, the republican party
believes in n tariff which. while yielding
revenue for the support Of the government,
shall at the same time be so adjusted as to
promote the establishment and maintenance
OF domestic industries and the protection of
the American workmen; and to that end
would admit free of duty all articles, raw
or manufactured Except luxuries), coming
from any place on the face of the globe,
the like of which are not or cannot be ad-
vantageously produced in this country. and
impose duties only on the things that we
do or can produce. and make that rate high
enough to measure the difference between
the cost of the foreign and domestic pro-
duct. and by that means stimulate the de-
velopment Of all our resources and insure
the employment of all our people.
Circumscribed within these narrow limits
lies the whole field of the controversy, and
on this ground contending political forces
confront each other In open and determined
hostility. The republican party stands l
believe, securely intrenched behind the bull
warks of the American policy of protection,