Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1894-04-14
SENATOR ALLISON SCORES ThE
FREE TRADERS

s<%-e~ st<sAtfA=a&-1.
In powerful speech on the Wilson
bill, Senator Allison, Of Iowa, ar
raigned the action Of the Committee
on Finance in giving autocratic pow
er to subcommittee OF three and
eensured the majority for its nnseem-
ly haste in pressing the measure. lie
attacked the substitution OF the ad
valoren method for the specific, and
bitterly denounced the revelations
ary'' character Of the proposed legis-
lation. which was about to overthrow
the policy Of thirty years, under
which the country has prospered to a
phenomenal extent, and jeopardize
the industries which had grown up
under Protection, and the livelihood
of the millions who were dependent
on these industries for employment.
/ lie pronounced the proposed bill
departure toward internal taxes. con
trary to the continuous practice of
the Government He held that it
was the purpose OF the Constitution
to provide federal taxation that
would not interfere with State taxa
ton and the pending bill departed
from this purpose.
He dwelt on the Increase in wealth
as shown by the census of Western
sections under a system which the
Senator from Indiana (Mr. Yoorhees)
had characterized as robbery. He
deprecated the idea of precipitate haste
i'll effecting revolution of our taxing
system. If the Democratic members
of the committee had been struggling
with the assaults Of the giant monopo-
lies and oppressive trusts, the Repub-
lican members had seen nothing OF
them, In the days Of early tariffs it
never occurred to statesmen to actu-
ally strangle industries as was sought
to do by this bill, There was not
sudden and drastic reduction then. as
was proposed now
He said the President did not re-
gard the proposed change in revenue
laws Of importance, as he had called
no special session for that purpose.
He reviewed the course Of the tariff
bill, saying it was never read in the
Finance Committee. He pointed out
that a Democratic Senator had de-
elared on the floor that he was oppos-
ed to the two leading features. From
this he thought it should be cxamin-
cd in detail in the Senate. As re-
CARDS $50, 600, 900 OF revenue tthe in
come tax), he contendcd the bill was
a minority report He touched on
the lack OF prepared statements and
comparisons in connection with the
bill. He believed Senator Voorhees,
estimate Of the needs of the revenue
was short and that the present law
would answer the needs of the Gov.
ment.
There was not, he said. an indus
try in the country which would not
be injured by the BILL while many Of
them wonld be strangled TO death.
Such a course had never entered into
the minds of the statesmen Of the
early days of the Republic, and even
in iS52-5, when the county was di-
videG into two camps, one insisting
on absolute free trade ANA the other
for moderate protection. no such
radical measures had been adopted.
They never dreamed of putting on
the free list or reducing by one-half
the duty charged upon articles which
could be produced in the United States
The amendment offered by Mr.. Clay
and adopted provided for the redue.
ton Of the import duty 10 per cent
every two years, thus taking ten years
to bring the tariff down to basis Of
go per cent ad valoren. But instead
OF taking ten years to reduce the duty
as in the case of the tariff of iSss this
revolutionary measure proposes to
accomplish the reduction in one year
abruptly and without notice.
Referring again TO the fact that the
value of the capital invested in indus
tries in 1890 was over niue and a half
billions, he said "And are we to be
whistled down the wind with The as
sertion that this bill affects only few
thousand people, when we are con-
fron,ed with a reduction in the value
Of nine thousand million dollars in
single Year,"
II was estimated that there were
four and half million people engag-
cd in the industries affected by the
tariit-foui and half million Of men
women and ehildren--and on the basis
Of one person representing the sup
port Of three persons there were fif
teen million who were 10 be disturbed
at a single thrust made at them by
the Senate Of the United States.
Therefore, Mr.. President, he said
''if the public policy which has made
us so great, SO rich, and so prosperous
is to be changed, ] insist that il shall
be changed by gradual steps, as the
statesmen Of sixty years ago advised
rather than by this revolutionary
step"
He Held Up Ills Hands