The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-03-09
THE SENATE BILL.

their tariff bill 10 the full committee
yesterday. After over a month the
country learns what rumor announced
the first week that the committee
had the bill under consideration.
Their conclusions are no surprise, for
it has been evident for weeks that GER
tain Democratic interests were to be
protected at the expense of the rest of
the nation.
The Senate bill differs from the Will
son bill in that it takes sugar, coal and
iron ore off the free list and gives them
the protection that it denies to the
Northern manufacturer. 1t places
an. additional tax on whisky
and extends the bonding period. 1t re-
tains the income tax and terminates the
reciprocity clauses of the Mckinley
bill. 1t raises certain duties prescribed
by the Wilson bill and lowers others.
1t is a bill that represents no known
principle of economic science; it does
not represent the protective system,
though certain industries are given pro-
lection it is not free trade measure,
for, save free wool and lumber and
few animals that accidentally wander
over the Canadian or Mexican bound
airy. il cuts down the Wilson bill free
list; it is neither high nor low tariff.
1t is an abortive monstrosity, an out
rage upon the people.
The Wilson bill was bad bill, a
ruinous measure; but the Senate finance
committee, under the influences Of the
sugar trust, the whisky trust,
the lead trust, and horde
of Southern Democratic politicians
crying out for protection on the parti-
cular industries in which their constit--
uents are interested has devised a
measure that is simply damnable in its
attempt to crush out the North and its
manufacturing interests, while it strikes
every section Of the country as with
blight. Conceived amid spite and sec
tionalism, ripened under the exciting
influences of speculation, it is pre-
maturely brought into the world, the
monstrous prodigy of revenge. section
alism and selfshness.
TO consider the bill in detail is un-
necessary. A few of its principal pro-
visions will tell the whole story. The
sugar planters of Louisiana are given
protection Of one cent per pound on
sugar. while the sugar trust gets an al.
ditional protection on the refined article
Sugar has recently sold in Providence "a
lbs. for 81. If this bill passes the same
amount of sugar will cost $l.30. BY
placing duty on sugar di-
rect tax is made on every
home in the land every day in the year
and three times day. Republican pro-
lection took off this tax, Democratic
nondescript tariff puts it back. 1t is
roughly estimated that this tax on
sugar will produce an income of
$40, 900 900 year, every penny of which
comes directly out of the pockets OF the
people.
The tax on whiskey is raised for the
benefit of the whislSey trust and the
bonding period is extended TO eight
years in order TO benefit the Kentucky
distillers who want an opportunity to
store their product free of warehousing
and insurance until it is ripe enough to
be put on the market.
Alabama secures duty on iron, which
was free under the Wilson bill. Mary
land and West Virginia get duty on
coal, which the Wilson bill made free.
THE News makes the charge that not
only has not a single change been made
in the interests of the country while
the bill has been in the hands of
the Senate finance committee, but
also that every change that has been
made, has been made at the dicta-
tion of selfish Democratic interests
at the expense of the country Mt large.
One OF two examples will suffice TO point
out the force Of this charge. To Sena-
tor Murphy the advance Of 10 per
cent. on collars and cuffs is
due; Senator Voorhees, gets for
the glass manufacturers Of Indiana
a raise Of s per cent; Senator Smith
Of New Jersey, interested in leather and
leather goods as manufacturer, secures
an advance Of . per cent. on all grades
of leather goods, and SO IL goes. con-
sessions being made for votes in Demo
craiic-strongholds.
But how does New England and
Rhgde Island fares The Democratic