Southwest-sentinel. [volume] (Silver City, N.M.) 1883-189?, 1894-08-21

Senator George has written a
letter giving his opinion as TO the
difference between the senate and
the Wilson tariff bills. He gives
comparison as to the average
schedule Of tariff rates in the Nc
Kinley bill, the house bill, and
the senate bill, and shows that the
calculations put the average ad
valorem duties under the McKin-
ley law, at 4958 per cent, under
the house bill, at 35.5 per cent, and
under the senate bill, 36.79 per
cent.
He says the reductions made,
while large as compared with the
Mckinley bill, are not as he de-
sired, especially on the cotton and
WOODEN and metal schedules, and
that some taxes are not levied that
he would like imposed--on lumber
and raw wool; nor does he like the
sugar schedule. But the senator
says on the whole, the bill as
amended, is a large step in the
way of tariff reform, aud will, if
adopted, relieve the people greatly,
duty having been taken of cotton
bagging, cotton ties and agricul-
tural implements aud other meas
ures. He, however, does rot con-
slider the senate bill az perfect,
and hopes that the conference
committee will correct some Of its
inequalities and imperfections, and
that other democratic senators
have the same hope.
The votes Of democratic senators
on specific items Of the bill, the
senator says, do not indicate their
preference as to those items, but
rather the concessions made, in
many instances, in order to have
any bill passed at all. He has al
ways regarded the real contest as
between the senate bill, (subject
to correction in conference, aud
the Mckinley bill now in force as
law, and has all along stated that
he would vote for any bill that
might be framed, if it were a sub
stantial improvement on the Nc
Kinley bill.
Replying to the complaints
made that we have q democratic
senate and the democracy is re-
sponsible il a tariff bill is not
passed in all respects satisfactory,
Senator George says that it should
not be forgotten the democrats
have only three majority, and no
more, in the senate. So that it is
essential to the passage of any bill
that It should receive about, If not
quite, a unanimous democratic
support.
Concluding the senator says:
at is a fact, and 30 announced
by Senator German in his speech,
that the bill, as it came from the
house, could not psss the senate.
He also stated that the bill as
amended, or proposed to be amend
ed by the democratic members of
the finance committee, could pass.
These facts should not be over
looked or underestimated, when
you come to consider the course Of
the democratic senators who we're
quite willing to accept the Wilson
bill as it came from the house,
with only slight amendments. A
tariff bin contains over 1000 ar
ticles Of commerce, upon each of
which is to be determined; first,
whether it should 60 on the free
list, and If not then how much
should it be taxed. This shows at
one glance how impossible II is for |
any one man to have the tariff ad-
justed to suit HIM. No bill can be !
passed, and no bin has ever been |
passed, except by compromise of |
conflicting views. II we had had |
a democratic majority, proportion
ately as great as was the majority |
in the house, we would have disre-
garded the wishes of those who We
think made unreasonable demands.
We would not then have been |
under the necessity of compromis- !
ing to the extent forced on us."