The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-04-03

desk maze or large DOCKS pileu upon DIS
desk. Re said:
Mr.. President: Great abuses IN Govern
ment, strong by sanction and the growth Of
years, i'm bedded in the powerful interests oil
privileged classes created, fostered, encour
aged and protected by the laws themselves
have rarely, If ever in any age. been promptly
and otafly eradcated except by forcibe reyo
luton and bloOdshed. Such Is the concurrent
and unbroken testimony of history, The spirit
of political and prac ical reform, on the other
hand, is a reasoning and progressive spirit
moving forward, step by step. no matter how
radical and thorough its ends and aims may be,
and overcoming the most gigantic evils with
patient wisdom and courage rather than by
violent and wholesale assault
The protective system OF tariff taxation as
developed and fastened upon the business and
labor OF the American people, especially during
the last third OF century past growing worse at
every stage, is a system of indescrlbable injus-
tce and oppression; and (, who Will contend
that all its vicious principles ana workings.
ramlfled as they are through every branch OF
trade and commerce. can be annihilated by a
single blow, or totally wiped ont by single
Legislative enactment? For the bill now under
consideration no such claim Is made, but IN It's
behalf IL can be truthiuy asserted, and Will be
successfully maintained, that it accomplishes a
vast world OF tarlH reform, embOdles great
relief 10 the people from Ubiquitous existing
laws and constitutes long stride. though not a
nnar one, toward the approaching day OF a fuIi
and perfeeI deiiv- rance.
ST., I challenge The attention OF the Senate
and the country TO The great and commanding
fact that by the provisions OF this bill the COM
inc paradox of reduction OF taxes and at the
same time an increase of public revenues Will
be recOucled when it becomes law.
/ viii not stop 10 consider at this point the
individual robberies committed in projected
markets. the untold and incalculable millions
of backmail levied by American manufacturers
for Iheir own pockets on their enforced GUS
toners when cut of from all outside com ETH
lions; Ii is enough for my present purpose TO
say that we have liberalized he American
ms kpf
the traffic of the world, and, while not eStab-
fishing free trade, will have made trade I eer
and more eveu-handed between tn manu-
tacluIeT and the consumer. But over and above
and beyond this wide and Weil-knOWn field OF
extOTIlon and inluS Ice, t VIII be found from
the schedules of this bill that tariff taxes. now
officially aScertained and paid under existing
laws, on the wants, necessities and daily con-
sumption Of the lJbOring men and children OF
the United States, have been reduced more
than S76,O00,00O per anuum. These redue-
tons are as follows: On chemicals $1,000
600; on pottery, $1,000, 600: on glass, $780,
600; on metals. Sl2,500,000; on wood. $780,
600; on tobacco, So. 800 600; on agricultural
products, S3,30O,000; on spirits, wines, ETC,
S1,5OO,QO0; on cotton manufactures, IS, 49,.
600; on fax, hemp and jute manufactures,
S6.OOO,OOOi on wooden manufactures, So
5OO,O00i on silk manufactures, S3,5Oo,oOOi
on paper ana pulp, S3OOUOO; on Sundfles
81. 100000; transferred to- the free list, S12,-
l7G,O00; total, S76, $4,000.
To this must be added the further imposing
revenue, largely in excess OF present supplies.
with which 10 meet all the requirements OF the
public credit. Such contamination as this, so
full of relief to The people and of strength,
aronet0r the Intersections aud shortcomings
alleged agamsJ the pending measure, and will
constitute the rock on which the temple OF
tariff reform VIII be built, aud against which
IN the ameliOrated future the gates Of
fraud shall not prevail. With such a
benefcent and stupeDdous result now plainly
within. tie reach of Tue American people
and almost ready for their eager enjoy
Iient, l envy not The fate Of the party nor the
man, nor Tie set OF men, who shall constitute
themselves as hindrance and an obstruction
10 its speedy fulhllm nj, Faults and Imperfect
tionScaD, of course, be alleged and pointed out;
concessions are apparent which have been un-
Willingly made in order TO secure its passage
articles on he free llsl, as they came from the
House. have been made duliabIe under The
dnress Of small majority here; yet, deeply as
regIetIhe necessity for these changes, DO not
hesitate TO say that Lhe bill, taken as whole,
as it now stands. with its combination Of lower
taxes on the necessaries OF life and at the same
tim inci eased revenues for the Government,
will be hailed as a substantial measure of re-
form'and relief by the great producing masses
OF the American Teople.
Manufacturing interests. which years ago
were1ndeed and 10 fact in their infancy and
were fOStered while yet in the cradle of their
. birth, are now the colossal task-masters, COM
maDding tribute from every days labor beneath
the SUI and laughtily stTIdlng the corridors OF
tones Of directors for or against the nactment
OF the pending measure IN The halls OF Con-
sgTeSs. those who own and represent these
swollen and arrogant interests do not hesitate
TO declare in what terms bill vitality affecting
100000 people will be permitted TO become
a law. and in default of what provisions for
financial profits 10 themselves they will insure
Its defeat.
Tire enactment of the Mckinley bill was
gigantic crime, not only against every WORK
1ngman and worhfng-woman IN the United
States, but also against every individual manu-
1acturer ana against all manufacturing inter-
ests.' 1t was not so designed by the authors
but such was its real and Inevitable character.
1t declared policy so hagltods in principle,
so Iotten III morality and so raYen0uS 10 Its
exactiens on the absolute wants Of life, that IFS
possible duration was only question of time
when The next election by the people should
occur, and yet the vast manufacturing inter-
ests Of the country are tempted and seduced
INFO accepting Its delusiye brides and into an
eager adjustment OF themselves 10 its aluTlng
though eVanrscent aud short-hYed provisions.
If tile reward OF labor had ever been Increased
as an incident or a consequent of lncre aSed
tariff duties on foreign imports, nothing would
be easier or more gracious 10 the advOca es
and benenciaries OF rejection than 10 show
thatf The very reverse, however, Is true.
1t can never be forgotten that the enactment
of the Mckinley law In October 1890, was
followed almost immediately by reduction OF
The wages OF all workers in iron and steel, be-
ginning al Homestead, In pennsylvania under
Carnegie, resulting In bloodsned and wholesale
mufQerJ ana extending 10 all parts or the
country ana to. almost every interest OF manu-
featuring industry.
Mr.. Voorhees, then defended the ad
valorem system as falrer, honester and
more easily understood than specific
duties. On the subject of the sugar
schedule he said:
CO. Absolute free trade in sugar is an attractive
Item, put no such thing has ever existed for a
single hour since The organization of the Gov
eTnnfent. A moderate du y has always been
Imposed on sugar, aud IL has always been a
staneh revenue support OF the Government.
In that great model OF a Democratic tariff for
elared in a short ana simple phrase that sugar
OF all kinds" and strip OF the sugar. were
subject 10 a duty and tax of 80 per cent ad
valotem. The tact that The duty tax on sugar
has INJURED more 10 the benefit of the revenues
of The Government aud less TO the profits of
private parties than any other tax known to
tariff legislation may be stated as the main
reason why the Democratic party has never
made an issue against II. Every dollar collected
from a tariff tax on sugar and paid into the
treasury relieves some other article of even
higher necessity in the econcssF Of life from
. the imposition of tariff taxation.
During The present fiscal year, ending June
20, there will be paid by The treasury ST., $780,
600 as bounty TO the producers of sugar, and
every dollar Of this vast sum is for taxes COL
lected from those who plant corn. raise wheat
and engage IN all the various pursuits of labor.
Nearly S30,000,000 OF bounty money has been
handed over TO The SugaT-makers OF tile country
since the law went into operation, and each
year The sum is rapidly increasing Ii was