The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1894-04-03
TARIFF IN THE SENATE
Voorhees, Leads Oh With 4 Speech In
Favor Of lhs Bill
NOT A RADICAL MEASURE
But. In the Indiana Senator's Opln-
ion. It's a Long stsp In the
Direction OF Justice and
Equality.

WAsHINGToS, April 2.-The principal
interest in the senate to-day centercd in
the speech o! Senator Voorhees,, Lip chair
man of the committee on iinahce. While
the speech was read from manuscript, it
was delivered with all the fiery energy
which characterizes his usual extempo-
raneous Efforts. There was an unusually
iull attendance and the conclusion of the
speech was greeted with hearty applause.
Senator Voorhees, said: "Mr. Presi.
dent: Great abuses in government.
strong by the sanction and growth of
yer.rs, imbedded in the powerful interests
OF tho privileged classes, created, fosiered,
, encouraged aud protected by the laws
| themselves, have rarely, il ever, been
totally eradicated, except by forcibe
revolution and bloodshed. Such is the
concurrent and unbroken testimony of
history. A spirit Of political and pract-
cal reform on the other hand, is a reason
ing and progressive spirit, moving for
ward. 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, during
a third OF a century past, growing worse
| at every stage, is a system of indescribable
| injustice and oppression and yet who will
| contend that all its vicious principles and
workings, through every branch of trade
and commerce, can be annihilated by a
single blow, or wiped out by single legis-
lative enactment? For the bill now under
consideration no such claim is made, but
in lis behalf, it can be truihfully assorted
and it will be successfully maintained.
that It accon.plishes n world of tariff re.
form, elnbodies great relief TO the people
from in.qutous existing laws and consti.
tutes a long stride, though not a final one
towarGs the approaching day Of full and
perfect deliverancc.
"Sir, ! challenge tho attention OF the
senate and the country to the great and
commanding fact that by the provisions
| of this bill the seeming paradox of n re-
dGciion of taxes and at the same time an
increase of public revenues will be recon-
ciled when il becomes law. II is enough
Tor my present purpose 10 say that We
have liberalized the American markets,
made them more accessible to the traffic
| of the woril and, while not establishing
free trade, We have made trade freer and
niore eyen-handed between the manufac-
I turer and the consumer. But, over and
above and beyond this wide and we'll
| known field OF eXtortion and injustice, it
will be found from the schedules of this
bill that the tariff taxes now officially as
certained and paid under the existing
laws on the wants, necessities and daily
consumption of the laboring men. women
| and children of the United States. have
been reduced more than 900 per
annum. To this must be added the fur
ther imposing fact that the bill provides
for full and ample revenue, largely in ex-
cess of the present supplies, with which to
meet all the requirements of public credit.
Such consumption as this, so full of relief
to the people, and of strength, safety and
honor to the government, may well atone
for the imperfections and shortcomings
alleged against the pending measure, and
will constitute rock on which the temple
of tho tariff reform will be built. and
against which, in the ameliorated future.
the gates of fraud shall not prevail. With
such a beneficent and stupendous result
now plainly within the reach of the Amer
lean people, and almost ready for their
eager enjoyment, envy not the fato of
the party, nor of the man, nor Of the set
of men who shall constitute themselves a
hlnderance and obstruction to its speedy
fulfillment.
"Faults and imperfections can. OF
course, be pointed out. do not hesitate
to say that the bill, taken as a whole as it
now stands, with its combination OF lower
taxes on the necessaries Of life, and at the
same time OF increased revenues for tho
government, will be hailed as suDs;au-
tal measure OF reform and relief by the
great producing masses of the American
people. The enactment of the Mckinley
bill was gigantic crime, not only against
every workingman and working woman
in tho United States, it declared policy
SO tlagitous in princlple, SO rotten in mo.
rality, and SO ravenous in its exactions on
the absolute wants of life, that its possi-
bic duration was only question OF the
time when the next election by the people
should occur. And yet vast manufacture
ing interests of the country we're tempted
and seduced into accepting its delusiye
bribes, and into an eager adjustment OF
themselves TO its alluring though cvanes-
cent and short-lived provisions. II can
never be forgotten that the enactment OF
the Mckinley law in October was followed
almost Immediately by a reduc.
ton of the wages OF all the work.
ers in iron and steel, beginning a,
Homestead, in Pennsylvania. under
Carnegie, resulting in bloodshed and
wholesale murder, and extending 10 all
parts OF the country and to almost every
interest of the manufacturing industry,
During the present fiscal year ending June
20 there will be paid 10y the treasury
Sl20O0,0o as bounty TO the producers Of
sugar, aud every dollar Of this vast sum is
for taxes collected from those who plan
corn, raise wheat and engage IN all III,
various pursuits of labor. Nearly $1,000.
90 OF bounty money has been handel
over 10 the sugar makers OF the county
since tbe Law weHt into operation. aud
each year the sum IS rnpiLly increasing
II was thought whcn the Lass was under
discussion that the bounty would not cX
coed Ss.09lC00 per year, but the siimulat
lux influence of such an enormous bounty
was uudcrrared. If the law is TO remain
| Dnrepea led the time is NJ hand when Il