The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-01-09


sipa ted since the Secretary of the Treas
ury under ClevelaDd's first administration
turned over balance OF S1S5. 100000. The
Mckinley bill reduced the in
teInal revenue taxes on manufac-
tured tobacco, abolished the special
taxes on dealers and manufacturers
of tobacco. and wiped out duties on raw
sugar, which for years past had been our
chief revenue producing article on the Gus
toms list. Both these taxes were in a Just
and proper sense revenue taxes, and
neither should have been touched so long
as the rates of duty upon clothing and
other necessary articles of consumption
were SO enormously oppressive. The to-
bacco taxes were reduced under the theory
that tobacco had become necessity for
the poor as well as the rich, but newer and
heavier taxes were laid on the wooden
clothing of the poor man. Sugar was un-
taxed to give American workingmen free
breakfast table, but new taxes were placed
on cups and saucers, plates and dishes,
coffee pots, knives and forks, food and
table covers. In word, be was relieved
from taxes paid the Government, in order
that he might be made to pay much greater
taxes to the benefciaries of that bill
These released taxes would have yielded
US in internal revenue since their omis-
sion more than Sl50,00OO00 and would
have saved US from any danger of a treas
ury deficit
The magnificent surplus turned over by
the Cleveland administration was thus
scattered. a large portion was used to
purchase, at high premiums, bonds not yet
due. But even this did not dissipate the
surplus and the Fifty-frst Congress was
obliged to try their hand upon it. 1t refund
ed the direct tax to the States. This was
pure gratuity. but it has taken out of the
treasury over Sl4, 900. Next came the
sugar bounty act, under which sums
amounting to S1ZO0O,0OO had been paid TO
sugar-growers. Last of all, as a chief
means Of distributing the surplus, was the
dependent pension bill. under which the
annual pension expenditure has risen
more than $50, O,OOO.
If. then, to more than 100000, 900 thus
made away with by the last administra-
ton We should add $50. 00O,O 600 lost to the
revenue by the omission of the taxes on
tobacco and sugar alone we should have a
clear idea OF the rapid and of the beadloDg
steps by which had been brought about he
present empty treasury. He did not be-
lieve that those who had voted to put the
last administration in power had expected
any revision of the tariff from II in the
direction Of increasing rates. The cam
paign of 1888 was fought on the question
Of reforming and reducing the existing
tariff and not on the question of revising
the tariff of 1888. No single in
terest in the country, either in
Congress or elsewhere, had the hardihoOd
to assert that it meant 10 demand any in
crease of the protection accorded by the
bill of 1888, and it was only the wanton-
ness Of self-greed, rapacity and seIfishness
and the knowledge that their demands.
no matter how exorbitant. would be gra-
ciousiy accorded that brought them to
Washington in 1890 to write in their own
interests the successive schedules of the
Mckinley bill. Under the operation OF
that bill the taxes in every one Of the i'm
portant schedules had been mercilessly
ana needlessly Increased. In manufac-
lures of wool they had been raised from
an average of 20 to an average of 100 per
cent In manufactures of glass they had
heen raised from an average of 81 to an
average of Ga per cent. In manufactures
of iron and steel, although the year 1887
had been a year of immense production
and prosperity to those interests, the
tariff had been raised from an average of
sc 10 63 per cent. On cotton gods, al
though the tariff of 1883 had been made by
the manufacturers themselves, duties
were increased from an average of 40 to 81
per cent.
Such is the bill we have been called on
to revise in the Interests of people who
consume. of people who labor and of peo-
pie comprising the country in general and
of the prosperity of the country itself.
The special order, fixing the 29th inst.
for vote on the Wilson bill, was adopted,
17j to 1.
Catchings opened the thirty minutes de-
bate for the Democrats and was replied to
by Reed, who urged that there was no
necessity for crowding this measure.
Wilson followed. insisting that there
was ample time for full and instructive
discussion of the bill, provided the general
debate continued throughout the present
week with night sessions. He said he
would agree that debate under the five
minute rule should begin next Monday
and a vote be taken on January 90.
1lcctt WOulu uOb dGle6 ~ tDl5 DTUpOSlLlO0
and moved to recommit the order with in-
structiOns to amend. giving four additional
days for debate and permit the bill to be
amended by paragraphs. Reeds motion
was lost and the special order passed.
The House then went in to- committee of
the whole, with Richardson of Tennessee
in the chair.
The sergeant-at-arms' report was then
read, showing tie arrest of forty members.
Mr.. Catchings said the object for which
the warrants were issued had been accom-
plished, and moved the discharge of all
those in custody. The motion was carried
without objection and at 5 o'clock the
House took a recess until night.
The night session was devoted to set
speeches. and at the conclusion of the
speech of Bowers of California the House
at 1925 adjourned.