Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1894-04-19
SENATOR HILL TALKS.
The Senior Senator From New York
Heard On the Tariff Bill.

dodrO On the Tariff Bill
He Il Aggressive Toward the Administra-
sion' and Very Pronouncedly So To-
ward the Income-Tax Feature
OF the Pending Measure.
WASHINGTON, April 9.-The pending
tariff bill being laid before the sem
ate as unfinished business, Mr.. David
b. Hill dem, n. W, according to
notice given, addressed the senate upon
the subject His opening sentences
clearly indicated the aggressive tone
In regard to the administration which
Pervaded the whole speech, of which
the following is synopsis:
The political revolution which commenced in
lSsO and eliminated in 1892 was emphatic
EXPRESSION OF the popular will in behalf Of
that movement"
He summarized those measures as opposition
to the odious federal election laws. dlscontinu-
ance of silver bullion purchases instead OF the
coinage contemplated by the constitution, bet
ter and more economical administration Of
public affairs, ana q condemnation of that
abuse or perversion OF the taxing power of the
government which is known as the policy of
protection for projections sake alone. and
declaration in favor of a tariff for revenue.
The enforcement of these policies deyolved
upon the party in power. 1t is not denied that
some mistakes have occurred. Our foreign
policy, especially that relating to Hawaii, it
must m be admitted has not met the expectations
vailed when the project for the restoration OF
deposed monarchy was unfOlded by the ad-
its abandonment or failure was reluctantly an
nounced. Influenced largely by an aroused pub
lie sentiment
This blunder. Mr.. Hill considered was the
natural consequence of placing the department
Of state in charge Of republican statesman,
distinguished and estimable though he might
be. whose public services had always been
identified in opposition to the democratic party
and whose political convictions upon the dis
puted public questions of the day, If changed at
all. are carefully concealed
Mr.. Hill expressed regret that the president
party some safe and honored statesman in
whom he and his party could have placed con-
hdence. one Of democratic instincts and train
ing. whose management of foreign affairs
would have reflected credit upon the country.
and would have avoided the PRONUNCIATION of
democratic precedence-which was sought to
be forced upon an unwilling people. In this
view OF the situation the opponents of the
responsibility Tor the blunderS committed In
our foreign affairs. In other respects he
claimed that the present administration Of the
government afforded scant ground for just
criticism The various departments were en-
forcing economy, and the pledges to the peo-
pie were being reasonably fulfilled
Coming to the question of tariff reform he
drew a contrast between 1887 and 1890 and said
an extreme reduction OF tariff duties at a time
when the treasury was swollen with a surplus
of 800 100000 when all our industries were in
faotion. assumed different aspect when pro-
posed now with large and growing treasury
deficit. with our industries paralyZed, our
manufactures closed, our workingmen idle,
astrous financial panics in our history What
was safe and prudent and wise then it would
be criminal folly to attempt now.
Then he proceeded to aSSail the presidents
dilatoriness of action in this matter. He said:
"A month prior to his Inauguration the pres
ident was forewarned of the approaching
monetary panic. He convened congress- six
months later, when the panic was subsiding.
which should have been averted 1t is feared
that this congress does not keenly appreciate
the awful devastation which the financial
cyclone of last summer has inflicted upon the
business interests of our country. 1t has made
havoc OF our prosperity. private and public. 1t
has diminished all domestic and inter-
state trade. until fifth Of our railroad mileage
is in the hands OF receivers, and all our banks
are gorged with money unemployed. 1t has
struck down by hundreds the captains of our
industry, who have been wont to organize
profitable enterprises. borrow capital and lead
the great army of labor
This is no time for partisan reproaches.
politically divided. and it is apparent that il
prompt remedial legislation is expected. then
radicalism in any direction must be discarded:
The extreme features Of the Mckinley bill
must be eradicated but patriotism alike de-
mands that extremes in the opposite direction
.-On the 4th of March, 1893, the president be-
came vested with exclusive power to convened
congress for the purpose reaff1rmed in his cleo
ton He decided to prolong the operation of
the Mckinley tariff for at least another year.
The delay thus imposed upon the peoples re-
forming zeal it is in vain to regret. In the
meantime the monetary panic unfortunately
precipitated upon US has not only made havoc
of our private industries. but has dried up the
public revenues. The size of the treasury
deficit at the close of the current fiscal
year has twice been estimated by the
secretary Of the treasury In his annual re-
port the secretary of the treasury informed
congress of a deficit for the current fiscal year
of S2S.0O0,OOO A short month later, in his let
ter to the chairman of the senate finance COM
mittee. the same secretary of the treasury
finds the same deficit to be s7s.OOO.OOO. 1t may
well as absurd in itself, to assume that sugges-
tionS in his annual report made when he
thought the deficit Of the current fiscal year to
month later that the size Of the deficit is 49,
yet the Wilson BILL framed originally up-
on the theory suggested by these high officials
Nhe president and the secretary of the treas
ury) In their annual communications to con-
greSS, underwent no material change during
it's progress through the house. notwithstand-
ing the altered situation. The theory sur
testation of private industries and in the
ence of such q paralysis of all general business
as the treasury deficit attests and proongs.
this bill was framed by its authors and as
passed by the house sought to double the de-
hcit by discarding customs revenue and to fill
the void with an income tax
Against such q Scneme-unneceSsary, ill
timed and mischievous-suddenl sprung upon
the country in the hour of it's distress undemo-
cratic in it's nature and socialistic in it's ten
dencieS-I enter the protest of the people of the
state of New York. They utterly dissent from
any proposal to get revenue for the general
government by taxing incomes. Their dissent
is practically unanimous and altogether i'm
placable."
Referring to that passage in the presidents
annual message in which he said a measure
had been prepared by the appropriate commit
tee on the lines herein suggested, including
small tax from incomes derived from certain
corporate Investments. Mr.. Hill said:
1t will strike the thoughtful observer
familiar with the history of the government
as strange and unusual procedure that the
president of the United States should serious
ly inform congress of what one of its own COM
mittees has been doing in the preparation OF q
bill. 1t might be safely assumed that congress
already had such Information, unless the bill
had been prepared in the executive depart
ment and had been submitted to the commit
tee concurrently with the transmission Of the
message to congress. In these latter days the
distinctions between the functions and pre-
rogatiyes of the executive department on the
one hand. and the legislative department on
the other. do not seem to be always observed
The truth is that the first information which
congress had of the alleged details of the pro-
posed bill was in the message itself.
But the strangest part of this unprece-
denied proceeding was that, in fact. at the very
date of the message, to w.t. December 4, 1888
neither the full committee OF ways and means
nor the democratic members thereof had
agreed upon any income tax or upon other in
ternal taxation. The presidents information
was therefore inaccurate as well as premature.
the presidents expression OF his desire for the
success of this measure being measure not
yet perfected q bill in an inchoate state.
But aside from any question OF improperly
involved in the recommendation. and while
conceding that the president in the first sug
yestion OF q limited income tax injected the
poison which has now spread until it has de-
veloped into a general income tax, neverthe-
less the latter scheme can not find any real