Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-04-29

our forces, gradually grew less radical
the democratic advocates OF protection
melting with successive presidentini
elections, until In 1892 the party pre-
scented great interloclSed solid front
IN favor of tariff reform. Some. indeed
there were who failed to realize thnf
the time for decisive, expression ma
come. But the dominant spirits or the
party grasped the situation more
plainly and felt that the people were
sufficiently awakened on that subient
not to run from the truth. So by
very large majority the convention Dis
carded the tariff plank reported bv the
committee on resolutions, and adopted
that which denied the constitutional
warrant OF tariff for protection and be-
e,aIeu speclnealiy for the repeal Of the
mckinley bill. The Republican Marty
at Minneapolis had approved the Mo
kinley bill. as contributing to the pros-
pertty OF the country and so a clear
issue was Joined between the two or
ganizations, which resulted in the
Mell-known Democratic victory Of 1892
The popularity has long existed in our
system that the congress elected in
November does not meet in regular
session until over a year afterward. so
that the congress- which met in De-
cember. 1899, was a Republican con-
gress.
President Cleveland was inaugurated
1
OF the Democratic congress was IN
August, 1898, upon call Of the president
TO act upon the sherman law. and the
committees We're then selected for the
first time TO deal with the tarin and
other questions. The framing Of a
tariff bin is In itself the labor Of
months. II would have been impossible
to have presented 10 the special session
OF congress- matured program upOn
this subject, even If II had been de-
sirabie. But the house COMMITTEES.
under the leadership of william l..
wilson began operations and in
dustriously labored to overcome an
difficulties. Spending the entire vaca-
tion of congress in the work. they were
able at the regular session to promptly
report tafif bill. which passed the
house, went to the senate committee
of finance, and with changes OF i'm
portance in the duty on sugar, coal
and iron ore, has been reported to the
senate. Not only have the hard-worked
Democrats who framed this legislation
done their whole duty, but in the SEN
ate, to promote speedy action, they re-
fused hearings to the manufacturers,
who had already had their day before
the house committee.
Short sighted persons are disposed
to scout the Senate tariff measure as
thing of little worth, but this estimate
cannot be sustained by a compreheu-
siye view OF surrounding conditions
II contains two plain principles which
would be enough to stamp 1t as VIC
tory for reform. The first of these is
the levy OF two per cent tax upon In
comes in excess Of four thousand dol
lars per year, and the second is the
adoption OF the ad yalorem principle In
the computation of duties The true
theory OF all taxation is TO base It upon
values, not pounds or yards, or other
specific quantities. The Wilson Bill is
the first tariff measure since the war
which moves boldly In that direction.
1t is only partisan blindness which can
find no good to Texas IN a measure
which reduces the duties on tin plate,
window glass. paints, leather, cutlery,
cotton goods, carpets, ready made clo
thing, blankets and wooden goods. II
is only partisan obstinacy which can
argue that tariff bill Is worthless
which admits cotton-ties, salt and
many other articles free of duty This
Is the record as now made and It Is
no unsafe prophecy to declare that n
the Popullst Senators do not give their
help TO our Republican enemies, that
before the summer is over tariff bill
will have received the approval OF Pre-
sident Cleveland which will confer up
on the agricultural states of the I'm
ion, benefits plain, permanent and In
calculable.
Reduction Of Expenses.
Close to the subject OF revenues
stands that Of expenditures. In my op-
inion. this country now needs more
general awakening on that subject
than any other II is necessary In the
first place that we should discard the
idea that there Is anything small about
the man who gives an intelligent In
terest TO curtaning expenditures, aud
la tshp1lt the who dis
plays systematic generosity in voting
away the peoples money. But the
power of any one member Of Congress
however well directed, to control APP
preparations is very limited and results
will he uncertain until the people force
the Democratic party. to put itself as
an organization, in obstruction TO the
custom Of expenditures which long
Republlcan rule has made fashionable,
one of these fashions has been the policy
of ocean mil subsidies, which was be-
gun few years ago, under the inilu-
ence of English example, to promote
rapid mail transit and CONNIE cial IN
terchange. The testimony every
disinterested observer has b en- un-
favorable to the experiment. Lyen the
postmaster-gen in his last report
felt called upon TO admit ms fact,
This scheme costs the people OF the
United states over 81 600 per annum
for transportation Of foreign mails and
should be abandoned as quickly as
Democracy and economy can do the
work.
Another OF these fashions is that
which governs the financial relations
between the District of Columbia and
the balance OF the country. II is the
fashion in Washington, for Instance 10
talk of the greatness of the National
capital. to describe its magnificent ave-
uues, it's beautiful parks, Its historic
origin. and to represent its embellish-
ment as the patriotic duty OF every
senator and representative. That all
means appropriations for new monu-
ments, new buildings. new bridges ana
new parks. 1t means more than ina.
II is one OF the pretexts by which about
two and a half million dollars a year.
legitimate expenses of the District OF
Columbia, are imposed upon the tax
payers OF Texas and other parts OF the
Union. A few years ago a law was
passed reorganizlng the District OF Co
iumbia. and into It was Inserted a pro-
vision which charged the United States
treasury with one-half the expenses OF
the District, and left the local tax
PAYERS to pay the other half rather
than the whole. There Is no more rea.
son WHY the people OF other parts or