The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-05-30

no expectation that il would become a
law unchanged
The senate had always perfected such
bills. Yet. no sooner did the finance
committee begin its work than the cry
for faction" was renewed with extraor-
binary Yigor, and the democratic sena-
tors were informed that any change
would be set down as betrayal of the
party's promises" and that every senator
who showed the least concern for the
lntrests of his own state was a traitor
10 the union and his party; that the SEN
ate was no longer a coordinate body,
but it's sole duty was to ratify blindly
the action of the house.
1T would be idle Mr.. President, TO
dwell upon the manifest absurdities Of
this outgrowth of petuIance. But it can
not be denied that the demand for
prompt action seriously impaired the
efficiency of the finance committee
work and ultimately became so strong
that revision was hastily completed and
the bill was reported to the senate. 1
ventured the assertion in the course of
the silver debate that nowhere was the
truth Of the old adage, The greater
haste. the less speed better ex-
emplified than in legislation. So it proved
then and so it is now.
L do not propose to discuss the merits
or dement's of either the original Wilson
bill or the measure first reported by the
finance committee. 1t is sufficient to say
that there has never been a moment
when either could command a majority
of the votes in this chamber. We might
deplOre such a condition and others
might and did rail against those in a
measure responsible for it. But the fact
remained that We could not pass the
bill.
"such was the situation the demo-
cratic senators had to meet and they had
met it by the introduction of a demo-
$50 L.. g,,1
merits and. 1 believe, will receive every
democratic vote In this body, the in
dorsement Of a democratic house, the
signature Of the democratic president,
and the approval of the democratic
party"
In answer to the charges by the repub-
Hcans Mr.. German asserted that the bill
had been constructed on the democratic
theory Of a tariff for revenue with such
incidental protection as could be given
consistently to the industries Of the cOun-
try. 1t followed strictly the course
marked out by President Cleveland in
his letter Of acceptance upon which he
was reelected and the democratic party
entrusted with full power. If there had
been the slightest apprehension in the
public mind of a radical OverJurning of
our industrial affairs Mr. Cleveland
would not have been reelected.
This was not a free trade measure, but
1t was a longer step for fTeer trade than
either the Mills bill or the tariff act of
1888. II was not protection for protec-
tons sake, but it did discriminate be-
tween raw materials and manufactured
articles 10 the full extent of the differ
ence between European and American
wages, nor was IL a deficit-creating bill
such as the present law of the house
would have been. IT was democratic be-
cause 1t reduced the taxation to the re-
qurements of the government. 1t was
just; it was wise; it was businesslike: it
was patriotic and 1t was prudent because
il did not attempt TO ignore facts in car
rying out theory 1t was not perfect.
but it was the most logical, most fair,
most broad. most timely and would prove
10 be the most advantageous tariff leSis-
lation enacted since the republican party
sprang into existence.
Senator German denied that any trust
had dictated any part Of any schedule
of this bill. Justice To Louisiana had re-
quired the retention of the sugar bounty.
Upon the subject of income tax Sena-
tor German said: IN the matter of in
ternal revenue 1 may say that, person
ally, l am in full accord with the senti-
ments so ably and eloquently expressed
by the senator's from New York and
New JERSEY regarding the income tax.
Like them. I consider that it served its
purpose as a war tax and mas no fitting
place in our fiscal system in a time Of
peace. ] could not, / say frankly, vote
conscientiously or consistently with my
judgment and convictions to make this
method of taxation a part of our settled
policy. but, much as | deplore the fasten-
ing of an income tax in any form upon
our tariff bill, 1 cannot ignore the fact
that a large majority of my democratic
colleagues honestly differ from myself
in this matter. and are so confident of
the sOundness of their position that
they are willing to subject it to test of
a few years, thus enabling the people to
see its actual workings and to pass upon
ii directly"
Mr.. German was applauded from the
galleries as he closed and senators gath
cred about his desk congratulating him.
Mr. Aldrich followed Mr.. German,
commenting sarcastically upon what the
latter had said regarding compromise.