The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-01-10
CHAIRMAN WILSON'S SPEECH.
4 Vigorous Statement Of the Iniquities
OF McIIfnIeyfsrn.

OF McIIinIeyisrn.
Then Ir Wilson rose, stepped back
a few feet in the aisle and began his
speech with a slight apology for the in
formal manner in which ne should deal
with his subject.
No great question has been so thor
oughly brought out before the American
people as the question Of tariff reform
For seven consecutive congresses it had
been the chief matter of controversy in
both houses. For almost as long
period is had been the chief matter OF
controversy in the presses OF the coun-
try; in every congressional district, on
the hustings, in the school house and at
the country store. Thus thoroughly dis
cussed both as 10 general principles and
as TO its practical workings, the people
had finally reached a definite judgment
and had given 10 this administration
their definite instructions.
With this house as the immediate rep
resentative of the people, the only part
Of our federal government resting di-
Tectly upon popular suffrage, IS the
constitutional authority to originate bills
imposing taxes The bill about 10 be
considered presents a scheme Of tariff
reform prepared by the appropriate COM
mittee of this house which il was now
fey the house 10 consider and 10 deal
with in its own deliberate judgment.
Every bill covering so WIDE a neid OF
legislation and dealing with so many
subjects must necessarily represent in its
details some compromise OF opinion
among those entrusted with its prepaTa-
ton ANY bin passed by congress under
present conditions at least must neces-
saGily represent such compromise
Reform Needed Now.
lie did not believe that the country
would underrate the difficulties confront
ing those who now attempt 70 revise and
reform our tariff system. Among those
difficulties We're the dropping away OF
friends whose zeal for reform was IN
proportion To the square Of the distance
from their own localities and their own
industries and other friends who differed
in their judgment as 10 the method 10
be pursued. So also the great CONNER
cial distress which has in recent months
come upon the country, paralyzing 50
many industries and throwing 50 many
thousands out of employ menJ' MADE me
task of reform the more diihcult, while
it made the necessity for the reform
more imperious than ever.
At what time could taxes be lessened
with greater justice and greater hu-
manity than at a time when thousands
are struggling for the bare necessar1es
Of life? And when could we with greater
timeHness and benefit strike some or the
fetters from production and trade than
when production is suppressed by It's
burdens and trade hampered by It's re-
striction?
A third difficulty in the way Of re-
form now was the emptiness OF the
treasury. We are called upon 10 reduce
taxes at a time when government re-
CENTS are running SO low that daily
revenues have ceased TO meet daily eN-
renditlIres He believed he could not
better consume the time Of the mouse IN
oDening this debate than by giving the
story OF our depleted treasury and plac-
ing the responsibility for us present
straits where that responsibility justly
belonged.
Result of Republican Methods.
During the four years of the last ad-
ministracion we had plungea heaoione
from an overfowing treasury 10 a bank
rupt treasury and that. too, without any
lessenine OF the burdens Of taxation up
on the people. but rather by mosS
substantial and oppressive Increase or
the taxes. The last report OF Secretary
Fairchild estimated the surplus revenus
for the year 1855 at Sl04.0oo 600. The first
report Of Secretary WINDOW aciShoWl-
edged a surplus revenue for that year
Of sos. 900. coo. When the Cleveland ad-
ministration went out Of Office on the 4th
day OF March, 1889, II turned over 20 It's
successor an available cash balance
amounting in the form Of the treasury
statement used in the past two years
to S1S5. .O00, 900.
During the Harrison administration
the form Of treasury statements was
twice changed. First by Mr.. Window,
who succeeded to this cash balance TO
conceal the surplus and later by Mr.
Continued on sixth Page.