The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-01-24
TO BEA NON-PARTISAN ONE
Is Heartily in Favor or the
Wilson Measure,
But Believes the Question Is
One OF Business.
Regards the Republican Idea of Pro-
lection Wrong in Principle and
Agains. the Best Interests OF the
American acknowledgement
Holman Pays Tribute TO Mr.. Brett.
BUREAU OF THE SENTINEL,
WASHINGTON. d. c.. Jan. q

w 1O4Ns II. - JAN ~
Congressman Conn has a plan for taxi
ing the tariff question out of politics
and settling it in such a manenr as to
prevent the possibility of injury to either
capital or labor, or of making it a bone
of contention for demagogues to snarl
and quarrel over. He proposes to intro
duce a bin in congress establishing a
tariff commission composed of represent
atives of the different interests involved,
and which should be instructed to ascer-
tain as nearly as possible the exact
cost of producing the various commodi-
ties brought in competition in the Amer
lean market
Il want It distinctly understood" said
Mr.. Conn, that I am for the Wilson bill
for a tariff for revenue and that I shall
vote with the democratic majority when
the bill comes before congress for final
action. But I am fully convinced that
the time has come when the tariff should
be taken out of politics and treated as
a practical, business proposition. There
are too many interests involved, too
much property at stake and the welfare
of too many families dependent upon a
practical solution of this question TO re-
fer it to the judgment of men who make
politics a profession. Therefore. it
should be left to a commission and not
to politicians Il decide
Wrong I'm Principle.
Protection. as applied by the repub-
lican party, is wrong IN principle and
harmful in it's results. inasmuch as it
gives our markets over TO the cupidity
Of combinations of wealth, and free
trade is equally injurious to the welfare
Of the country because it brings Ameri-
can labor into direct competition with
foreign labor without providing means
Of maintaining the American high stand
ard Of wages. Consequently, the ques-
ton of tariff reform must be considered
from a philosophic as well as economic
standpoint, and defensive policy
adopted that will preVnt both a reduc-
ton of wages and a loss of trade to
iting trusts and combinations, and yet
allowing foreign competition to enter
our markets on precisely the same terms
and conditions accorded American prod
ucerS.
Proposes a Tariff Commission.
MY plan is to authorize the proposed
tariff commission to prepare a schedule
OF such foreign articles as are sold in
American markets in competition with
American products, and upon each sep
arate article an import tariff shall be
levied sufficient to make Up the differ
ence in the increased cost of producing
the article in this country. provided
there be any difference in the cost Of
production. In imposing this duty the
American producers should be given the
hon Of e 49,
from other countries. In other words.
whenever a duty is imposed is should be
no more than enough to make up the
cost of production in a foreign country.
and that policy would keep our markets
open TO competition and insure the low
est prices to the American public with
out, in the least, injuring the interests
Of capital or labor. 1t would also, to
some extent do away with contention
between employees and working people
by establishing the fact that the tariff
was levied for the purpose of maintain
ing a high standard of wa ges. and would
stimulate the growth, prosperity and de-
velopment of this remarkable country
by inviting an increased investment of
capital.
should BE NOn-Partisan.
1.-THE commission should be non-parti-
san, and could be composed as follows:
Two representative workingmen, two
manufacturers. two farmers. three statis-
teal experts, one senator and one rep
resentative, the latter to be selected
from the dominant political party. /
think that a commission made up of
men familiar with the various elements
of a tariff schedule would be more sat
isfactory to the public than one COM
posed entirely of congressman or any one
class of citizens, for it must be remem-
bered that it Is confidence in the work
Of the commission which would prevent
a disarrangement of our commercial sys-
tenn and it's consequent depression in
trade If the Wilson bill had been pre-
pared on the plan proposed every mill
and factory now idle would be running
full time, every workingman out of en-
ployment would be putting in his full
ten hours a day, earning good wages,
and trade ana prosperity would be at
high tide After the first important work
of the commission had been accomplish
ed its number might be cut down to five,
but II should be permanently establish
ed so that it might report to congress
at each successive session the various
changes in the cost of production OF
agricultural and manufactured products
throughout the world. so that our tariff
might be revised accordingly, for the
United States is the most profitable and
satisfactory market in the world, and
If we are to maintain it as such we must
adopt defensive pOncy anu retain our
high standard of wages
An Objection.
but. Mr. Conn. what of the tariff
commission authorized by the Forty
seventh congress?"
THAT commission was partisan in pol
itics, established by a republican con-
gress for the purpose of perpetuating
protection and instructed to inquire only
into the manufacturing interests of the
United States and for that reason failed
to be of service in providing an accurate
comparison of the cost of manufacturing
in this and other countries, or of giving
information as to the value, from a
non-partisan standpoint, of placing
American producers on exactly the same
footing in American markets with for
eign producers without showing par
tialitX for or against them. Therefore.