The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1894-04-21
THE TARIFF BILL.
Merits OF tho Measure Discussed By the
Senators.

cusSton OF revenue ana protective tafiHS DO |
clared that the most consistent and practic
able system of tarin taxation for revenue only !
Is that adopted by Great Rriiain-taxing only !
such articles as are not produced in tho coun'
try lcvying the tax, and In addition such ari
cles ms are OF more or less harmful character
AS liquors and tobacco But he said, while
this method is simple IL Is unjust IN its opera
ton. Sugar coffee, tea and spices would sup.
ply all the revenue we now derive from Gus
toms, But n system which operates so unjust
ly upon poor people could not be enforced in
this country"
The Wilson bill Mr.. PETER characterized as
q protective measure, surrcndering revenue
on the luxuries and discriminates against
farms The duties on many farm products are
Of no benefit TO the farmer, but when they are
of any use let them remain, II the protection
policy is to be maintained. Tho Wilson bill
allows loss OF revenue that might rs well
be retained. 1t is no better on the whole than
the present law. 1t has free wool, but taxes
clothes; free hides but taxes shoes. Itprotects
manufacturers and gives free raw materials.
The chairman OF the finance committee de.
nounced protection MS robbery. How can he
support this bill? His speech was an arraign.
ment Of his colleagues ard an apology for him.
self. When the tariff-reformers bring us free
wool and leave such burdens on the clothing OF
men and women who perform the manual labor
of the country may we not inquire where the
line is to be drawn between q tariff for revenue
only and the eliminating atrocity of class leg.
isation""
Referring to the popuist view OF the tariff ho
said: I'VE understand that the lcvying of tariff
duties is a tax upon the people, and we would
make the burden US light as possible. The
populists believe in a graduated income tax
and regard II as the most equitable system OF
taxation. The populists do not believe in pulling
down the rich but In raising up the poor. We
do not believe in abandoning wholly the present
system. take it that professed tariff rcformers
do not see how greatly their practice contrasts
with their theory; they mean well but lack
courage. Protection as taught by our fathers
is the proper doctrine. Protection to domestic
industries. Only such industries as can be
made national, employing large numbers Of
people, should be protected, and that only long
enough to establish them Bounties in many
cases are better than cheaper duties. "
On the 9th. Senator Hill dem, N.Y. opened
his speech by criticising the Hawaiian policy OF
the administration, and scoring the president
with this 'blunder" as 1.-The natural conse
Quence which might well have been anticipated
from that other mistake in placing the depart
ment of state in charge of republican states
man, distinguished and estimable though he
may be, whose public services have always
been identified in opposition to the democratic
party, who was without sympathy for its ira
ditions and purposes and whose political con-
victions upon the disputed public questions of
the day. if changed ut ALL ate carefully con-
cealcd
president should not have been able to find in
his own party some safe and honored states
man who would have reflected credit upon the
country ana would have avoided the promuga
ton of the un-American policy-a departure
from democratic precedents-whch was sought
to be forced upon an unwilling people. In this
view of the situation our opponents must ac-
cept some share of the responsibility for the
blunders committed in our foreign affairs. In
other respects the present administration OF
our government affords scant grounds for just
criticism"
| The senator spoke of the repeal of the federal
| election law as fulfilment of the party
! pledges and q triumph for the just doctrine oi
! states rights, and indorsed the repeal OF the
Sherman law Coming then to the main ques,
| tion--tariT reform-he said:
Revision should be approached with circum
| spection and with realizing sense of the
| changed condition of the country since 1887 and
| 1890 An extreme reduction OF tariff duties al
| n time when the treasury was swollen with a
! surplus of $l0U0O0,00O when the country was
| reasonably prosperous, when all our industries
| were in operation and when all our working.
men were employed, assumed different aspect
and presented o different question when pro
! posed now, with large and growing treasury
deficit instead of surplus staring us in the
| face with our industries paralyZed, our manu-
| factories closed our woriingmen idle and fol
| lowing upon the heels of, one of the most dis
astrous financial panics IN our history Wha
was safe and prudent and wise then i. would be
criminal folly to attempt now.
'In the face of the pros trat tion of private it
! dustries and in the presence of such paralysis
of general business as the treasury. deficit ut
| tests and prolongs, this bill, framed by it;
authors and as passed by the house, sought IL
! double the Gcsicit by discarding customs rev
! enue and TO III the void with an income tax"
He intimated that the tariff bill was con
structed on lines laid down by the administra
tion: that il was an anomalous state of affair:
when the president should be able TO give con
presS information as to what had occurred in
committee OF the house.
4 Senator Hill said that for his part, as Il dem.
ocrat he preferred indirect taxation and tariff
reforms above direct taxation and tariff eXten
sion. He preferred taxing foreign product!
rather than taxing home products. He followed
Jefferson in regarding even the species of ind!
rect taxation on home products, by interim
t!onal revenue war taxes, as not good to be eX
tended and the first to be rid of when the
need is past.
Il stand ready" he said in conclusion, "to SUI
port any reasonable measure for. tariff reform
framed within the lines and based upon thu
principles which have here partially indicat
ed, and which were fully set forth in m
speech in opening the political campaign il
Brooklyn on September 10, 1892 ] stand to
day where stood then. have nothing TO adj
and nothing to retract. will cheerfully vot
ing many material reductions Of duties there
in. / am ready to waive all minor difference
OF details which do not involve question O
principle"
On the 10th Senator Lodge rep, Mass) speak
ing in opposition 20 the measure observed tha
il would he best We're we 10 recognize chat b.
itself and OF itself the tariff is l. busines
question and THAT protection and free trad
i.only take ON different and far deeper mean
ing when they are considered AS parts OF a ques
tion between farrcaching principles. which
believe involve the future OF our race and TIL
existence and progress of the highest civiliza
liuD.
IF the American manufacturer does no
make money II Is quite certain that he will no
employ labor, and therefore the workinGmc
viii not make money, either. Our munufat
turers believe that under free trade. the
must either go out OF business or reduc
labOr COSTS They naturally do not car
to 10 the former, for that is ruin an
they are very unwilling to Try the lat
ter, because reducing labor costs means low
erins wages, which means in turn vast Il,
dustrml disturbances and that s ruin, TOO, o
something very near it. How widely diGereE
Is our situation to-day from that Of Englan
fifty years ago so far as tho manufacturers ar
concerned Most striking OF all these differ
enceS, moreover, is the fact that, while III
English parliament listened to English MANI
faciurcrs, Il maiority of the American congrcs
not only turns u deaf ear to American mant
facturcrs, but treats them as il they were enc
mics OF their country
HAS English agriculture been benefited b
free trade, as Golden and others OF his schoc
predlctcds IL is matter OF public noloret
that the record OF agriculture in England G