The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1894-02-22
The Tariff Bill.

ItEGARDING the determination Oi
the Finance committee in the matter
Chairman Vorhees has given out the
following statement:
"Prompt and speedy action on pend
ing tariff Legislation is required at
this time by every patriotic and bust
ness consideration. The majority OF
the Finance committee, charged with
the responsibility of the pending
measure, intend that no delay shall
occur which is possible toavoid. We
are determined that the business men
of the country of all classes shall at /:
very early day have full and clear
insight into the laws of tariff taxation
which shall hereafter prevail.
"a claim. however. is now made
that whoever may wish to do so must
be allowed to come before the Fin
ance committee and make speeches in
regard to each and every particular
interest affected by the tariff. This
claim is without limit as to numbers.
and, if granted to one person, it mus;
be granted to all. One Senator alone
asks 500 to be heard from his State
1t is also unlimited as to time, and
becomes, therefore, in the hands o.
the opponents of tariff reform, an in
strument of delay, indefinite in dura-
ton, and far more formidable anG
efficient than the worst form of fill
clustering on the floor of the Senate
''But if these hearings, as they arc
called, are matter of rigb. and can
not be denied by the comm;tte, why
be merely exparte in their character?
If we are to listen for the next fou,
er FIVE months, as it is boasted in Ger
tain quarters we will be compelled to
do, why should the manufacturers
these who plead for protection, fol
gains and profits by icgislatio l, alone
be heard? Il seems to us that the
consumers of tariff taxed goods-ths
farmer, the toiling millions through
out the whole land d-haye the high
est right of all to be heard: in theh
necessary self defense-self-defens,
against injustice and oppre 5sion. /:
the cause of privilege, prtection and
financial greed is to invade our com,
mittee-room to be heard during the
coming spring and summer. then, by
every principle of justice and right.
the cause of the victim. the toilinc
consumer, must also be! amply anc
fully heard.
''The truth s that legislation wa
never accomplished by such method.
and never will be under this form o.
government. The people are hearo
through their Repr' sentatives in Con
gress, and moments reiiectio
will show how ample and sufficient
such hearings always have been ano
always will continue to be. For in.
stance, why should the business o.
the country be left in doubt for week.
and months while the manufacturer.
of certain State are talking to th,
committee, when, in point of fact. {
Senator from the same State, manu-
facturer himself, could be discussing
the same questions far more intelli
gently and ably on the floor of the
Senate?
at is all idle pretense that an.
right is denied to anybody by the
course the committee has determined
to take. We will report our bill t,
the Senate without delay, and
then full hearings will take place.
Already more than million cir
culars, embracing interrogatives
touching every branch of business
known to the census of 1890, have
been addressed to all our industries,
end abundant streams of information
: are pouring in for use in discussion
to the Senate. In addition to this,
nearly all the protected manufactur-
ers were heard before the Committee
on Ways and Means of the House,
and the testimony there taken is in
print and in the possession of the SEN
ate. The whole subject is very
familiar to the American mind, and
needs no further elucidation than will
be incident to full, free debate. The
country needs action, action.