Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1894-09-14

the secretary of the treasury and the Presi-
dent; and thus we made the bill"
That is to say, he said to the several
Senators: "What do YOU want? What is
your requirement for voting for this bill?
we must pass bill while we have the
power. What is the least consideration
that will get your vote?"
Not what was for the best interests of
tne people; not what would carry out the
pledges of their platform upon which they
gained power; not what was the best for
Uhe whole country and its vast interests;
not what the masses of the people wanted;
not what would give employment to our
thousands of idle men and promote the
general prosperity; but "what do you
want, what do you insist upon, and what
is the least you will take? Let us have
your answer frankly, so that we can ar
range things and may count upon your
vote for the passage of some sort of a tariff
bill"
And the Senator from Arkansas cheer
fully put the requirements of them all on
the margin of the bill and added one vote
after another to his list until 43 were Sc
cured.
The New Free List and the Boosted Re
ductIons.
Let us examine briefly the free list of
the new law. 1t has taken from the dutia-
BILE list of the law of 1890, and put on the
free list, articles the value of which, as inn
ported in 1898, was Sal 1898, 00071. Now
of what does this new free list consist?
Nearly oneh half of tor to be exact, $751;
496, 553. 92-was the farmers wool Then
SO, los, 391.11 was lumber and S1,512,-
\ Al I'D
hemp, the importations of which last year
amounted to 1,720, 231.GO, are transferred
from the dutiable list and placed upon the
free list.
Your free list, therefore, consists chiefly,
and almost exclusively, of the products of
the farm and the forest, which amount in
all to S31, 937, 1904. The balance of this
much Wanted free list, amounting to So
46O, 247, n, consists chiefly of manufacture
ed articles, although nearly one-quarter of
it, or 81, 26l, 766. 16, consists in paintings,
statuary and other works of art.
Now let us see what constitutes their
boosted reductions of duties:
On the basis of importations of last year
they have reduced the tariff on leaf tobacco
and Havana cigars 81, 434,0 12.
On liquors they have reduced duties
more than 81, 1872, $50. The duty on brandy,
for example, is reduced from $3.50 per gal
Ion under the law of 1890 to $3.50 under
the new tariff law.
On laces and embroideries they have re-
duced the duties, based upon the importa-
tions of last year, 1881, 800.
On silk dress goods, pushes, velvets,
etc., 81, 720,605.
On ostrich feathers and flowers, S265, $50.
On kid gloves, $S75, 900.
On china ware, 81, 233, 9S7.
On paintings and statuary, 1892, 657.
On pearl buttons, 1924 900.
On plate and cut glass, S215, 667.
On opium, for smoking, S400,073.
On jewelry, $4,000.
How the reduced tariff on these articles
will relieve the poor man! What relief
these changes will bring him
Every one is an article of luxury. Not
one has any place in the list of necessities
All are articles which are chiefly used by
the wealthy and opulent, the best-condi
toned of our country.
Yet these reductions had all to be made
, to give the Democratic Congress an excuse
for putting duty upon sugar, a necessity
: to every household in the land, that they
might enrich the trust already fattened
: as they allege, by its ill-gotten gains
What comfort will it bring to the average
American home, the modest households OF
; the great masses of the people, to be told
, that the duties have been reduced on laces
, silks, Havana cigars, cut glass, jewelry
!, ostrich feathers, velvets, liquors anC
opium? Yet such is the compensation tn,
American people are given for the added
burden of a cent and one-half, or more
, upon every pound of sugar they consume.
Sectional and Unjust.
: The law of 1894 is not national it is sec
= tional. Every paragraph manifests its in
spration and discloses its authors. 1t ha
been considerate of the manufactures of tn
South, but has not spared the vast indus
tries of the North. Whatever protectio
has been given to the great North an
= Northwest has been grudgingly given, an
: only because without it no tariff law coul
> have been passed, and where concession
t have been made to Northern industries
u will be found that they were made at tn
dictation of Southern people whose inter
!, ests were indcntical with those of the peopl
of the North. Have you reflected that tn
>, minority, and not the majority, represent
u ing the great industries and occupations
the people, made this law? >. A la
thus made cannot permanently stant
n The majority must rule and the majorit
, voice alone can write into public law
a statute which will endure.