Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1894-01-04
THE MINORITY REPORT.

The minority report of the ways and
means committee of the house which
was prepared in most part by Thomas
b. Reed, is a strong argument for pro-
lection and shows to what infamy the
theoretical tariff thinkers have fallen in
preparing the Wilson bill. 1t shows
that the bill which was constructed for
the purpose of raising revenue, actually
reduces the revenue of the government
S74,000,000 below the revenue of 1898,
which was only 100000 above ex-
penses, and transfers the burden of tax
alton from foreigners to the shoulders
of our own citizens. Mr.. Reed intimates
that the majority departed from the
platform on which it carried the country
last fall through fear and have absolutely
repudiated the declarations made u
year ago. The report says the bill
"pretends to be a revenue tariff and
does not raise 1t pretends to
give protection but destroys it in every
indirect way" The report points out
clearly the evil effects the bill would
have on the country, and shows its
trainers to be novices in political econ
omy if not destitute of patriotism and
common sense. We regret hal we
have not space for the full report as
every line is pregnant with truth and
Americanism. The following excerpt
will be sufficient to give some idea of
its general tone:
Another serious general objection to the
bill is that it decreases the revenue. accord
ing to the calculations usually made by
the treasury department as compared with
1898, about S74, 600, 600. This large de-
felt, coming as it does upon a depleted
treasury, is rather appalling in a bill for
revenue only. How thisg great hole in our
resources, as a nation, is to be filled no one
knows. At this date not even the COM
mittee knows, unless the president. antici-
pating in his message to congress the report
| of the committee on ways and means, shall
| afford to the committee itself it's wished
for clew.
Against the consideration of such a bill
creating such a deficit and leaving it unac-
counted for, the minority vainly protested
when the bill was aid before the COM
mittee. Who would dare, OF sound snd
statesmanlike mind, to create a deficit of
I4,OOO.O 900 and blindly vote it with no
plan in sight whereby the government could
meet it's expenditures? That same protest
we make to the house and to the country.
The bill ought not to be reported with
out the internal revenue bill. which is to
make up the deficiency. Are we to pass
this bill and then be coerced into the other?
Who knows if they were presented together
that we might not prefer to stay where we
are? The progress Of this attempt at what
has been called reform, has already created
such feeling that the country is stirred al
over. When the scheme of raising taxes
by methods used in the time Of war is pre-
scented, in addition to those now imposed
there may be such further revulsion of feel
ing as will accomplish the work of defeat
ing this bill.
We have not thought il desirable to
make any appeals to passion or to preiu
dice. Far from that we have taken thus
far nj notice of the condition of business
now, uitu rs ttrTiDit, nor ol budu VI tut
workingman, which beggars description
There is no need to present this to the
country. 1t is presenting itself. In one
hundred representative cities, where the
number employed exceeds two millions and
a half OF people, fully one-third, by the
most conservative estimate, are without
employment. These are engaged in the
protected industries. Those who are not
and who thought they were beyond the
touch of the tariff, now know the solid fact
that all industries are prosperous or none.
| Spread thisa all over the country, as you
must, and the result will startle even the
unthinking. 1t is not necessary for us to
bring this to public view. No ingenuity
can keep it out OF everybody's face and
eyes. Workingmen all over the country
are expressing their deep and sorrowful
feeling. We will not strive in any way to
increase the turmoil which this bill has al.
ready created. An end can be put to all
| thisb by the defeat of this bill. and to the
accomplishment of this every energy should
be bent. The best way to put an end to
this agitation is to put an end to the
causes.