The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1894-04-28
Che Democratic gapoeate.
WESTMINSTER. MD.
SATURDAY. APRIL %. 1894.
The Tariff Bill, and the Ignorance
Concerning 1t.


together. and fought hard to have free
sugar, coal and iron, but there were other
Democrats to be satisfied, and he espouses
the bill because it makes large reductions
in taxation and is a great improvement on
the Mckinley law.
To frame bill to suit all Democratic
Senators and Representatives would be an
impossibiity, and it is just as impossible to
frame bill to suit all other Democrats.
Self.interest unconsciously impels men, and
most persons favor taxing everybody but
themselves.
New England wants free iron and free
coal. She also wants high taxation to shut
ont competition with her manufactures. In
other words, she wants free raw materials
and monopoly in her special wares.
Other sections are nearly as selfish. Now
to get a tax bill upon which all Democrats
can harmonic necessarily means conees-
sion. When the Wilson bill passed the
House many Democrats voted for it who
did not like the income tax and number
of other features. The income tax was not
a part of the Wilson bill as reported, but
was added to it in the House after a long
debate. If the action of the House had
1 LII tln Of
ton. we feel sure the bill would not have
been passed in the shape it was. Those
opposed to some of its provisions looked
TO the Senate to make the bill right, and
after the Senate finishes it, the bill will go
TO conference committee Of the two
houses, and will be still further altered.
Mr. Voorhees, expresses astonishment
that so much has been said and written in
absolute ignorance of the Wilson and Sen
ate bills. This has not all resulted from
Ignorance, but rather from the viciousness
of certain newspapers toward those Sena-
tors who oppose free coal and iron and an
income tax. These journals know more
chan they say, and they deliberately per-
vert the truth to create public sentiment
against those to whom they are inimical.
The Wilson bill, as reported, would have
caused deficiency of some $40 100000 in
the revenue. The income tax feature re-
duced this to a considerable extent, but
still the revenue would have been INSULT
cient to meet demands upon the treasury.
Did the people desire the passage of such
a bill, and have an annual bond issue and
an annual increase of the public debt?
Surely not But the masses knew but lit
tie of the Wilson bill Being put forward
by Democratic House they concluded,
naturally, it was Democratic measure,
Democratic promises, and en-
dorsed it. The New York, New Jersey,
Maryland, and some other Senators de
sired the bill amended so as to make it a
revenue measure-a measure that would
raise enough money to pay the expenses OF
government and preserve the public credit.
Some of these objected to one feature of
The bill and some to another. They re-
present populous and influential states,
and their views are entitled to considera-
lion After long conferences the Wilson
bill was amended and presented. The
elamor of the press hurried the committee,
and the bill was brought forth incomplete.
Conferences have been going on to do the
work that ought to have been done before
The committee reported the bill.
But the vicious press, bent on the down
fall of certain Senators, have knowingly
lnd persistently misrepresented these Sen
,tors. The Baltimore Sun and Netos have
been laboring to make the people believe
he Wilson bill was perfect measure, and
by inference that its speedy passage was
only delayed by the Maryland Senators.
The Ne,cs circulated petitions among the
people, requesting the Senators to support
he Wilson bill just as it came from
he House. These were numerously signed
by readers of the Ne,oS, because, getting
heir information from the Ne,es, they
believed the bill was perfect. A meeting
N Frederick passed resolutions requesting
he Maryland Senators to vote for the bill
ust as it came from the House, being
nislead BY the Sun. Andsome ofthe lead
.rs of that meeting, like the SIM, are so OPP
posed to Senator German, they would have
aiken any action that would have tended to
his downfall 1t was not the Wilson bill
hey were so interested init was hostility
o Senator German. The SIN does not hest
ate to pervert the truth at any time to
larry out its aim, and its editorial on Sena-
or Voorhees, letter, though complimentary
10 the Tall Sycamore of the Wabash, was
very unfair, and was made the basis to vent
some of its spleen upon certain Senators.
A tax bill should be made as equitable
is possible. We can see no reason, for in
stance, why New England, New York and
New Jersey manufactures should be pro-
.eeted from so to 20 per cent, and Mary
and and West Virginia be asked to relin-
luish all protection on coal. The Wilson
bill made coal free, and the Senate put the
luty at 40 cents ton. The Mckinley
AK is 70 cents. And why should the
South be asked to relinquish all tax on iron
ore, for the benefit of the North
The Senate bill makes substantial reduc-
ions in the cotton, wooden and silk sched-
ules-in clothing and blankets and carpets.
Bv reduction of taxation these articles