The record-union., 1894-04-03

ready for their eager enjoyment, / envy
not the fate of the party, nor the man,
nor the set of men, who shall constitute
themselves as a hindrance and an OBJ
struction to its speedy fulfllment.
Faults and imperfections can, of course,
be alleged and pointed out; concessions
are apparant which have been unwill-
Ingly made in order to secure its passage;
articles on the free list, as they came
from the House, have been made dutiable
under the duresS of a small majority
here; yet, deeply as / regret the necessity
for these changes, do not hesitate to say
that the bill, taken as a whole, as it now
stands, with its combination of lower
taxes on the necesSarieS of life and at the
same time increased revenues for the
Government, will be hailed as a su ubstan-
tial measure of reform and relief by the
great producing masses of the American
people.
Manufacturing interests. which years
ago were In deed and in fact in their in
fancy and were fostered while yet in the
cradle OF their birth, are now the colossal
task masters. commanding tribute from
every days labor beneath the sun and
haughtily striding the corridors of this
Capitol and issuing their edicts in the
tones OF directors for or against the enact
ment Of the pending measures III the halls
OF Congress. Those who own and repre-
sent these swollen and arrogant interests
do not hesitate To declare in what terms
bill vitality affecting 20, 100000 people will
be permitted to become a law, and in de-
fault of what provisions for financial
profits to themselves they will insure its
defeat.
The enactment of the Mckinley bill
was a gigantic crime, not only against
every workingman and work king-woman
in the United States, but also against
every individual manufacturer and
against all manufacturing interests. 1t
was not so designed by the authors, but
such was its real and inevitable character
1t declared policy so fiagitious III
principle. so rotten in morality and so
ravenOus in its eXactions on the absolute
wants OF life, that its possible duration
was only a question OF time when the
next election by the people should occur,
and yet the vast manufacturing interests
of the country were tempted and seduced
in accepting its delusive brides ana into
an eager adjustment Of themselves to its
alluring though eyanescent and short
lived provisions.
''If the reward of labor had ever been
increased as an incident or a consequent
of increased tariff duties on foreign inn
ports, nothing would be easier or more
gracious TO the advocates and beneficiarieS
of protection than to show that fact. The
very reverse, however, is true. 1t can
never be forgotten that the enactment of
the Mckinley law in October, 1890, was
followed almost Immediately by a reduc-
ton of the wages of all workers i'll iron
and steel, beginning at Homestead, in
Pennsylvania, under Carnegie, resulting
in bloodshed and wholesale murder and
extending TO all parts of the country and
to almost every interest of manutactur-
ing industry"
Mr.. Voorhees, then defended the ad
Q foirpr hnnnCfnr and
more easily understood than specific
duties On the subject Of the sugar Sched-
ule he said
Absolute free trade in sugar is an at
tractive item, but no such thing has ever
existed for single hour since the organ
iZation of the Government. y moderate
duty has always been imposed on sugar,
and it has always been a stanch revenue
support Of the Government. In that
great model of a Democratic tariff for
revenue only-the tariff of lS46-it was
declared IN a short and simple phrase
that sugar of all kinds and syrup OF the
sugar were subject 10 duty and tax OF
30 per cent. ad valOrem. The fact that the
duty tax on sugar has insured more 10
the benefit of the revenues Of the Govern
ment and less to the profits of private
parties than any other tax known TO
tariff legislation may be stated as the
main reason why the Democratic party
has never made an issue against 1t. Every
dollar collected from a tariff tax on sugar
and paid into the Treasury relieves some
other article of even higher necessity III
the economy OF lie frOln the imposition
of tariff taxation.
During the present fiscal year, ending
June 20th, there will be paid by the
Treasury 81, 100000 as bounty TO the pro-
ducers of sugar, and every dollar of this
vast sum is Tor taxes collected from those
who plant corn, raise wheat and engage
in all the various pursuits of labor.
Nearly $50 000, 900 of bounty money has
been handed over to the sugar-makers of
the country since the law went into oper-
alton, and each year the sum Is rapidly
increasing. 1t was thought when the law
was under discussion that the bounty
would not exceed SS, ,000,0 600 per year, but
the stimulating influence of such an
enormous bounty was underrated. If the
law is to remain unrepeaed the time IS at
! hand when it will confer as mere gra-
tuity more than so 100000 per year on
! small traction of our population engaged
in no public service, but in their own
private enterprises"
On the subject of the whisky tax Mr..
! Voorhees, said:
"In turning to another subject, on
which much ignorance and much maleV-
olent criticism has been heard, the task is
easy. In securing a sufficient revenue
| for the support of the Government, with
| as light tax as possible on these neceS-
saries OF life, have at all times earnestly
favored an increased tax on whisky. L
| would be glad to-day II the pending Dlll
! provided for tax of 81 70 per gallon in
j. stead OF 81 10 as it does. Revenue raised
from distilled spirits, the purchase and
consumption of which is never neces-
! sity of life, but the fact that twenty mill
ions OF surplus accrulng under the blll
was furnished by the tax on whisky, Is
genuine JOY To my mind. My sincere re-
gret is that more money tor the Govern
lnent was not obtained from that source
and consequently from other sources OF a
/ different character. / have no hesitation
! in declaring, upheld as l am by the Sec
| relary of the Treasury and the ConmlS-
| sioner of Revenue, who have both recon-
! meuded every step taken on THIS SUBJECT,
/ that one of the wlsest, safest, most useful
and necessary provisions In the pendlng
| bill Is that increasing the tax on distilled
spirits and granting an extension of time
they may remain in bond without beng
driven out OF the country"
speaking OF the proposed income tax,
which ne warmly upheld, Mr.. VOORHEES,
said:
The proposition contained in the pend
ing bill 10 levy a tax OF = per cent on all
incomes OF corporations and individuals
III eACtSS Vi Tt,V'V PSA "NA, - -
and equitable toward the hard working
taxpayers OF meager resources through
out the entire country that not woru III
its defense or explanation would seem
necessary here or anywhere else. But
the narrow and corroding seltishness OF
riches has been aroused by this simple
measure OF justice into fierce resentment
and contentious We heard on all hands
the voice oi individual and corporation
! weaIth demanding That it shall not be dis
turped by the demands Of the slightest
touch OF the taX-gatherer, whatever may
be the demands of the Government or the
.n-,,,,....S il, f tl,l, t.,ili llllSSps.