Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1894-02-01
TARIFF BILL DEBATE.
PARTY LEADERS DISCUSS THE
WILSON MEASURE.
Democrats, Republicans and Populists All
Take a Hand in the War of Words
which Is to shape the Nations Tariff
Policy.
Synopsis of the Speeches.


consideration involved the complete re-
versal OF the economic policy. The act of
1890 was designed not only with view of
securing revenue for the support of the
Government but for the further purpose
or giving encouragement to the creation
OF new enterprises and protection to Amer
lean industries and American workmen,
against unequal and In furious foreign com
petition. In its practical workings IL ac-
complished both these results The decline
In the public revenues Is not attributable
to any defect In the act OF 1890. but rather
TO the general arrangement and prostra-
tion Of business throughout the country.
The ascendency Of political party
pledged TO the destruction of our protect-
i've policy has not only crippled and sus-
pended the operation of our domestic
nanufa cturers. but the importer of for
eign fabrics naturally curtails his i'm
portations In the hope OF secur-
ing their admission tlto our markets
upon tho most favorable conditions l
confidently assert that IL the election of
1892 had resulted In the retention of the
Republican party In power, accompanied
as IL would have been with the assurance
OF continuance of the American policy Of
protection, the effect upon the public reve-
nue. as we'll as the general prosperity of
the country. would have been entirely the
reverse OF what is now seem"
Mr.. Black Dem of Illinois referred to
Mr.. Burrows picture OF dire disaster In
this country and said the suffering depicted
by him existed after thirty years of laws
written by his own party. Not a law has
been placed on the statute books by the
Democratic party since 1850 The Demo-
cratic party's responsibility for the laws
came only with this Congress- "Before we
took charge" said he, "the present condi-
81 NJ Hai had
tion is due TO existing law you cannot say
we did It, So far as the law is responsible
for the present conditions IL is the law Of
the high protective tariff"
Mr. Hopkins (Rep., Ill. said that the bill
that had been reported by the Ways and
Means Committee was certaiuly an anom-
ally of Congression al legislation. 1t neither
comes up to the standard of the bold and
defiant declarations OF their party plat
form nor meets the expectations OF the
more conservative element OF their party.
AS a revenue measure IL is a confessed
failure
Mr. Johnson Dem, Ohio) denounced
the attitude of his party in the prolonged
delay Of action upon the tariff question
after coming into power IL MIR. Cleve-
land had shown the sagacity and courage
the situa alton demanded, the ink would not
have been dry on the commissions Of his
secretaries ere Congress would have been
called into executive session to relieve tn e
country of its burdens of taxation. After
much delay, however, the committee had
given a Democratic report and Republi-
can bill He would vote for the bill IL he
could get nothing better, but he did not
like it Mr.. Johnson said that the bill X
enacted into law, would fnjure but one
trust, the sugar trust
Mr. Cochran 0Dem.,- N. " said the OBJ
lection that the bill would not afford suf-
fcient revenue Is one born of absolute ig-
norance Of the laws OF revenue reductions
A low tariff will not only increase the rev.
enues OF the government he said. but IL
will increase the opportunities of American
labor For every dollar that goes into the
treasury, hundreds OF dollars are collected
by the processes OF consum ption and trade
throughout the country so that the
amount contributed for the support of the
government is but a feature, a mite of this
system OF taxation, the real extent Of
which no man can tell
Mr. Reed (Rep,, Me- undertook to re-
fute Mr.. Cockran's statements lie said
the Democrats would sacrifice their market
at home for a more extended one abroad,
while the Republicans believed In enlarg-
ing the market In different direction.
They did not mean to go to the ends of the
earth and struggle with the cheaper labor
OF the old world. What they meant to do
was to elevate the market OF this country
by giving higher wages TO labor and there
by constituting market as broad as
American production.
Mr.. Breckinridge Dem, Ky. said that
insome particulars the Wilson Dill did not
meet his approval. In that IL did not go far
enough He would like TO have seen tin
plate put on the free list even IL a heavier
tax would have to be levied on whisky.
He would like to see the bounty on sugar
removed, but he wanted ,he sugar men OF
the South and the sorghum men OF the
northeast placated, in order that they
might be brought into the Democratic fold,
for IL was only by union that the reform
could be consummated. He favored the
I'D valorem feature OF the pending bill
While 1t did not meet with his unqualified
approval he was ready TO vote with his
party on the experiment OF an income tax.
Mr. Dingley (Rep, Me. }, said instead OF
being q measure, as termed, to provide
revenue 1t was 10 fact a bill to abolish
revenue. He argued In favor OF protect
iys apues, and said grQtest.9n simply says
Wths foreign manYsctuter! IyPgl gust
pay our Governpept as a duty the differ
the production Or Manufacture ard dis
tribution OF any article which ytp have
withheld from your labor and which we
have paid ours" He Said the Democratic
majority was deaf to the protest OF the
people In the recent elections.
Mr.. Dalzell (Rep. Pa. said that in the
few months that the dominant party has
held the reins of government II has proved
itself conspicuously incompetent to deal
with a single important question presented
by the responsibilities of civil administra-
tion In this deplorable condition OF
things, clouds and darkness all around us,
what do those VINO rule our destinies pro-
pose by way OF relief? tariff bill that, II
enacted. / predict po 'terty will pronounce
the most In famous legislative crime of our
history. Instead OF relief IL brings aggra-
walton.
Mir. warner Dem. ". Y..) spoke In de-
fense OF the bill While he urged its
prompt passage. he said IL had grave de-
feels For one thing IL did not go far
enough. He thought in some places IL bore
unevenly. and he protested particu arly
against the retention of the sugar bounty.
and he protested still more strongly
against the tax OF one-quarter OF a cent a
pound by which IL was proposed to protect
the sugar trust And he protested ag ainst
the reciprocity which was now proposed
TO be revived for the benefit of the Stand
ard OIL Company. He urged the passage OF
tho bill, not as a compromise but as an at
tack upon the outworks OF protection.
Mr. Everett dem, Mass.) said he was
going to vote for this bill because he had
believed for years that such measure as
this was demanded by patriotic considera-
tions He thought however. that the
Wilson bill did not go far enough.
Mr. Payne rep. N. Y) said the pending
bill was n sectional measure In that IL ex-
tended protection to southern while cut
ting the duties on northern agricultural
products
Mr.. Simpson Pop. KanL) intended 10
vote Tor the bill. but there we're many pro-
visions In IL that did not meet with his sp-
proval; inasmuch, however. MS IL was a
robber tariff At least 20 per cent lover
than tte Mckinley bill. he should have 70
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