The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1894-04-11
HILL On THE TARIFF,
The New York senator sharply Crltleisss
the Wilson nil


WAsHINGroN. April o. When the
senate met yesterday, the galleries
were crowded for il was known that
Mr.. Hill of New York proposed to define
his policy on the tariff and other mat
ters.
After the routine work had been
disposed of, the New Yorker arose
and began: "Thc political revolution,
which commenced in 1890 and culmi-
mated in 1892, was an emphatic ex-
preston of the popular will in behalf
of certain governmental politics
Measures and not men were largely
the issues involved in that movement.
Mr.. Hill then took mp the foreign
policy of the administration, saying:
1T is not denied some mistakes have
occurred. Our foreign policy especially
that relating to liawaii it must be
admitted, has not met the expecta-
tions of the people. A sense of hut
initiation prevailed when the project
for the restoration of deposed
monarch was unfolded by the
administration AMI qualification,
cnsued when its abandonment
or failure was reluctantly an
nounced. Influenced largely by
an aroused public sentiment.
That unfortunate contemplated policy
was Il blunder and a blunder is some
times worse than crime. 1t was,
however, the natural consequence
which might well have been antici-
pated from the other mistake in plac-
ing the department of state in charge
of Republican statesman, distin-
guished and estimable though
he may be, whose public service ;
have always been identified in
opposition to the Democratic party.
OF tariff reform, Mr.. Hill said that
revision should be approached with
circuInspection and with realizing
sense of the changed condition of the
country since 1887 and 1890. "An ex-
treme reduction of the tariff duties"
he declared, "at Il time when the
treasury was swollen with a surplus
of $l00, ,00O, 600, when the country was
reasonably prosperous, wheo all our
industries were in operation and
when all our worlingmen were
employed, assumed q different aspect
and presented different question
when proposed now with a large and
growing treasury deficit instead of a
surplus staring MS in the face, with
our industries paralyzed. our manu-
factories closed, our working men
idle, and following upon the heels of
one of the most disastrous financial
panics in our history. What was safe
and prudent and wise then, it would
be criminal folly to attempt now.
The present is no time for par
tisanship and Democrats aud Re-
publicans alike should strive to
solve existing problems in spirit of
broad patriotism. In the face of the
prostration of private industries and
in the presence of such paralysis of
general business, as the treasury
deficit attests and prolongs. this bill
as framed by its authors, and as
passed by the house sought to double
the deficit by discarding customs
revenue and to fill. the void with an
income tax"
The rest of the New Workers. speech
was given up to the income tax ques-
ton, and his opening words defined
his position in rnequivocal and force
full language. Against such a
scheme" he said, unnecessary, i'll
timed and mischievous--sndd
sprung upon the country in the hour
of its distress, un- Democratic in its
nature and socialistic in its tenden-
cies--I enter the protest of the people
of the state of New York They
utterly dissent from any proposal 70
get revenue for the general govern
ment by taxing incomes. Their dis
sent is practically unanimous and al
together implacable.'
Mr.. Hill intimated that the tariff
bill was constructed on lines laid
down by the administration; that ii
was an anomalous state of affair,
when the president should be able TO
give congress information as to what
had occurred in n committee of the
house, and said "In these later days
the distinctions betweeen the func
tions and prerogatives of the executive
department on one hand and the legis-
iative department onuthe other do moi
seem 10 be always observed. The
truth is the first information which
congress had of the alleged details OF
the proposed bill was in the message
itself. But the stran gcst part of this
unprecedente proceeding was in fact
that at the very date of the message,
to wit, December IA, 1898, neither the
full committee of ways and means
nor the Democratic members thereof
had agreed upon any income tan
or upon other internal taxation.
Mr. Hill defined his position in these
words: ~ stand ready to support
any reasonable measure for tariff re-
form framed within the lines and
based upon the principles which
have here partially indicated, anc
which were fully set forth in my
speech in opening the political cam
paign in Brooklyn on September 10
1892. / stand to-day where ! stood
then. / have nothing to add and
nothing to retract. will cheerfully
vote for the Mills bill and join yot
in making many material redue'
tions therein. | am ready to waive
all minor differences of details which
do not involve question of principle
Having spoken to-day, especially upoI
the income tax feature of this bill
reserve the expression of my views
upon it's other features until near the
close OF the discussion"