Iron County register., 1894-08-23
THE END OF THE FIGHT.
Ml. Wilson's Closing Words In the Great
Tariff Struggle.

ul. Wilson's Closing Words In the Great
Tariff Struggle.
Upon the acceptance of the senate
tariff bill by the house on Monday,
August ID, Mr.. William L. Wilson,
chairman of the ways and means COM
mittee, spoke briefly upon the passage
of the bill as follows:
Mr.. Speaker. have made the motion which
I have sent to the clerks desk. not on my own
responsibility or from my own volition. but as
the official organ Of the caucus Of my associ-
ates On this side OF the house and by their d.
rection- shall say very little myself on this
occasion in advocacy of the motion, and shall
be sincere and frank In what shall submit to
this house.
Il do rot pretend that 1 am gratifed ut the
outcome of this prolonged controversy.
don't pretend that up to the very last moment
had not cherished the hope and the faith that
We should reach another and a better and q
more satisfactory conclusion Of this conflict
between the two houses Of the American
congress. I had hoped and believed until
there seemed to be no ground scarcely for
hope and belief that in such contest
this house, backed by the American peo-
pie and enthusiastically sustained by the
democratic party, would be able to achieve
houses which we could have accepted not from
q sense OF duty, but with sense Of satisfac-
ton and feeling that We had responded to the
mandates OF the American people.
But, Mr.. Speaker. we have simply realized
IN this great Aght the fact well stated by
the great leader OF the tariff reform fight in
Great Britain-that when the people have
gained victory at the polls they must have a
further stand-up and knock-down fight with
their own representatives. And we have real
tzed. II nothing else. the salutary lesson Of the
intrenchment of the protective system in this
country under thirty years OF class legislation
until the mere matter OF tariff schedules is q
matter Of insignihcance, and the great aues-
tion presents itself. is this to be government
by self-taxing people or q government by
trusts and monopoues: [Applause on the dem
ocratic side. If we have taken out OF this
fight no other lesson than that 1t has been to
us great, an inspiring and valuable lesson
II We have not been able to get all that the
mandates Of the people told US to get, all that
the high enthusiasm OF the people expected us
to get, we have brought this dangerous fact
face to face with American freemen, and We
have made some breach In the protective sys-
TEN through which the hosts OF American free
men will continue to march. Applause on the
democratic sidel
My attention has necessarily been so con-
constantly and so steadily directed to their de-
merits that 1t would require some experience
to lears what the merits are. Laughter and
opp:ause.l But whatever the measure Of short
loI.Ins Of this bill In its present form-what-
ever BE- its dement's In mere schedules-this
do kEpw, that it is better than the Mckinley
bil1 IIouo applause on .he democratic side.l
This DO know, that in part OF 1t 1t does af-
ford some relief to the<ta1payers OF this coua-
try and does clip the wings OF the gigantic mo-
nopolies that are now expressing them and
blocking legislation.
Take even those portions of the bill over
which this contest between the two houses
has been waged: take iron ore and coal upon
which We have confronted and to certain ex-
tent unsuccessfully confronted. the great rail-
-Oad syndtcateS OF the country; get we have re-
duced them Doth nearly so per cent. below the
Mckinley bill. Applause. Take the sugar
schedule. over which tho greatest of all the
contests between the two houses has been
wased. Vicious as It may be, burdensome
to the people as it may be. favorable to the
trust IS it may. it is Less vicious. less favora-
bic to the trust. less burdensoLae to the people
than is the Mckinley law, under which this
trust has grown SO great as to overshadow with
its power the American people. [Applausel
If for no other reason, then. those who be-
ueve that when they cannot take the full step
which they desire. when they cannot do that
which the people commissioned them to do,
they must take the best they can and step
far they can. may hnd some Justification
for unheSitattng choice between the two
bills
MIR. Hudson (pop) o. Kansas should like
to ask the gentleman whether he has inveSti-
gated fully TO be able 20 state definitely
furnish sufficient revenue to meet the entire
expenses Of the government:
MIR. WilSon-That IS a question, which no
man. perhaps. certainly not I. can answer in
definite language. But I have difficulty
whatever in saying that when the schedules OF
the bill with the senate amendments get into
normal operation 1t will produce sufficient and
more than suficient revenue for the support OF
the government
L should add to the answer that perhaps In
the beginning the bill will not produce as
much revenue as will result from It later
under its ordinary working, because. am in
formed, whether 1t be true not, 1 don't
know. that the sugar trust. in anticipation Of
the passage of the bill. has imported about
s100 600 OOo worth. or, it has been said. even in
excess of that quantity. of raw sugar"
Mr.. Hudson-Will the passage OF this bill,
in your judgment, save the country from the
further issue Of bondS?"
Mr.. Wilson, think have already covered
that question in my previous answer. It may
be in the first few months Of the operation OF
she bill, because Of this great accumulation OF
raw sugar to which / have just referred, that
the revenue of the government will not be suf-
fcient to meet the expenditures of the govern
ment; but it is my belief. in view OF the large
amount of imported goods in bond and also in
view of the fact that there will be larger i'm
pOrtationS when the tariff rates are definitely
known and fixed. that il the necessity does not
exist to-day it viii not exist after the passage
of this bill?
Mr.. Dtngley Me)-W1u the gentleman par
don me just on that point: 1 understand him
to say that the sugar trust has already import
cd s10O. 600 600 worth OF sugar. If so, inas,nuch
as only sl04 4Oo0.OO0 worth OF sugar was import
ed last year, will not all the revenue that We
get from sugar under the operation of this bill
for the first year be missing:
Mr. Wilson, did not int end to give the
figures that 31O0. 100000 Of raw sugar had been
imported. stated that had been informed
the sugar trust had imported that amount, and
have even heard it stated that it was in ex-
cess of that amount. 1t has been put at 49,
900 tons by gentlemen who pretend to know.
MI Heard tdem.) Of Missouri-Is 1t not true
that whatever may be this bonus to the sugar
trust in view Of the passage OF this law, would
not the trust reap still larger bonus under
the operation OF the Mckinley law II that were
still left in force:
MIR Wilson-They would not do so irnmedi-
ately. but under the operation of that law
from year to year they would certainly reap .
larger sum.
Mr. Speaker in answer to all OF these Ques-
tions have simply TO say that under the rule
just adopted by the house Immediately follow
ing the passage OF this bill propose to pre-
sent and pass bill putting sugar on the free
list. The question is now raised as to whether
this is government Of the American people
for the American people a government OF
the sugar trust for the benefit of the sugar
trust. and this house will show the people,
doubt Eot, what its position is ON that ques-
ton and the senate will show the people it's
position. 1 will reserve the residue OF nay
time
OPINIONS OF SENATORS.
Views of Representatives ON the Passage
of the Senate Bill.
Il have always maintained that only the
I..1r