The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1894-01-13
TELEGRAPHIO NEWS.
The Tariff Debate.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 9-The house
opened with a small attendance. After
routine business the house went into COM
mlttee of the whole on the tariff bill &.
Wilson resumed his speech of yester-
day.
At the close OF Wilson's speech Bur
rows of Michigan addressed thu house in
answer to Wilson, making the opening g
speech in behalf of the Republican min
ority. Burrows said the measure under
consideration had for its avowed object
a radical modification of the tariff act of
1890. 1t involved not only a change in
rates, but complete reversal of the
economic policy of the tariff act of 1890,
enacted with a view not only of securing
revenues tor the government but to en-
courage the creation of new enterprises
and to protect American Industries and
American workmen against unequal and
injurious foreign competition. 1t accom-
complished both these results. Since
July 1, 1898, however, marked decline
in revenues had taken place. This was
not attributed to the law of 1890, but to
a prostration of the business of the coun-
try through the ascendency of political
party pledged to the destruction of the
protective policy. This not only crIppled
the operations of domestic manufactur~
ers, but the importer naturally curtailed
importation with view to a coming
low tariff. Ifthe Republicans had oeen
successful in the elections of 1892, pub
lie prosperity would have continued.
President Harrison teld the truth in bis
last annual message when he said: "Such
high degree of prosperity and so great
necessities of life were never before en-
joyed by our people,"
Burrows then proceeded to contrast
the conditions then and now. He de.
clared that the tariff bill of 1890 had
contradicted every prediction of the
democrats by creating hundreds of new
industries, enlarglng employment and
giving increased wages 10 labor, cheap
eniBg the cost of protected articles, aug
menting the cost of foreign imports, in
creasing our exports. and reasserted that
the present general paralysis of business
was solely from the ascendeucy of party
pledged to repeal that act. He declared.
lyon have but to abandon the policy
upon which you have entered, recommit
this bill and permit the existing lar.f
regulations to remain undisturbed and
all our Industries will quickly revive"
Burrows then took up the tariff plank of
the last Democratic national platform
and compared it with the South Carolina
ordinance of nullifcatlon. He then
turned and argued at length on the ques.
tion of the constItutionaity of protec-
tive tariff, citing Webster, Adams, Jeffer
son and others in support thereof. He
declared if the present policy was carried
out it would lead to individual disaster
and national bankruptcy. The speaker
then took up the free lists and proceeded
to argue that the farmer had been cspec-
tally selected for assault and destruction.
Free iron ore and free wool would result
in the destruction of fecks and the clos
ing of mines, or lowering of our ccndi-
tion to the level of foreign competitors,
and when the hocks were slaughtered
and the mines closed the foreigner would
and impose upon US whatever burden
bis cupidity might suggest. Turning to
the dutable schedules, he declared there
was not one in which some industry
would not be injured and many de-
stroyed, while not single one would
stimulate any domestic industry or give
employment to labor Burrows then ar
gued against the substitution of ad va
loren for specific duties. The speaker
concluded with an eloquent picture of
the present depressed condition of the
country and appealed to the Democrats
to abandon the policy outlined In the
bill