Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1894-02-09

continent crossed with mountain chalnsi
No economic law Will permit the people oil
one continent to manufacture ana snip
their products to another continent which
has greater supply OF the same materials. .
This process involves On absuIdlty Ike that
of the old English saying about the tool. +
ishneSs of carrying Goals to Newcastle.
No philanthropy or economy, no law OF
God or nature, will justify such waste OF
mechanical, and physical
force.
This bill is not consistent with the priu-
ciples of economy in that It does not Gre
ate. but DESTROYS While it may not
raise sufficient revenue, il will destroy
some of our industries and cripple many
others. For example, to put wool on the
free list will destroy al great industry IL
has been shown that We can not compete
with the wOolgrowers OF Australia and
South America without protection. TINS
Is shown by the ruinuus prices at which
last years clip was sold and the great
slaughter of sheep and the low price OF
mutton caused BY the anticipation OF put
ting wool oa the free list. There Is one
fact, and it seems to me the principal fact,
which has been entirely overlooked by the
althors of the bill in this disastrous propo-
s.non While the speeious argument
about cheap clothing is sounded abroad,
what about cloIhing in q few years, when
the fiocks have disappeared and the shep
herd with his crook has gone, and the bark
of the shepherd dog is no longer heard IN
the landf When this occurs foreign wool
growers will have a monopoly, and will
sell Us wool and woolen goods on their own
terms, as foreign manufacturers have here
tofore sold us tin. The millions of sheep
destroyed can not again be produced Tor
years, and if produced We would have cheap
wool only until the same process would be
repeated in order to hold the supremacy of
trade.
This whole question of tariff should be
lifted above party politics and remanded
to a commission composed OF impartial
and competent men, who are not extrem-
lists and who wonld have in view the good
of the whole people. Applause 1t should
be the duty of this commission to lnvestl-
gate the tariff schedule and report 10 each
Congress any changes that they might
deem best for the general welfare; and II
should be understood that violent changes
affecting vested rights would not be made.
Those who make a business of politics
might be opposed to this commission, but
the people are tired of this continuous tar
iff agitation and want rest and security
For hnndl ed years, at PERIODS, the agl-
tation of the tariff has caused terrible bus
ness depressions A century's experience
shoul leach US a lesson. In the panlcs
directly due to the tariff changes capital
lists have failed and lost their entire for
tunes, and millions of worklpgmen have
been thrown out of employment, ana the
widespread ruin, sorrow, and desolatlon
has been appalling.
IL is time to cali halt and cease to car
L.
every four wears With such q peTniclous
policy, what a spectacle We must present
To the nations Of Europe, which are not al
ficted with these periodical tariff revo u
Iions But we can not hope for the Demo
cratic party to adopt wise and conserva-
tive policy of this kind and at once relieve
apprehensions. The Democratic party has
power to do this, but believe it has not
The wisdom or disposition. The Demo-
cratic party always does the wrong thing
but at the right time to benefit the Repub
lican party When the Republican party
comes into power and this the Democratic
party makes as sure a. day succeeds night,
1t should at once lift this whole question
above party politics and forever end tins
tariff war, which has caused such wide
spread disaster, wreck, and RUIN.
Mr. Chairman, in regard to the placing
red Yesterday, have this to say; that,
when the WAYS and Means Committee de-
cided TO put petroleum on the free list,
memb bers of Congress who represent dis
trlcts in which petroleum is produced and
other members who have knowledge OF
the business were flooded with letters, tel
egrams, and petitions protesting against
that action.
On account of this demonstration the
committee restored the tariff as against
any nation which had tariff on American
oil. But now, Mr.. Chairman, 1t seems that
a greater pressure than the popular Will
has been brought to bear on the Democrat
ic majority OF this committee, Tor they
have reversed their decision and again
placed petroleum on the free list. There
has recently been formed in New York u
company to import oil from Peru and II Is
presumed that some of the committee have
been listening to the persuasive arguments
of this company.
When the amendment placing oil on the
free list came before the House, the chair
man had agreed to hear me next after my
colleague, Mr.. Stone. But after Ar. Stones
five minutes had expired, member was
recognized who made a personal speech
on Democracy. Mr.. Wilson then Moved
that the debate on the petroleum amend
meut close in five minutes. The motion
Drevailed and the five minutes were given
To a Democrat, who never alluded TO the
amendment l state these facts IL order
that the people engaged in the petroleum
industry may know how much time was
gwen to the discussion OF the subject by
MIR. Wilson, who comes from one OF the
large oil producing states. His fatherly
care has been shown for both the coal and
4, g - OF hr
Them a stone when they asked for breaG.
Mr.. Chairman, argue that petroleum
should be protected because it is new in
dustry, and was made an article OF com
mercial value by this nation. While 1t Is
mentioned in Job, one of the oldest books
in the world, and by Herodotus about five
hundred years before the Christian era, and
by Pliny and other early writers, yet 1t 5
commercial value is due to its discovery
and development il this country. II we
had not, we should have patent right ON
IL. at least as far as we are concerned. w e
have not only discovered II by drilling but
have invented and made all the machinery
used in its development. | submit, there
fore, that while other natio may use our
discovery and invention for their own ben
eft, they should not be permitted to use
them for our injury. This they may do II
pci ullbACu W Ship PSLANAS"Hi ~ ~ 49, -
duty.
Another reason for protecting petroleum
is the number of industries embraced in its
production, manufacture, and marketing.
Among these may be mentioned iron III
constructing engines, boilers, drilling tools
tanks, tank cars, casing, tubing, pipe line,
tin, timber, and coal. And equally numer
Gus and varied are the woTkingmen EN-
ployed whose wages, II there Is not protec-
| tion, may be greatly reduced.
Mr. Chairman, another reason why the
| Government should be conslderate Of this
| industry is because during the war for the
preservation OF the Union it levied a tax OF
| 81 per barrel and collected large SUMS OF
money upon oil, although the tax was 10.
cal. and therefore. according to subsequent
decisions of the Supreme Court, unc0nsti-
| tutiOnal.
We ask for protection because other ma
tions while profting by our discovery and
| inventions have developed large fields OF
| oil and have put prohibitory tarlt1 on our
product. After the discovery OF the
| enormous oil fields in Russia, due To Oul
| inventions and skilled workmen, Russia
has not only put prohibitory tariff on ouI
| oil hut has recently shipped some cargoes
| to this country. This shows concluslvely
| that the present low duty on oil should be
| increased instead of removed. | had pre-
pared an amendment placing duty OF -
| cents per barrel on crude, and l cent gal
ion on lubricating and refined oil. But as
before explained had not the opportunity
| 10 offer il.
The Russian oil, we are informed, can be