The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1894-09-18
THE VERDICT OF A VETERAN.
VIM. II. MORRISON ON THE NEW
TARIFF LAW.
A Far Better Measure Than the Mills
lSiil-tt Will Help the People and tho
Democratic Party.

A Far Better Measure Than the NIill
Democratic Party.
William II. Morrison, tho famou:
tariff reform leader of past Congresses
has been interviewed on the new tariff
law. In view of Colonel Morrison:
record on the tariff, his views are oI
value, and will be read with interest
after so much discussion" said
Colonel Morrison, 81 could not expect
to add anything of interest to what has
been said on the subject. The bill
does not give lis all that was promised
or that our people expected, but it is sc
much better than anything we have
had in many years, and is such an ad-
vance towards what we hoped for, that
L am very glad we have obtained SO
much. A horizontal cut of 25 per
! cent. would make the new law much
more satisfactory, and somc of its
schedules badly need such reduction.
But with u Democratic majoritv SO
slight that q detection of two votes
turns the scale against US, and with
many more than two Democratic pro-
tectionists' in the body, we could hard
ly expect u much better bill to 60
through the Senate. A measure at
once satisfactory and complete cannot
be driven through such body by any
amount of good reasoning or scOlding.
| had several years experience in a
| Democratic house, made up as tho Sen
ate is now. 1t may be u better law
could have been passed If the question
OF tariff taxation had been kept-at tho
front when we came into power. Then
the question was red-hot."
"Will the bill passed be, for want of
q longer free list, lower rates. or for
any reason, considered an abandonment
of the principl Uf tariff reform?"
No. How could that be? The
rates arc lower than in the Mills bill
which was indorsed by the national
Democratic convention in 1885, In the
is far in advance Of any bill passed in
our history by any party. 1t puts lum-
bcr, wool, copper, salt, and many other
articles on the free list, which MANY
years ago tried, but failed to do. 1t
cuts the tax of coal, iron and lead ore
in two, and makes reductions in all
the schedules. For illustration: On
iron and steel in all forms for building,
on iron and steel rails and on pig iron,
one-third the tax is taken OFF. On
wOolen goods under the old law the
tariff was from 60 to 100 per cent.-an
average tax of about 800 on 800 worth
of imported goods. Under the new
bill the rate is from 30 to 50-an aver
age tax of about $45 for importing 300
| worth. The reductions in other schcd-
ules are not so large, but they are con-
| siderable in all.
"The number of articles on the free
list could be increased with great ad-
vantage. Except in time of war all of
our tariffs have left many articles un-
taxed. Our earliest tariff legislation
gave some recognition to the principle
by drawback (rcfunding duties paid on
Imported articles, used in making other
articles for export Free raw matter
also become more and more necessary
| each succeeding year Our manufac-
| turing capacity in many industries is
already far in advance of the wants of
our people. We must have foreign
markets to avoid enforced idlencss
We cannot have foreign markets where
we meet competitors selling goods
made of untaXcd materials while we
| tax such materials. All tho general
| bills presented to Congress in recent
years by myself, and think by others,
proposed additions to the FREQ list, but
tho free raw material doctrine was
first fully recognized and became Il
pronounced principle of tariff reform
about fifteen years agO.during the Con
| gressional service of Hon. Abram S.
Hewitt, who was its foremost and
ablest champion"
"How will the new law affect the
Democratic party ?"
" More was promised and expected
than is provided for in the new bill,
and some disappointment follows, but
| think this will be only temporary
What has been gained will he bcncf-
clal to the country first and after.
wards to the party. The income taN
will be popular with those who do not
pay it, and unpopular with those who
do. 1t will eventually drop out
or be extended 10 all who have III
comes. When, in 1876, was advocat
ing my first tariff bill in Congress,
said: Burdens Of government should
be borne in proportion to ability to bean
them. Property should pay the taxes
He who has much should pay much
he who has little should pay little
and he who has none, nome. There
are Il great many people in this cOun
try to-day who believe in what ther
said.
"The sugar tax is unpopular. View
ed from n partisan standpoint. il was
shrewd in the Republican parry tt
empty the treasury and turn over is
cal affairs to the Democratic admins
tration in condition which made {
tax on sugar necessary to prevent Il de
ticiency and meet the obligations O
the government. The House did not
believe the necessity existed, and re
sisted the laying on of this tax Ever
the Senate hesitatcd-sOmc of its mem
bcrs opposing any tax on sugar, other:
preferring the Mckinley law with
both protection and bounty. There
could scarcely be any question as t(
this necessity after the letter of the
secretary of the treasury, advising tn,
Senate that tax on sugar was ncccs
sary to prevent deficiencies. and tho
letter Of the President, advising mem
bers of the House that II tax on sugar
is in accord with the Democratic plat
form and Democratic principles, ant
that Il tax on coal and iron orc is un
democratic and not necessary, thu.
confirming the treasury statement tina
revenue from sugar is indispensable.
a portion OF the Democratic press
would make it appear that tho Prcsi
dent was with the House for free su
gar. This is not only hurtful to the
party, but it is untrue. Tho letters o
the President and Secretary of the
Treasury show that the administra
tiOn favOrs revenue tax on sugar as
measure of wise economy and goot
democracy"
In a speech at Bay City, Michigan
Mr. Eckels the Comptroller Of the Cur
rency. said: - think that the coun.
l. *