Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-01-17
DISCUSSION OF THE TARIFF.
OPENED BY HON. w. l. WILSON.
HOW THE TREASURY WAS EMPTIED BY
THE REPUBLICANS.

THE REPUBLICANS. \
On Monday of last week, the discus
sion of the tariff bill reported by the
Committee of Ways and Means, of
which Hon. VIM. L. Wilson is Chair
man, was opened in the House of
Representatives by Mr.. Wilson. When
he arose to speak every face on the
floor and in the galleries was turned
toward him. Republicans moved. over
and took vacant seats on the demo
cratic side, and he was given the undi-
Mr.. Wilson spoke for an hour and a
half when, as the usual time for ad-
journment had arrived, he suspended
until the next day.
Mr.. Wilson did not attempt to take
up the bill in detail, but confined him
self to general statement of the
democratic position in regard to the
tariff and to a statement of the circuin-
stances under which the bill had been
prepared and the principles that had
guided the committee, together with
an argument in support of the princi
pal features of the measure.
He said the tariff question had been
fought out. In seven Congresses it
had been the principal topic of discus
sion, and the people of the country
were thoroughly familiar with it. The
democratic ma jority was elected to put
into law the reform the people had
ordered at the polls. He told how the
republicans had emptied the Treasury
during the last administration, and
showed why it was that the democrats
were called upon to reform the tariff
with deficit in the Treasury.
Much of his speech was devoted to
free raw materials, as lie declared that
it was better for the American laborer
to have untaxed raw materials than to
have untaxed clothing and other neees-
saries of life. He took up each OF the
principal articles that had been put on
the free list-wool, iron-o ore, coal and
cumberland, arguing that nothing
was to be feared from foreign compe-
tition in any of these articles, he fore
told great stimulation of American
manufacturing as a result of placing
them ON the free list.
DEPLETION OF THE TREASURY.
In discussing the depletion of the
Treasury under republican admins
tration Mr.. Wilson said =
when Mr.. Fairchild left his seat at
the head of the Treasury Department
| he turned over to his successor, Mr..
| Window, an available cash balance, as
stated in the present form of Treasury
statement, of over S1S5,000 ,000. How
was that gotten away with? Immedi-
ately by the purchase of bonds not yet
due; Immediately by going into the
market and buying up bonds at a
premium of from five to eight per cent
on the bonds of 1891, and from twenty
seven to twenty nine per cent on tie
bonds of 1907.
Between March 4. 1889, and October
1 of that year Secretary Window pur
chased with that surplus 500. 594, GOO OF
bonds at the premiums | have men
toned. In the first nine months of the
fiscal year 1891, between June 80, 1890
and the date of his report, he had pur
chased and redeemed $98,000,000 more
of bonds, paying in their purchase tel
millions of premium and anticipating
interest by the payment of ST., 600
Not only was the surplus thus dis
sipated in the purchase of bonds a
high premiums, but it was appropri
ated by the Fifty first Congress seek
ing out new methods and new object
of appropriation. That Congress CAV
back as a gratuity to certain of tn,
States the direct tax under which SOM
$14 eco, GOO more has been paid to thu
States.
DUTY ON SUGAR.
There was oness article upon tn,
customs list which carried into thu
Treasury the largest amount in pro
portion to what the people paid as ia,
upon it-sugar-so raw sugar was pu
upon the free list, accompanied with
new development of the protectiv,
system in a bounty to the sugar pro
ducers of the country. Under the pre-
text of free breakfast for the Ameri
can workingman. sugar was untaxet
in order that heavier taxes might b.
put upon his cups and saucers, hi
knives and forks, the furniture of hi
table, and the other food that cam
upon that table.
HEAVY PENSION DRAIN.
Talking, then, these RENTED taxes
which in the meantime would hav
produced from $3.50, 000,0 900 to 100000,
900; taking the increased expenditures
which since that day have amounted
to twice 5000, 100000, it is not hard t.
see why the Federal Treasury to day j
empty and this Congress is called upol
in the face of great movement to re
lieve the people from taxes to find GU
and devise some new sources of tax
alton"
The greatest drain, Mr.. Wilson said
was from the Dependent Pension bill
of June, 1890, under which the pension
appropriation had run up $50, 900, 600 {
year. He waived the question of justice
and liberality entirely, but he did sa,
hat the bill never would have passed
just or unjust, if there had not beer
an overlooking Treasury which it wa
desired to empty, and if there had no
been devised along with it a new
scheme of taxation in which thos
other pensioners, the protected indus
tries of this country, would get TIN
biggest pull and the largest part of thu
taxes levied to pay pensions.
An examination of the returns of tina
taxation to day showed that while tn
Treasury was starving the people wer'
paying heavier taxes than they eve
.)tlu UelOTo.
The next day-Tuesday-Mr. Wilson
concluded his speech.
He held that any industry whicl
was dependent upon the protection o
law, or leaned against the taxation lai(
upon other industries, reduced the rat
of wages. They reduced wages, if no
in the main, at least by reducing tn
purchasing power of wages. The Eng
lish iron worker is paid three or fou
times as much as the same class o
laborers in Russia, yet England ha
been able to maintain her supremac,
against this competition of cheap Rus
sian labor. The United States hal
exported last year over six million
bales of cotton to be sold in TIL
markets of the world, which was soil
in competition with the cotton o
Egypt and India, even though tn
wages paid on American plantation
, was ten times as much as in Egypt an,
India.
In referring to the numerous pc
titions which had been presented il
Congress protesting against the pas
: sage of this bill, Mr. Wilson intimate
, that they had been signed under coeI
i, ciOn He said he had inst received