The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1894-09-24
MORRISON'S VIEWS
OF THE NEW BILL As n MEASURE
OF TARIFF REFORM.
1t Does Not Please All but &c Is the Best that
Could be Enacted Under circumstances.
whrt he says of the Cotton Schedule.

WASHINGTON. ScDtember 2A-TSpecial. /.
Colonel W. p Morrison is a name promi-
nent in the tariff history OF the country.
He was the earliest OF the tariff reformers
after the war. The bills he drew, has hoIi-
zontaI cuts in schedules. his wars win
sam Randall when Morrison was chlet "a
the ways and means. are recent POl.'.
AT present Colonel IOrrison Is one u -, ~
commission or interstate commerce. 49,.
asked to talk about tariff ana the ieOe''
German Law. the appended cohNeIS-A'iOi' e
sued ia, ,,,,,
What do you think OF the new .si I'D
as a measure OF tariff reform. MS' -
after so much discussion sou "a, -
Morrison, Il could not expect 70 49,. - -,
thing of interest to what mas Oeen go n
the Subject The bill does not ave Us 81
tha+ vas D-omised. or that our peolie
pectes but il is so much Deter 5 il
thing we have had in many yeaIs 60 -
such an advance toward Mil'i' ",..;ra1
Si - ho-izoutal cut of > per cent
xvo,,la male the new law mach more -
factory and some OF its scheiuieS -
need such a reduction. But Wi1ii = 49,
cratic majority 81 sight thaI " -, 49,
~ two votes turns the scale asaiisl ua'
~ -. more than two democratic
,,--otac,icnisty' in the body, we could haru-
" e~oect a much better bill TO get through
the senate. = measure 1t once
torv and complete cannot De uiNeh
through such q BODY by any aiiioui'' "
good reasoning or scolding. had seVerai
.. .,xoor5epca in a democratic house
,rada nm as the senate now is. Ii may De
better law could have been passed IL inc
question Of tariff taxation had Deen Kept AT
the front when We came into power Inc"
the question was red-hot.
will the bill as passed be, Tor want OF
longer free list, lower rates. or Tor any rea-
son considered an abandonment OF the
PRINCIPLES of tariff reform?
NO. How could that be? The rates are
lower than in the Mills bill. which was en-
dorsed by the national democratic conven-
tion i, 1SSS In the matter of free raw ma
teriaIs the bill Is FAR in advance OF any Dill
psssed in our history by any party. II
puts lumber wool. copper, salt ana many
other articles on the free Isl. winch 4, ma, az
years ago L tried. but failed 10 90. II GUS
the tax on 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 ana steer ralls
and on pig iron. One-third the TAX As 'ahsh
OF. on wooden goods under the old law the
tariff tax was from 60 10 100 per cent-an
syeraEe tax OF about sI0O on 500 worth OF
trnported goods Under the new bill the
rate is from IS TO 5O-an average tax OF
about SO for importing 500 worth Inc
reductions in other schedules are not SO
large but they are considerable IN all
Free Raw sIatrcinl Necessary.
could b. increased with great advantage.
Except in time of war all OF our tariffs
have left many articles unta~ed our
earliest tariff legislation gave some recoB-
rition to the principle by drawback IRE
funded duties paid on imported articles
used IN making other articles Tor eNporo-
Free raw materials become more and more
necessary each succeeding year Our mar
ufacturinS capacity in many industries Is
already TAR in advance OF the wants OF our
people. We mast have foreign markets 10
avoid enforced idieness- We cannot nave
foreign markets. where we meet compeu-
tors Selling goods made OF untaxed pate-
rails while We tax such materials. All the
general bills presented to congress in recent
years, by mysleIf and l think by others,
proposed adjitsons to the free list but the
free raw material doctrine WAS first fully
recognized and became pronounced priE-
ciPle Of tariU reform about fifteen years
ago. during the congressional services OF
hon. AbEam :. Hewitt, who was us fore
most ard ablest champion
The Gotten schedule is one Of the out
raEe1us features OF the new bill The av-
erage rate WAS mere imam - under the old,
ana is stl mCEe than AZ per cent under
the new law. Some cotton cloths and
yarns are taxed ~ so OF more on the 500
worth and Oh ktis goods We must pay as
high ass IN. yet we get. almost daily. re-
ports 81 wages bs -ss reduced in cotton in
dustries IN variyyzs sections OF the coun-
try. and the lowering II wages Is always
CHARGED 90 the lowering OF th,. tariff. FRO
Tecti1ns5s insist that We must believe
them when they ssy that foreign I1anufac-
turers Of cotton goods con buy our cotton.
take 4 over the sea, and 70 rltIs in the i'll
terror. manufacture ami return il. pay an
average Cuty II more than so the Sl0l
worth for tAe privilege Of returning il. and
then uuicrseil the home manufactures an
les Ee reduces Wat-.s."
'How VIII the new law affect the demo-
cratic plrtyE
More was prom isei and expected sNaa
s. provided for ia IN" new bfil, ana some
disappointment follows. but / think this
viii be only Temporary. What has been
gained VIII - ben eiicIaI TO the country
first and afterwards To the party. The in
come tax viii be popular with those who
do not pay 4 and unpopular with those
VINO do IL viii eventually drop out or he
extended 10 ali VINO -1lve incomes. When
En- 1876. ] v.ls atiVoc s.Jinas my first tariff
hi.I IN congress. 1 said: Burdens of gov
erEuents should he bcTne i'm proportion to
ability 20 bear them. Property should pay
the taxes. re who has much should pay
much; he who has littls should pay little:
and he VINO mas none, none There are a
great many people in this country today
who believe in what 1 then said.
The sugar Schedule.
'-'The sugar tax is unpopular. Viewed
from a partisan standpot nj. il was shrewd
fn the republican party to empty the treas
Try and turn over fiscal stiiirs to the demo-
cratic administration IN a. condition which
made 4 tax on sugar nee =Ssarv to prevent
e. deficiency and meet tite obligations of
the government. The hOus . did not believe
the necessity existed. ana resisted the lay
ing on OF this tax. Even the senate hcsi-
tated-sOme OF its members opposing any
tax on sugar, Others pref errin: the Ne
Einley law. with both protection and
bounty. There could scarce Is be s1y ques-
tion as TO this necessity tier the letter
of the secretary OF the tTJ asYry advising
the senate that tl,- su. gar was ncces-
sary to prevent deficiencies, and the letters
OF the president advising IN cmbCrs Of the
hossc that a tax on sugar i il accord with
the democratic platform ard democratic
principles. and that = tax oIl coal and on
iron ore is umCemoc-otIc and rot necessary.
thus confirming the treasury statement
that revenue from sugar is Indispensable.
\ portion n the democratic press would
make il appear that the pr ssident was
with the house for free sugar. This IS nos
only huTtful to the party, buc 1t is un-
~