Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1894-03-17
THE TARIFF BILL AS IT IS.
Various Comments Upon the Measur
as Amended in Committee.

as Amended in Committee.
Washington POST Qnd). The VIII
son bill, as amended in the Senate, is
very great Improvement ON the doc
ument as it came originally from the
House. That it is not, however, the
kind of tariff measure promised b.
the Chicago convention must be suffi-
clently evident to those who remeui-
Der that it still contains the obnox-
ious, iInprovident. mischievous. and
un-American incorie-tax provision
No intelligent scheme of a tariff for
revenue would need the aid Of tax
on incomes, and no scheme that is
not independent of that od;ous acces-
sorry can properly be described as a
fulfillment of the party pledge.
Whether the bill is to become law
depends, now, upon the House 1t is
in the last degree improbable that the
Senate will reject it in its present
shape. 1t does not, to be sure, meet
all the wishes of all the Democratic
Senators. Perhaps no measure posi-
bic to human ingenuity could do that
for. although Democratic leaders are
agreed that the country needs tariff re-
form, it is difficult to find two score of
them who can agree as to what shape
precisely the proposed reform shall
take. But it gives the coal and iron
men 10 instead of the so cents protec-
ton they demanded, and it comedies
TO sugar 1 4-1o cents instead of the 1
$40 which the friends of sugar fixed
as the minimum of their requirements.
In many other ways, besides, it ameli-
crates the reckless if not ignorant de-
structiSeness of the bill as it left the
House. One can imagine that for
eign industries will not reap quite all
| of the benefits Of its operation, and
that American agriculture, manufac-
lures, and commerce may preserve
themselves from absolute extinction
1t is conceivable, indeed, that this is
the very best specimen of reform OF
which the Democratic party is, under
existing circumstances, capable. And
in view of these considerations it may
in the end, receive the formal sanction
of the Senate. Then, as we say, it
will rest with the House Democrats
to accept modified form Of industrial
constriction or to have no reform"
at all.
New York Herald (Dem). 1t is be-
cause the bill now made public is calcu-
lated to work delay in the Senate and
arouse mischievous opposition in the
House that its presentation is a par
/ ty blunder and a disappointment to
the country. If the Democratic ma
jority in the Senate were equal to the
occasion they would waste no time
over it, but take up the Wilson bill,
cut off its obnoxious rider, and pass
the measure, with such few iudicious
changes as woul receive the prompt
concurrence of the House. But this
may be too much to expect in a body
where efficient party leadership has
been conspicuously lacking.
New York Times Dem. J. Now that
the bill is before the Finance Com
mittee, no effort should be spared to
press its passage with the greatest
possible energy. Discussion there
must be and should be, if for no other
reason than thoroughly to expose the
nature and effect of the privileges
granted to rich and powerful interests
by the changes from the House bill
But this need not take any great
amount of time, and there is no rea-
son why the bill, if properly pushed,
should not go to the President by the
Ist of May.
Philadelphia Ledger Qnd.). Reports
from Washington of the manner in
which the bill has been received indi-
cate that it may get full Democratic
support in some shape. but it is al
most certain to be thrown into CON
ference committee and to be so altered
there as to amount toa new bill The
Republicans should antagonize it at
every point, for its dnal passage is by
no means assured.
Baltimore Sun DEM. It remains
to be seen what action the full coin-
niittee will take upon the bill 1t
will most probably approve tin the
main, and the bill in its present shape
bears probably close resemblance to
the measure that is to become our
next tariff law Ii is not ali that re-.
formers have desired. But it is a
good first step, and its early passage
may be expected to start anew the ar
rested prosperity of the whole land.
Philadelphia Record (Dem.). In one
important particular the amendments
to the bill have improved it. The tax
laid upon sugar will bring sufficient
addition to the revenue to make the
income Of the government sufficient
for all purposes of fixed or probable
expenditure. The imposition Of the
sugar tax paves the way for dropping
the income tax feature, which is still
a part of the bill.
Philadelphia Times Dem J. Taken
as whole it is very satisfactory bill
and the business interests of the coun-
try imperatively demand that the set
tlement of the tariff shall not be need
lessly delayed for single day Too
much time has been lost already, and
the majority of the Finance Commit
tee have now the plain duty to press
the bill to prompt report and i'm
mediate action.
! Philadelphia Press (Rep.) The gem