The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-04-18
MORRILL, SPEAKS.


O-AA~~-%@
the Tariff Bin.
WASHINGTON. April 1S-In the senate
today the venerable Senator Morrill, of
Vermont, who recently celebrated his
Saith birthday and is the Nestor of the
senate, was recognized and during his
remarks was accorded more respectful
attention than has fallen to the lot of
most of the speakers on the tariff ques-
tion.
In spite of his advanced age. he spoke
clearly though evidently suffering some
what from a cold.
The senator from Vermont expressed
his regret that the financial and indus
trial crisis had to be continued by vain
glorious and attempt to carry out the
Democratic platform. He made some
rather biting references to the trouble i'm
which the Democrats found themselves
over the bill and pointed out some of the
items in which he thought they had com
promised with their principles and pro-
vided for protective tariff on such arti-
cles as would win votes for the bill
Concerning Rates of Duties.
Concerning the rates of duties re-
ported in the tariff bill. il is no violation
of the confidential relations of the SEN
ate committee on finance to state now
they were all fixed and determined with
out the votes of the Republican members
and against even the votes of any hesi-
tating or divergent minority of the Dem
ocratic members.
linus many OF the most lInpOELaME
questions may have been determined by
the small fraction of three or four Of a
committee of eleven, but while the pro-
cess of evolution great
novelty, it will not be contro-
verted that all the rates of duty
are of the purest Democratic origin.
Tariffs 'for revenue only prove to be
only political tariffs, valid only until after
the election"
He pointed out in detail what he con
sidered the special evils to the bill, the
first being the~ObsOlete ad valorsm sys-
tenn The purposes of the bill, he
thought, were especially destructive
towards the productions of the farmer
Reciprocity arrangements which bene-
fit farmers are to be abrogated. The in-
come tax, he called an unusual blunder
for even a Democratic administration to
make.
"The charge of an excess of revenue
lately iterated against. protection is
already abandoned by the party whose
dominancy it is expected will cease
March A, 1895, but is now on a wild in
come hunt for revenue to fill the vacuum
to be created by a Democratic tariff "
Incoms Tax Foreign Exeresenoe-
In closing Senator Morrill, said the
policy of some suggested partisans is TO
hold as their enemies, all corporations
however beneticient, as the FIJI islanders
I Honce-he1d Christian people, and though
these fanatical partisans may love aud
forgive them, they really love them bost
roasted.
j. s.The Democratic party cry fof years
has been against all internal revenue
taxes except those on malt and spirit
uaus liquors The revolution now
proposed it to give the lead 10
those taxes hitherto mathematical and
SO minimize customs revenue that even
incidental protection shall be impossible
"Should this bill, aided by the concur
rent action of the senate ever reach the
dignity of law enacted by congress, /
should profoundly regret it on account
of the dire calamities with which its
tariff chapters are pregnant.
Throughout the world it would also
be regretted by the friends Of free
popular government that the great
republic of the United States,
though everywhere at peace, should
forfeit its ancient reputation of a treasury
properly supported and seldom empty
and suddenly earn the poor fame of be-
ing unequal to the legislative task of
proposing revenue measure for the
ordinary support of government without
frantic and desperate resort TO an i'm
come taM-the resort only of nations
which are always wrestling with finan
cial deficits. Surely we cannot afford TO
decorate the annals of our republic with
vile copy of this foreign excresence."