The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-09-26

lighter every burden OF the laboring
mans life; they enabled the friends OF
tariff reform to secure in their bill, as
II became a law, reduction of taxes
on ali WOODEN goods on blankets,
shawls. hats and on wooden clothing OF
all kinds of from 40 to over 100 per
cent; a reduction on iron ore, pig iron,
bar iron, tin plate, tinware, chains
saws and on all the principal nipple
mentS and utensils needed by farmers
OF from 40 10 Is per cent. The truth is,
and it cannot be too often stated. nor
made too plain, that the internal rev
enue system Of taxation embracing in
comes. whisky and distilled spirits Of
all kinds, fermented liquors, tobacco in
its various forms, playing cards and
other like articles Of wealth and luxury
hereafter to be added. is the sure fore
runner OF the downfall Of protection
the John the Baptist Of the gospel of
commercial liberty.
As to the defects and shortcomings of
the new law, which repealed the AIcKin-
ley act and has gone into operation, time
and it's practical workings Will discuss
them with more wisdom for their future
correction and eradication than they can
be discussed now In party heat and bad
temper. 1t Is well known that I would
have gone farther on some important
points than we went in the bill in the
senate. and that 1 struggled hard to do
so. I stand with Grover Cleveland on
tC-in reform. and with him, 1 believe
in the curative processes of future legis-
iatCn. Absolute perfection does not be-
long TO any work OF human brains or
human hands. and certainly was never
achieved in mans first effort on any dis
puted subject But let us see what has
actually been done in the interest of tax
paying people. The average ad valorem
rate Of duty under the Mckinley bill was
1888; the average rate proposed by the
Mills bill Endorsed by the national demo-
cratic convention only six years ago at
st. Louis, was 427S; the average rate Of
the Morrison bill, another Democrat
measure, was A. So while the average
rate Of duty under the new law, as il
now stands, may be stated at 81 per cent.
ad valorem. What have republicans 10
Say Of this comparison with their odiouS
law Of four years ago. and what have
democrats also TO say when they see that
the present democratic congress, in spite
Of differences within and incsssant as
Sauit from without. has made a heavier
average reduction in tariff duties than
was ever before even proposed In Ameri-
can history? The average rate Of the
Wilson bill, as liz passed the house and
came TO the senate, was 35.J2. while the
average rate Of the senate b.n when /
had the honor TO report it on the 10Th Of
March. WGs down TO 3415-the amend
ments afterward made Increasing that
low rate less than ) per cent A glance
at the free list also disclOSes most i'm
portant ADDITIONS IL ere. Cotton ties.
whether Of iron OF steel for the planters
farmers Of the North and West are now
made free from all tariff taxation. Plov-s
tooth and disk harroWs. h9rvesters, reap
ers, agricultural drills. planters mowers.
hoCserakes, cultivators. thrs shing ma
chimes and cotton gins are all now free
Of duty under the new law, when i'm
ported from countries which lay no du-
ties on similar articles. Timber unmanu-
featured, timber. hewn and sawed,
squared and sided, sawed boards 7 INK
hrth
for wheels. laths, piclSeJs an1 pa!ings,
shingles and slaves Of wood OF all kinds
are ALTO IN the free trade column W IN
all countries which impose no export
duty on commerce of this kind Then
comes the great and commanding arti-
Gle of wool on which the pessant-born
babe and the prince born To throne are
nike d pendent for warmth. for life and
for comfort. Wooden wearing apparel.
as necessity to the civilized races of
the ear u. IS akin to the Necessary which
people have for food. water, fire ard
Shelter; il is, indeed. one OF the neceSsI-
ties Of life, without which death ensUes
EVeTy honest ana intelligent effort,
theref re- 70 cheaper the wooden clothing
Of the men. women and children OF this
country and Of the world, cannot fail 70
inset ne approval Of the people and Sc
cura the sanction and blessing Of the
Divine Mater Himself Cheap raw ma
terail for The manufacturer enables him
10 continue his work at fair profits even
in the face of the heavy reduction of
tariff duties which have been made IN
his manufactured products Of wool.
Herein les the gain Of the consumer of
wooden goods, in raw wool being made
free. Every wooden garment is made
cheaper ~ wool being on the free list,
becauge OF TIE deep cut in tariff taxes
on the manufactured aTtclc, watch in all
wise and just legislation mast always i'll
eVitably low free trade in the raw ma
terial me farmer who has a flock Of
sheep has been told IN p sort of vehe-
1ne-t outcry. a hysterical scream OF pro
tended indignation, b. th6fOuGh-paC2d,
professional prJtecuOnlSts. that he is q
Be greatly injured, perhaps ruined. by
the removal Of all tariff duties from wool
which may hereafter be imported into
this country My answer to this false
creed is ready and conclusive. In the
first place the history OF t@rim legislation
in this country shows most explicitly,
and beyond the possibility Of a denial,
that a tariff on wool has never been,
even temporarily, a benefit to the wool
grower or the sheep raiser.
Twenty-seven years ago the WOOL
growers and the manufacturers of wool
throughout the United States formed a
sort of mutual benefit association and
secured the passage Of the act of 1867,
putting an aIl-round, ironclad. high pro-
tective tariff on wool. The mutual bene-
ft, however, of the scheme totally failed.
There was no mutually about it. The
manufacturers tldSS III EGlcId4 IDS
grown rich; the farmers class in general
has remained poor The price Of WOO
has in the main, steadily declined ever
since. In 1867 the price Of WOOL was 6S
cents per pound; in 1888, twenty-one years
later, II had made decline Of just one
half and stood at 81 cents per pound;
all this time under high republican tariff
protection.
U.lder the operations of the Mckinley
law the condition Of the farmer is in
hnitely worse. How can the advocate of
protection explain that with 4 tariff Of IL
cents per pound wool sells. not only low
er than ever before in the markets Of the
United States, but at less than one-half
the amount Of the duty paid for It's pro-
lection, the outside price to the manu-
facturer in New York being IA cents per
pound. This is the most miserable and
disgraceful showing to be found IN all
the wretched history Of tariff protection.
What farmer does not feel its shame and
humiliation?
But what has been the effect on the
Bheep-raiser as we'll as the wool-grower?
Have the focks increased on a thousand
hills by virtue of the combination be-
tween wool producers and manufacturers
of wool in behalf of a high tariff 80 many
farmers OF the four states Of Pennsylva-
i6,S46.750 head Of sheep. Twenty-one
years afterward, in 1888. the people OF
these same four great states owned but
60lS,7S4 head Of sheep. a loss Of 10, S27 $685.
and were selling their wool at exactly