The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1894-03-01
Senator Hill and The Wilson Bill.

sentatives has transferred the strug-
gle for sound economic principles
to the floor of the United States
Senate. The matter IS now brought
to the immediate consideration of
the New York Senators. represent
ing constituency whose prosperity
is mainly due to those industries
which owe their growth to Protec-
tive duties. Outside the importing
interests, the people Of New York
largely favor a Tariff framed ex-
pressly for the protection of Amer
lean industries from the destructive
competition of cheap foreign labor;
and, outside that same interest,
this has been the dominant senti-
ment of the State ever since the day
of Alexander Hamilton. Every
statesman, irrespective Of party,
who has represented New York in
the Senate and, excepting Mr..
Cleveland, every New Yorker who
has occupied the presidential chair
has given official emphasis to the
Protective pelicy.
The bill now presented to the
Senate offers the New York. Sena-
tors a renewed opportunity to
maintain the record of their State.
This opportunity receives peculiar
significance from the recent decisive
expression of popular sentiment on
the subject, fortified. MS it is by the
additional evidences of hostility to
the pending measure that are being
daily given by Democrats and Re-
pnblicans alike among our vast
army of manufacturers, farmers
and wage earners. Various indus
trial interests in New York will be
fatally injured by the Wilson schcd-
ules of all valorem duties, while the
large extension Of the free list which
the bill proposes will be equivalent
to a prompt transfer OF certain i'm
portant industries from this State
to the manufacturing and mining
districts of foreign lands.
referring to the deceptive char
acter of adj valorem rates half a
century ago, Henry Clay said: "Let
me fix the value of the foreign mer-
chandise, and ! do not care what
your duty is" The fundamental OBJ
lection to the system of ad valorem
duties on which the Wilson bill is
based, is distinctly stated in the
quotation from the Kentucky states
man. The enlargement of the free
list, the reduction of duties, and
the substitution of ad yalorem for
specific rates, unite to destroy the
American standard of wages, which
require protection to the extent, at
least, of "the difference between
the cost Of labor here and of labor
abroad" This essential require
ment has been recognized on more
than one occasion by Senator Hill,
IN contradistlnction to the principle
Of the pending bill. For instance,
as reported by the New York World
of October rs, 1890, Governor, now
Senator Hill, delivered at Wheeling,
W. Va, speech before large au-
dience OF manufacturers, mechanics
and laborers, discussing the Tariff
IN view of the passage of the Nc
Kinley bill, and, speaking as a
Democrat in defence OF his party.
he said:
Our opponents assert that the
policy which we advocate tends to
lower the wages of laboring men
because they must compete with the
underpaid workmen of Europe. The
proposition is as insolent as it is
unfounded. 1t is distinctly repu-
dated by the Democratic National
platforms of 1884 and 1888 in the
following resolutions - viz, the
platform of 1894 declared that
The necessary reduction of taxa
ton can and must be effected with
out depriving American labor of the
ability to compete successfully with
foreign labor, and without imposing
lower rates of duty than will be
ample to cover any increased cost
of production which may exist in
consequence of the higher rate of
wages prevailing in this country.
The Democratic platform of 1888,
reaffirming the platform of 1884,