The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-01-09
TARIFF DEBATE OPENED.
Chairman Wilson Says the People
Gave the Administration Def
mite Instructions.
Revision OF tho Tariff Made DIM
cult by the Disasters Fol-
lowing Mckinley.
Republicans Dissipzied a surplus 49,
100000 and Substituted a Dencit
la Hour Years

la -Four Years
WAsHIsaroy Jan. Sin opening the de-
bate on the tariff bill in the house TODAY.
Chairman Wilson. OF the ways and means
committee. said tho American people
had given this adminislration definite
Instructions regarding she tariff ques-
tion. be bill about 70 be con-
aidersd presented a scheme Of tariff reform
to be dealt with according 60 the dsliberats
Judgment Of the house. Covering so wido
field Of legislation. and dealing with so
many subjects, he bill must neceasarily
represent in its details some compounds Of
opinion. Any bin passed by congress, nn-
der present conditiora a. least, must neces-
sarily represent such compromise 1hs
great commarcisl distress which had come
npon tho country. paralyzinQ 80 many in
dustiies and throwing so many thousands
out Of employment. made the task Of re-
form more difiicult, while it made the nee
essity for reform more imperious than ever.
Az what time could taxes be lossened
With greater justice and greater humanity
than % time when thousands are stiuQ-
Cling for the bsrs neoessaries Of life; and
benefit. strike some Of the fetters from pro-
dueiion and trade than when pToduotion ia
suppressed by burdens and trade ham,
persd by TsstTiotions7
A third difficulty wss tie emptiness OF
the treasury. We are called upon 20 reduce
taxes ht time when government receipts
are RAINING so low that revenues have
ceased 20 meet expenditures. Ho believed
/ 49, l..as
the house than BY giving the story OF the
depleted treasury and placing abe respon-
sibility for the present straits where the
responsibility Justly belonged.
During the four years OF the last admin
istTation We plunged heAdlona from an
oVerhowinR treasury TO a bankrupt treas
ury. and that. too. without any lessenine of
the burdens of taxation upon the people.
but rather the most substantial and op-
pressive increase of taxes. Wilson then
gave figures showing how the surplus rsve-
nue. has been dissipated since the secretary
Of the treasury. under Clevslsud'a nrst ad-
ministrRtion. turned over a balance Of
| $1s5. 100000. The Mckinley bill reduced
the internal revenue taxes on manufac-
tursd tobacco, abollshinR special taxes on
dealers and Manufacturers Of tobacco, and
wiped out the duties on raw sugar, which
for year past had been our chief revenus
1 prod ucing article on the customs list Both
these tsxsa were IN a just and proper sense
revenue taxes, and neither should have
been touched so long as the rates OF duty
/ q on clothing and ether necessary articles
Of consumption were 30 enormously oppTes-
sive.
The tobacco taxes were reduced undor
the theory that tobacco has become a necss-
sity for the poor rs we'll ~ the rich but
new aud heavier taxes we're laid on the
wooden clothing OF tho poor man. Su1ar
was untaxed 60 give the American working
men free ehkfast table, but new taxes
we're placed on cups aud ssucers, platea
and dishes. coffee pots, knives and forks.
| food, and table cove ..
In q word. he was relieved from tie tarss
| paid TO the government In order that he
might be made to pay much greater taxes
20 the bsnelciaries OF that bill. These re-
leased taxes would have yielded us. Ia in
iernal revenue. since their omission, more
than $3.50 600, 900, and would have saved us
from any danger Of a Treasury deficit. The
magnificent Surplus turned over by the
Cleveland administration was thus scat
tered. A large portion was used 60 pur-
chase At high premium bonds not } % due.
But even this did not dissipats the surplus
and the Fifty-hfst congress was obliged to
try its hand upon IL. IL refunded the di-
rect tai to the states. This was a pure
grAtuitv. but has taken out OF the treasury
over S14OOOO0O Next came the sugar
bounts ACT under which suma amounting
20 $11.0O0.000 have been paid the sugar
growers. Last OF ALL as the chief means
OF distribution of the SUI plus. was the de-
pendent pension bill under which the an.
nnal pension expenditule has risen more
than s60O0l.o01.
II. theu. 90 more than 500. 100000 thus
made away with by the last admlniatration
We should add $1,000 $4,000 TO the loss OF
revenue by the omission OF taxes on to-
bacco aud sugar alone. we should have q
/ c ear idsa Of the rapid and headlOng steps
by which has heen brought she present
| empty treasury. He did not believe those
who voted 10 put the last administration IA
power expected any revision frem 10 in the
/ direction OF increasing rates. The cam
| paiRn OF 1883 was fought on the question of
reforming and redu1ing the existing tarih
/ and not on the question Of revising and
raising the tari0 Of 1883.
No single interest IA the country, either
In congress or elsewhere, had the hardihood
| 60 assert that 10 meant TO demand any in
crease Of protection accorded by the ball Of
ISIS. aud 10 was only wantonnesH, self-Qreed,
RAJ aoiiy aud sslhshness and knowledge that
their demands. no matter how sxorbitsnt,
would be graeiously accorded. that brought
them 10 Washington In 1890 to write IN
their own interests successive schedules OF
the Mckinley bill. Under the operation Of
that bill taxes in every one OF ths im portsnt
schedules have been mereilessly aud need
lessly increased. In manufactures. wool
has been raised from an average OF 20 10 an
average Of 100 per cent. In manufactures.
glasa has been raised from an average Of "a
90 GO per cent. In manufaetnres iron and
STEEL although the year 1887 had been .
year OF immense production and prosperity
% those interests. the tarih raised from an
average OF .6 40 GO por cent On cotton
goods, although the tariff OF 1883 had been
made by abe manufacturers themselves.
duties were increased from an average OF 40
60 % yer cent.
such IL the bill We have been called on 70
revise IN she interest Of people who con-
sume, Of people who labor, aud OF people
comprising the country in general. and Of
the prosperity Of ths county itself.
Easy for schaefer