The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1896-01-02
ASKED NOR BREAD
Did President Cleveland, of Con.
gress, and That Republican
BODY GAVE HIM A STONE.

DiDgiey's Tariff Bill Not an Honest
Response to the Pres dents Call But
n Scheme to Embafrass Him-The
Whole Thing Hollow Sham-Re-
publicans Have no Intention of AT.
iording Relief-They Promise Much
But Do Nothing.
PEOlAL TO THE NEws-DEMocRAT.
Washington, ID. c., December 2s.-
Processing not only willingness but ex-
treme eagerness to respond with all
possible dispatch" to "the urgent call
of the president" and seeking to ce
the democratic minority in the attitude of
opposing the administration the republi.
cans really intend to do nothing
The first measure proposed by their
ways and means committee and rail.
rodded through the house without oppor.
tunity for amendment and with scant op.
portunity for debate, was tariff bill to
raise revenue for private captains of in.
dustry, with some incidental revenue for
the government. The president made nc
urgent call" for any such thing. He
did not intimate that the government
needed more revenue Much less did he
suggest that the public interests urgently
required the immediate fattening of pri-
vate wallets by tariff legislation.
His urgent call" was for legislation to
put an end to the working Of the "endless
chain" which draws gold out of the treas.
ury about as fast as it is poured in When
Mr.. Dingley and his associates assert in
their report that tariff bill is sufficient
response to this call they proceed forth.
with to admit that 1t is not. They bring
in another bill providing for the issue Of
certificates of indebtedness TO cover any
deficiency in the revenues, and in addi.
tion to this providing for the issue OF
bonds to get gold for the redemption of
legal tender notes, and for no other pur.
pose. After asserting that nothing but
revenue is needed, and after doubly pro.
viding for the remedy of any shortage OF
revenue, they instantly whip around and
give themselves the lie by authorizing
bonds for an entirely different purpose
and no other. They admit that the presi.
dent is right in the very next breath after
vehemently asserting that he is all wrong.
And they evidently have no intention
of affording relief in any way. Admit
ting, as they do, that more revenue is not
what the exigency requires, they them.
selves furnish the president with ahun-
dant justification for vetoing an alleged
revenue bill which confessedly is uncalled
for and notOriously is repugnant to the
presidents views regarding the proper
purposes of taxation aud the proper func.
tiOns of government. Evidently they
have no expectation that their tariff bill
will be accepted as in any sense response
to the presidents urgent call. This they
virtually confess when they talk of 'leav.
ing to Others whose co operation is re-
quired to finally place such legislation on
the statute books to meet the responsible
ity in their own way" Which is to say
that the tariff bill is not an honest re
sponse to the president CALL but delib
crate attempt to put him in hole"
And there is no more sincerity in the
bond proposition. Not only is it assumed
that the senate will defeat any bond bill
that may be offered, but care is taken tC
make the proposed bonds ineffective fol
the purpose of breaking the endless chain
The bonds are to be payable in "coin"
and 1t Is extremely doubtful whether .
per cent. coin bonds can be sold at par, as
they must be under the bill If sold at all
Besides, the reissue act of 1878 is left
standing, so that any greenbacks re-
deemed would have to be paid out again
and so made available for emptying the
treasury not once more only, but as otter
as they might be redeemed.
The whole Dingley scheme is hollow
sham. Its passage entire by the republican
house was endangered only because some
republicans not in the secret took the
bond proposition too seriously.