The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-02-29
SILVER SENATOR'S AND THE DING
LEY BILL.

Some OF the silver Senators have at
tempted to justify their vote to kill the
Dingley bill on the ground that 1t was
not a genuine protective tariff bill. Sen
ator Carter in his recent speech attacked
1t on the various grounds that it was
a horizontal tariff bill. that IL levied ad
valorem instead of specific duties. and
that il gave Eastern manufacturers
more protection than IL did Western wool
growers.
These various pleas show that the sill
YER Senators are not altogether insensi-
BILE to the shamefulness of their course.
They know as we'll as anybody that the
skeleton States. meager populations and
narrow interests which they represent
are insignificant compared with the rest
of the Union, and that while they may
pose as statesmen and heroes before
their silver mining and cowboy con-
stituencies, they have forfeited the con-
fidence and respect OF all intelligent
Americans who rate the honor and credit
of the government above the interests
of few mine owners.
The plea that the Dingley bill was not
a perfect or satisfactory tariff bill Is a
false one. 1t did not claim to be and
was not presented as such. 1t was an
emergency bill for the relief of the gov
eminent, its object being first to furnish
possible, and, second, to furnish as much
protection to important industries as was
consistent with the revenue feature.
There was no time to frame a general
tariff bill protection lines. and
if there had been and If it had
passed both houses. the President
would have vetoed it. There was
reason to hope that he would ap-
prove or at least permit to become a
law bill expressly designed for revenue
and limited as to the time of it's opera
ton. The Dingley bill restored so per
cent. of the Mckinley rates on woods and
woolens. lumber and carpets. and made
a horizontal increase of the present rates
In all other schedules, except sugar, of
10 per cent. The operation of the bill
was limited TO two and half years Its
main features were the restoration of a
moderate duty on wool and wooden goods
and the increase of the duty on lumber.
The report of the ways and means COM
mittee introducing the bill in the House,
read by Chairman Dingley, said:
Your committee has not undertaken a
general revision of the tariff on protection
lines, as a majority hopes can be done in
1878, not only because the committee
knows that such tariff legislation would
stand no chance of becoming a law, but
also because general tariff revision would
require many months, and there Is need OF
more revenue at once. 1t believes, how
great that an ample measure increasing all
duties of the dutiable list, and taking from
Giles that were always on the dutiable list
until Aug. q, 1894, and which have always
been important revenue producers, and
limiting the operation OF such legislation TO
about two years and half-until the pres
ent deficiency of revenue Is Overcome-Ought
to receive the approval even of those who
do not favor protective duties. on patriotic
grounds; and that the fact that Ii may in
cidentally encourage the production of many
articles that We require. at home instead OF
abroad. will not be regarded as a ground
of opposition under present circumstances
OF the $4O,O00,00O which it was esti-
mated the bill would add to the reve-
nues, more than s25,OOO,OOO would come
from wool and wooden manufactures.
The very title of the bill showed its
character and object. 1t was entitled
"A bill to temporarily increase revenue
to meet the expenses of the government
and provide against a deficiency" This
is the bill when the silver Senators sacri-
feed to free silver. In view of its char
acter and object, and the circumstances
under which 1t was presented. it is plain
ly false pretense for them to claim that
they opposed it because 1T was not a per-
feet or satisfactory tariff bill. The claim
only adds to the shame of their position
and emphasizes their betrayal of duty
and party loyalty.