The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-01-01
FROM A PROTECTIONIST.

m1LCco Oh ways anu means, SalQ Gudt
the Republicans in the house being
ready to meet the responsibility which
was on them today, had presented a
a bill 10 increase the revenue. Two
years from now. however, they would
meet the responsibility Of that hour
and would present to the house and
senate and to a Republican Presidents a
bill for the protection of American
labor and American agriculture and
would write it on the statute book.
(Applause.)
REEDS WARNING.
Mr.. Mcmillan Oem.) of Tennessee,
a member of the committee on ways
and means, argued against the bill and
reminded the Republican side of the
house of the wise warning given by
the present speaker in the Republican
caucus which nominated him in these
words: History will accord us praise
for what we did in the forty first con-
gress. and it may accord US praise in
this congress for what we do not do. "
What the house was doing today was
one of the things to which that warn
ing was applicable, and the country
would give them more praise for ab-
stinence than for continuance in such
a course.
TOO THIN.
Mr.. Dalzell, a member of the COM
mittee on ways and means, repeated
what he had said in the discussion as
to the rules, that the pending measure
was in no sense a protective tariff bill.
or a revision of the tariff, or an at
tempt to correct tariff irregularities,
but was simply an emergency revenue
measure, matured in haste under the
whip and spur of a pressing and cruel
necessity. When passed it would be
conspicuous tribute to the patriotism
of the Republican party rising above
party prejudice at the summons of a
Democratic President.
Mr.. Bell Pop.) of Colorado did not
believe that the remedy for the bill
was in increasing taxation. but in the
coinage ofsilve bullion in the treasury
and paying it out.
Mr.. Dockery of Missouri argued
against Cne DILL.
Mr.. Hopkins Rep.) of Illinois
argued in favor of its passage.
Mr.. Grosvenor Rep.) of Ohio said
that he gave his support to the pend
ing measure because it was a revenue
measure and because it was demanded
by the message of the President.
TURNER OF GEORGIA.
The dicussion was ended for the op,
ponents of the bill by Mr.. Turner of
Georgia. The administration of Presi-
dent Harrison. he said, came into
power with surplus in the treasury
over the gold reserve of $243, 900, 900.
It turned over to the present admins
tration, four years later, a surplus of
$62, 100000, o. which $54, 900, 900 be-
longed to the fund deposited in the
treasury for the redemption of green
backs. The secretary of the treasury
had proposed, as has been stated, to is
sue bonds to protect the gold reserve
and to meet Deficiencies in revenue.
1t was under these embarrassing con-
ditions that the Democrats returned
to power in 1898. The party said the
remedy for that situation was not to
raise taxes, but to lower them, and it
went forward courageously and passed
a law putting that principle into op-
Grafton. Under that bill, wages went
up from New England to California
and expectations from the United
States had actually increased. The
defeat of the income tax, Mr.. Turner
said, caused a deficit in receipts, but
there was no deficit, he contended, in
the treasury. By the report of the
secretary it was shown that there is
over $17O, 100000 in the treasury, in.
cluding gold reserve. "Why should
we," he asked, "put more money of
the same kind into the treasury when
there is more there than we need2"
A resolution of thanks, he said, was
due to the Democratic party for furn-
ishing the plank upo which the bill
was framed-a tariff for revenue only.
The Republicans, he said, had gone
back upon all their old leaders in their
new movement. "Why didn't the
gentleman from Maine offer, on his
own, or his official responsibility, the
bill he proposed in the last congress
to increase the tax on beer 81 barrel? ?
That would have yielded all the rev.
enue that can, be hoped for from this
bill. Where is all the vaunted cour-
age of that party now? Gaughter)
Instead of hosting up the old flag of
tariff for protection in this the hour of
their elimination, they seek cover un-
der the popgun policy and cry tariff
for revenue only" Uaughter.) For
his part, in conclusion, he said, he
would prefer to lower rather than to
raise taxes. (Applause.)
Messrs. Arnold (Rep.) of Pennsyl-
vania and Knox Rep.) of Massachu-
setts spoke briefly in support of the
I'LL.
Mr.. Doliver (Rep.) of Iowa in clos
ing the degate said: my friend (Mr.
Turner) asks the Republican majority
why we do not bring in a general
tariff law, and he refers to the leader
ship of the house as wanting in cour-
age; but the leadership of this house
can always be relied on not to fight as
one that beateth the air. Why, we
know and everybody knows, that a
general Republican tariff law cannot
be enacted by this congress. We do
not know that the President of the
United States. would not sign the pres
ent bill. Does my friend speak by
some commission when he says that
the administration declines this relief?
We have the best reason for knowing
that this law will please the present
chief magistrate. We had a letter
from the President in the last session