The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1897-03-25
TARIFF TALK DRAGGED
Lack Of Sharp Crosshring and
Brilliant Oratory.
THE MEASURE READ IN FULL.
Republicans Insisted on This to Prevent
Trouble Further On--Dingley's Open
ing Speech Followed by Wheeler For
the Democrats-Other Also Spoke.


was rather tame from both spectacular
and an oratorical standpoint. There
was an absence both of that sharp
crossfring which keeps the nerves on
edge and that brilliant eloquence which
inspires and holds the imagination.
The opening of the debate was delayed
over two hours by the full reading of
the bill of 162 pages and this, to begin
with, had a somewhat depressing influ-
ence.
The Republican leaders insisted on
khis, to avoid the possible charge in the
future, should the consideration of the
bill not be completed under the the five
minute rule, that the bill was never
read in full in the house, thing which
happened in the cases of both the Nc.
Kinley and Wilson bills. Mr.. Dingley,
the chairman of the ways and means
committee, made an hours speech for
the majority and Mr.. Wheeler of Ala.
bama fired the broadside for the oppo-
sition.
Mr.. Bailey. leader of the opposition,
had decided to close the debate and Mr..
McMillin of Tennessee had been selected
to reply to Mr.. Dingley, but at the last
moment it was learned that Mr.. McMil.
lin had been unable to prepare himself
owing to the illness of his wife. The
task, therefore, devolved upon Mr..
Wheeler. Mr.. Bell of Colorado blazed
the path for the Populists. Mr.. Hop
kins Of Illinois also talked for the Re-
publicans.
Mr.. Dingley began by stating that
congress having been convened in extra
session, the facts that had led to the
issuance of the presidents message
were that the government revenues
during the past four years had been in
sufficient to meet the expenditures to
or an average of $50, 900, 900 per annum
that this deficiency will continue to
grow under existing conditions that
the deficiency has been met by borrow
ing-that is, bond sales, and that this
has promoted distrust, intensified and
prolonged the run on the treasury and
weakened business confidence. This
deficiency of revenue, said Mr.. Ding.
ley, has nearly all arisen from falling
off of revenues from the duties on inn
ports-and not from a decline of reve-
nue. from internal taxes. In revising
the tariff, he said, the committee has
endeavored to discard mere theories,
and addressed themselves to the franz
ing of practical remedy, at least in
part, for the ills which have for Sc
many months overshadowed the coun.
try.
Mr.. Dingley gave some statistics rela.
tive to the importations and tariff on
woolens, and said that by placing WOO
on the free list the treasury lost S21,
000,0 revenue and the farmers $780,
000, 900 per year, and that this country
had not Deen able to increase its exports
of manufactures of WOOL 1t had been
claimed, he went on. that the price of
clothing had been reduced, but this was
only in appearance, because people had
been deprived of work and wages, and
found it harder to buy clothing than be.
fore. The new schedule would aid the
wool grower, increase manufactures
and ultimately increase the revenue.
Speaking of the sugar schedule, Mr..
Dingley said it would Increase the rev.
enue and encourage sugar production
in this country.
Continuing, Mr.. Dingley said that
the increase of the duties in the pend
ing bill to the figures of the tariff of
1890 have been in the schedules or para
graphs covering luxuries like tobacco,
liquors, silks and laces, which being
articles of voluntary consumption, are
always regarded as objects which will
bear the highest duties. The exceptions
are the earthenware and glass schedule
and the agricultural schedule, on which
the duties have been placed the same as
in the act OF 1890, because no other
rates seemed to be protective.
Mr.. Dingley then briefly touched
upon the schedules which had not been
materially bhanged from the present
law. These included iron and steel
and cotton. I'm all other schedules, -
continued Mr.. Dingley, 1.-The rates pro-
posed in the pending bill are between
the rates of the tariff Of 1890 and the
present law.
"There have been transferred from
the free list of the tariff of 1894 to the
dutiable list Of the proposed bill, not
only wood, lumber, salt, burlaps, bags,
cotton bagging and cotton ties, which
never should have been made non duti-
able, but also argols, crude opium, as
phaltum, chickle, paintings and statu.
ary, except when imported for free ex-
hibition by an established institution
straw ornaments, etc, which, under
existing conditions, ought to contribute
something toward the much needed ad.
hitional revenue.
$50 far as possible the aim has been
10 avoid exclusively advalorem duties
On articles which have been notoriously
undervalued and thus failed to pay the
duties intended-a loss of revenue
which has been more serious than ever
under the present tariff, in which out.
1tA N nf hn tal nd gnl IL,
almost exclusively advaloIem rates pre-
vail. The better class of importers have
united with the manufacturers and adj
ministrators of the law'in asking this.
Mr.. Dingley discussed at some length
the advalorem and specific systems, and
presented figures showing how disad-
vantageously the advalorem system
worked He then presented the esti-
mates as to the probable revenue that
would be raised by the bill, which were
given in his report. with the supple
mental statement that the second year
the bill would yield $l00,000,000 in
creased revenue. In closing Mr.. Ding
ley said;
1T must he obvious from any point of
view that prompt action by the two
houses of congress is indispensable to
secure the revenue which the pending
bill is intended TO yield. The exigency
is an unusual one. The people, without
regard to party affiliations, are asking
for action. Business awaits our final
decision. With this great question OF
aeSits eTshent fseettled' fa8ycorabiy "a by % Such an
adjustment of duties as will restore to
our own people what has been rendered
to Others during the past four years,
and with restored confidence in the
future there is reason to believe that
gradually and surely there win come