The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1897-07-16

ury' secured the most eminent statisticians in
the United States. without regard to politics
ana they made careful examination as to the
question OF how many of the people OF the
United states, with their labor and products
came in competition directly or indirectly with
foreign labor and products They reported
with singular unanimity that but i've per cent
OF the people of the United States with their
labor and products, came in competition with
the labor and products OF foreign countres
ana yet with that small proportion of the people
OF the United States to be protected IL is i'm
possible TO construct tariff bill for protec-
tloh ana Tor revenue without giving large pre-
ponderance to protection. When YOU under
take to construct a tariff for protection you de-
stroy revenue. because in order TO meet the
demands of those who seek protection. you are
compelled to put the duties so high as to ex-
cIude the foreign product and keep IL from COM
ing into competition with the domestic product.
NOW, Senator Aldrich. the most eminent au-
thorlty on tariff in the republican party In
lnaugurating this debate, lays down the prop
osition that the republican party the protec-
tlon party, to which he belongs, must soon
resort to internal revenue taxes be-
cause the protective system destroys rev.
enue upon imports And So with bill that
imposes the most monstrous burdens of taxa
tion in American history, we have an adms-
sion that it will not by its customs duties pro-
vide the necessary revenue for the country
In this bill are nearly l50 items in which the
rates are much higher than in the Mckinley
act. few of its iniquities can be seen from
few illustrations of the tax on articles in com
mon use. The duty on coal is increased from
~ TO o. cents: crochery from 35 to So per cent;
lead from cent to Pa cents; oil cloth from 25
and 40 per cent to 81 to so; paper bags from 20
to %; pocket cutlery from 25 and rs to l60 per
cent, and so on down through long list OF ar
tlcles In daily use by people of moderate means.
sewer pipe, shot and lead, soap, borax sponges,
wallpaper. window-glass, wire, white lead,
lumber, shingles, beef and the like are enor-
mously increased and will at once become more
expensive to the consumer That the people
OF the country will repudiate this bill when
they have tested its burdens is beyond all
doubt.
SENATORS JONES AND WHITE.
Senator Jones, of Arkansas:
I'm the new tariff are so many outrages that
II is hard to tell what it's worst features are.
Perhaps the woolen schedule may be con-
sidered the worst. The heavy tax laid on raw
wool, with the compensating taxes to the
manufacturers, will make the average rate of
burden imposed in the wooden schedule
enormously high 1t will practically prohibit
the importation OF all classes of goods that
are made in the United States. The crockery
and glass schedules are equally OBJ
noxfous, but the bill is filled with gifts
to the trusts and manufacturing monopolies
AS 1t came from the house it carried the high
est average of taxation ever imposed. As re-
ported to the senate from the committee it was
sli ;htly modified, and in his opening speech
Mr.. Aldrich said that bill proposing excessive
burdens was not to be thought OF. In the con-
sideration of the measure however the re-
publicans systematically abandoned the senate
amendments and took the house rates, and in
many instances even raised the rates above
thSxNa Nga1f fax.tI tIr.k
Senator White:
The tariff bill as it passed the senate is the
most dangerous enactment of the kind that has
ever emanated from congress. II the most op-
pressive trusts and combines in the United
States had met in joint conven tion they could
not have produced a measure more satisfactory
to themselves and more clearly inimcal to the
people. From the commencement of the last
campaign until the vote was taken upon the
bill the representatives OF the republican party
and of this administration declared that a
very moderate revenue enactment would be
framed. This bill is not a revenue measure for
1t is thronged with prohibitive duties The
sugar schedule has already forced up the price
OF that article and when the bill becomes
law the consumer will pay 1.25 more for a hum
dred pounds of that commodity than heretofore
and the trust will reap unprecedented benefits.
1t is not practicable here to enumerate the ar
ticleS of necessity upon which increased rev.
enues have been imposed. Before six months
the consumers of the United States will be very
familiar with the Dingley bill and will be quite
competent to exdress themselves accordingly
at the polls The average burden of taxation
will be more than So per cent. at least, as
against 40 in the Mckinley bill the burdens OF
which were thrown off by the American people
as soon as they could take action upon it.
II add that il is doubtful whether majority
of the republican members of congress really
approve OF this bill They have been COM
PEELED to stand by it, and the combines of the
United States now expect to squeeze out of the
public profit on their campaign investment s.
WHAT THE FARMER GETS.
The democratic conferees on the part
of the house are Messrs. Bailey, of
Texas; McMillin, of Tennessee, and
Wheeler, of Alabama.
Mr.. McMillin has long been a men,
Der of the ways and means committee,
and is regarded by both parties as an
expert in tariff matters. He is looked
upon as being very likely TO succeed
Senator Harris. He says:
The extra session of congress for the pur-
pose of revising the tariff was entirely unneces-
sary With even ordinary economy there would
be a surplus in the treasury at the time of the
regular meeting in December.
If there is nothing else to condemn this
measure, the fact that it proposes to raise un-
necessary and unjust taxes ought to do so You
will search in vain for free sugar In this BILL or
anything else free that benefits the American
people. The republican demagogic cry OF free
breakfast table has been abandoned.
Let us see what they have done for the
farmer. or all the futile efforts to delude that
l have ever seen in a solemn proceeding this
is the most glaring large per cent. Of our
population are farmers. They are the ones
who bear the burdens and get no benefits from
protection. The republicans evidently have
underrated their intelligence when proposing
an increase of duty of farm products TO satisfy
them with the enormous rates OF duty found in
this bill.
1--WE are complaining of hard times, and
Justly Farms are selling for taxes. Ruin is
abroad in the land. and is not confined to any
particular vocation. The bank doors are clos
ing and bank presidents going to Canada
and the penitenti airy. Manufacturing estab-
lishments have their repositories filled with
goods, which nobody is able to
purchase; and out in the west the bins and
reservoirs OF industry are bursting with the
wheat and corn for which there is no market |
Yet over ali the wreck the republican party is |
and happy. l tell them to look |
out when the day of settlement comes TO these |
taxes
t.XVhat bava thav pronOSed for the farmersS