River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1897-03-25
ENTER A PROTEST.
Minority Report on the DIngiey Tarin
Measure.


Measure.
Washington, March 23.-The views of
the minority OF the committee on ways
and means upon the tariff bill were pre-
sented to the house Monday evening by
Representative Bailey (dem., Tex, the
leader of the democracy. 1t reads as
follows:
This bill was framed with the avowed
purpose OF protecting the manufacturers
of the United States against foreign COM
petition, and IL is perfectly obvious that II
Il accompllshes that purpose II must result
IN compelling the consumers OF this coun-
try to pay more for their manufactured
goods, and for this reason we think II
should not pass We rest our opposition
upon the broad principle that congress was
invested with the power CT taxation as
means of collecting from each citizen his
fair proportion toward the support of the
government. and that it is a gross perver-
sion OF that sovereign power TO employ IL as
a means of enabling favored classes to
levy unjust charges upon the great body OF
the people.
IF government has a right 10 levy taxes
upon the people for the purpose OF in
ducing men to establish Improbable in
dustries, or Industries which can only be
made profitable by compelling the consum-
ers of the United States to pay exorbi-
bounty system is a more direct and less
complex way OF attaining that end. and at
least has the advantage of directness and
simplicity.
1T follows as a matter OF course tNat a
bill based upon a vicious principle must
be injurious in its effects, and perhaps no
effect could be more pernicious than the
extravaganza which the bill encourages.
The tabulated statement embraced in the
committee report shows that the bill is ex-
pected to raise sll3,0OO0O0 more revenue
than was collected In customs during the
last fiscal year; and yet, as is shown by
the same report. the differerce between the
government receipts and disbursements
during that year was only S25,0o0,000. 1t Is
well known that the importations or last
year were smaller than usual, owing TO the
general depressions that existed In all cir
cles but even supposing that importations
hereafter can be kept at level with the
importations of 1896, the bill will collect
from the people more than $9O,000,OOO an
nually above the requirements of our pres
ent extravagant and wasteful appropria-
lions.
AN overlooking treasury is constant
temptation to enter upon expenditures that
corrupt both the public mind and the pub
lies servants. Under a system of high
taxes there must be a surplus or there must
be waste. and both are serious evils. Pres
ident Jackson hardly overstated the danger
of a surplus when he declared that il was
more dangerous than a standing army;
and yet, dangerous as a surplus is, II is not
so dangerous as the extravaganza which Is
always resorted to In order TO prevent its
accumulation. 1t cannot be forgotten that
many OF those who now advocate a high
tariff and defend the extravaganza which
II engenders did not hesitate to denounce
the administration of President Buchanan
because in It's last year the appropriations
exceeded the sum of s60,00O,000. Our popu-
lation at that time was nearly half what ii
is to-day, and IL the government were now
properly and frugally administered our
expenses. including liberal pensions for the
soldiers of the late war. ought not to ana
would not exceed the sum of $S50. 100000
IF the system OF unnecessary taxation
is indefensible because of the extravaganza
which II encourages, Ii is still more so on
account OF The trusts which II fosters and
promotes. 1t is not more certain that pro-
lection encourages extravaganza than II is
that 1t breeds unlawful combinations OF
capital. Indeed. protection is justified upon
the avowed theory that competition should
be restricted. True enough, 1t assumes the
patriotic pretense that foreign competition
ought not to be permitted against our
home Industries but they little understand
the seldsbness of human nature ana es-
pecially they little understand the selfish
ness of that human nature which relies
upon the favoritism of the law to increase
its fortune, who suppose that these men,
having secured themselves against for
eign competition by the favor OF congress-
will fail to secure themselves against do
nestle competition by voluntary combina-
tions among themselves.
1T Is an old adage. and it is as true as IL
is old, that competition is the life of trade,
and whatever tends TO restrict competition
must tend to restrict trade. The majority
Of the committee seem to think 1t an easy
matter for us to build a tariff wall about
rrVNf N4EE To-
ers from trading with us. but they forget
that the same wall which shuts the for
eigner out shuts us in. and that regula-
lions to prevent the foreigner from trad
ing with us must at the same time prevent
us trading with the foreigner We be-
lieve in the principle OF competition, and
we believe the people of the United States
can successfully compete against all other
people of the world and we denounce as
a crime against the best interests OF our
people any law which leaves the consumers
of this land subject to the exacions OF
reckless and corrupt combinations formed
to destroy competition and control prices.
THE report Of the committee on ways
and means is singularly silent upon the
old pretext that these high taxes are I'M
posed for the benefit of American labor,
and the silence may be taken as conced-
ing the democratic contention that the in
telligence and skill of the American fac
tory operative are all the protection which
he needs or desires. The la Dor argument
of the protectionist can be reduced to an
absurdity which makes IL amazing that IL
should ever have been seriously advanced.
To say I'm one breath that the welfare of la
Dor depends upon it's wages and that its
wages In turn depend upon its skill and in
telligence, and in the next breath TO say
that the very intelligent and highly skilled
laborers of this country cannot success
fully compete with the ignorant and I'M
skilled laborers of the old world, Is equiv
aient to saying that skill and intelligence
are not of great advantage to the laborers
who possess them. To our minds. It in
wolves a contradiction in history as we'll
as in economic theory, to hold that the
factory labor of a civilized country needs
protection against the factory labor of an
uncivilized country.
I'VE are unable to offer a substitute for
the pending bill. because we have not been
allowed seasonable time to prepare one.
Congress convened In extraordinary ses-
sion on Monday. the 18th day of March, and
this bill was introduced the same day and
referred to the committee on ways and
means. which met the next morning. and on
Thursday II was ordered to be reported TO
the house. The majority of the committee
had spent the three months of the last ses-
sion of the last congress H. the preparation
of their bill, and yet they refused to allow
the minority three weeks in which to pre-
pare substitute. We are unwilling to
propose measure that has not been care
fully matured. and we muss therefore con-
tent ourselves with protesting against the
passage of the committees bill"