The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-03-30
THEY MAY NOT VOTE
Populist Caucus Hint at Tariff
Inactivity.
INsINcERE, INEFFECTIVE
TIMES HAVE BEEN BAD WITH
HIGH AND LOW TARIFFS.
GOOD FINANCE. THE REMEDY
Populists to Try to Secure 10 Farmers
and laborers Such Protection as
Shall Correspond With Pro-
lection to Finished Products

Washington, March pa joint eau
Gus Of the Populist members of the Sen
ate and House was held this evening to
discuss the course of that party towards
the tariff bill. As result, the following
address was issued:
The tariff has been the battle-doOr and
shuttle-cock of politics for more than one
hundred years, and its final settlement
| is more distant than when the c0ntrover-
| sy began.
During this period the country has ex-
perienced at different times both pros
perity and hard times, not only under a
high tariff, but also under low tariff;
but is has always experienced hard times
when there was contraction OF the
money volume, no matter whether the
tariff was high or low.
When the CEeveland-Republican combi-
nation replaced the purchasing clause of
the Sherman act, and stopped the issue
of new money, the crash came, notwith-
standing the Mckinley tariff remained
| in force year and half thereafter; and
when the Democratic Wilson bill became
a law, the evils Of contraction were not
mitigated by 1t, but times have continued
to grow worse. We have no faith an
either a Republican or Democratic
tariff as a remedy for the evils of the
gold standard and monopoly rule.
We recognize the fact that all former
tariff legislation, as well as the proposed
measure has many unjust discrimina-
tions, and works hardsfips to many in
dustries, and unreasonably fosters othres.
The chief Republican complaint against
the Wilson bill, however, is that it does
| not produce sufficient revenue for the
support of the government. The lack of
revenue is not the result of defects in
the bill as it was passed by Congress, but
resulted from a decision of the Supreme
Court which declared the income tax un-
| constitutional. There are many ways to
supply the deficiency without renewing
| the tariff agitation. The most direct
and effective method would be to restore
silver and increase the circulation me-
dunn so as to restore the level, OF prices
which existed prior to the demenetization
OF that metal.
We do not regard the Dingley bill as
q revenue measure. 1t is extremely
doubtful if it will produce as much reye-
| nue. as the Wilson bill. Nor is it tariff
| for protection in any just sense. 1t is
empha tically tariff for agitation.
Ii seems to us designed by the Repubii-
can party to create such a tariff agitation
as will divert the attention of the people
| from the misery they suffer from con-
! traction of money and the rule of monop-
ol:es.
| While the Populsts will do all in their
| power in both houses OF Congress to
remedy the manifest defects in the VII
! son bill, and to secure to farmers and
| laborers such protection as shall CORE
| spond with the protection in both the
Mckinley and the Wilson bill of finished
products, to equal:ze the burden of taxa
+ ton necessary to raise sufficient revenue,
and to also equitably distribute the bene-
fits resulting from such tariff, yet If
they refrain from voting for or against
the Dingley bill ON its final passage, it
! will be to avoid even the appearance of
promoting the continuance of the tariff
agitation to side-track the vital and over
| shadowing question of financial and
monopoly reforms and also to avoid Civ
ing countenance to the contention that
any tariff legislation, however wise and
just, could remove, existing evils and
I bring general prosperity.