The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-05-06
THE SENATE TARIFF BILL.


The tariff bill, as reported by the
senate committee, shows the impress
of that body's handiwork and it's &C
customed and unmistakable leanings
been counting on the assistance OF the
senate to make the Dingley bill mod
crate" one, can now sit down and pom
| der upon their own credulity. One
great feature of the bill is the injection
into it of certain distinctive revenue
features. The senate has at least COM
mon sense enough to understand that
the Dingley bill was not revenue
measure and that if it were enacted as
it came from the house it could hardly
do other than to continue and increase
the treasury deficit. Running mad az
ter their idol Of protection, and claim
to increase income, the advocates OF
prohibitory duties concocted Dill
which, unless all experience is at fault,
must reduce revenue to the lowest
point.
| The senate, while not less ten
der toward the trusts, does understand
| that money must be provided from
some source to meet the extravagant
appropriations that are the order OF
the day. It has, therefore, levied an
| additional tax on beer and placed a
duty of 10 cents a pound on tea.
It is amusing to find the stalWart
/ protectionists thus adopting the essen
| tiaI features Of a SYSTEM which they
have hitherto been pleased to call free
trade" These taxes are purely for rev.
enue purposes. They are taxes against
which protectionists have proclaimed
| most loudly. They are not protective
| in their nature, and we have been told
that the revenue Of the government
should be derived from such sources as
would build up American industry.
| How home manufactures are to be en-
couraged by taxes on beer and tea we
have yet to learn. The fact is that
there has come into the senatorial mind
! d. VI Lie Il I'LL llAdI oil IoI =
| if bills hereafter must be framed with
| a view to raising money; that high
protection and adequate revenue are
incompatible, and that the free trad
fact, which they are compelled to rec
ognize.
AS to the other changes in the house
| bill, the senate, as was expected, as is
necessary from it's constitution and at
titude has gone to the limit in the en-
coura cement Of monopoly and foster
ing Of trusts. We select a few of the
most notable instances. Of course the
the interests of the sugar trust. The
fate of the last tariff bill, and, indeed,
| the construction of many of it's most
important schedules, depended upon the
decision of the sugar refners. They
gave their terms to the senate, and the
senate obeyed orders. The same body
has now not only drawn up sugar
schedule of it's own but it has declared
for the abolition Of the treaty with
Hawaii. No more open confession of
alliance with the trusts could be made.
Claus Spreckles has been putting
screws on the Hawaiian planters to
make them renew the agreements with
him by which he has piled up his mil
lions. They were unwilling to do this,
and he has struck back hard At the
instance of the sugar trust, the senate
for bringing in Hawaiian sugar free
! A still more outrageous confession of
it's sympathy with monopoly is the
striking out of the word "bituminous''
merely bituminous, but anthracite coal
is to receive tariff protection. The most
odious monopoly in this country, the
one against which people have protest
ed and legislatures have resolved, the
one which has forced manufacturers
as we'll as individuals, all over the
country to seek some cheap substitute
for hard coal as fuel, is to be recog-
nized in the new tariff act The stu
pidity of this is equal to it's iniquity
From beginning to end the tariff bill
as it comes from the senate, fulfills the
old proverb, Whom the gods would
destroy, they first make mad"
It is considered doubtful by some
whether any bill can be passed, with
the angry strife that has arisen be-
tween the tariff beneficiaries of New
England, who demand free hides, ano
those of the West, who are prepared
to, insist that hides shall be dutiable, as
well as wool. We are inclined to think
however, that a compromise will be
reached between the various companies
Of robbers. The opportunity to pillage
the people is too great to be LOST