The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1897-08-14
The New Tariff Hill.


this tariff bill that its discussion in
congress has excited little public inter-
est. The country has seemed apathetic.
Apparently people were concerned
mainly in its speedy passage, in order
that they might know accurately the
burdens which were to be imposed upon
them and might fix prices Of their goods
accordingly. There is no doubt that
good many friends Of the protective sys-
TEN regard this attitude of the country
as indicative Of the dpg6nito adoption of
protection as the permanent policy Of
the government. There are signs that
encourage this belief. In the fist place.
the Democrats in the House of ReDr g
sentatives chose as their leader q young
man not only absolutely incapable of
dealing with the question, but one
whose opposition is not based on prin-
ciple. Mr.. Baily is Democrat VINO,
like Tilman, perfers to grab part OF the
plunder fer his own constituency rather
than to stop the stealing. Tho Populists
and some Democratic senators also
manifest this readiness to participate
in the benefits Of protection. Tillman
is not the only southern senator who
sympathizes with McEnery's willing
ness to permit any outrage upon the
professed principles Of his party ii the
products Of his own people are taken
care Of" The enactment Of the bill was
attained with the aid and the conniv-
ance Of men who have professed to be
opposed to class legislation and to the
whole system OF taxing the public for
benefit of individuals. 1t is this be-
travail which leads protectionists to be-
lieve that their policy is now definitely
and permanently established.
We are inclined to think that they
will speedily discover their mistake;
that they will find that the apparent
apathy OF the country was due to a con-
sciousness Of impotence; that, instead Of
acquiescing in the protective principle,
the country is more alive than ever to
the essential immortality of tariff lesis-
latiOn; that there are deep. seated anger
and q firm determination to punish
those who are responsible for the greedy
corruption which marked every step in
the composition of this disgraceful and
lnendaclous measure. To suppose that
the country acquiesces in the bill which
has been produced at Washington is to
suppose that it has become Indifferent
not only to the vicious practices which
have been the fruitful parents Of its var
ious schedules, but to the reckless and
shameless display OF them. The great
central fact in the history of this meas
ure is the continued domination OF the
sugar trust over congress. There is
some pretence of dispute as to whether
the house or the senate was victorious
in the final arrangement Of the sugar
schedule. But it matters little which
scheme for increasing tho profits of the
sugar trust was adopted, The people
who speculate in sugar securities have
expressed theta opinion OF this legisia-
tion in Wall Street. The common stock
of tile trust was selling at no when the
work Of making the blll was begun, and
after the conference report WIS made
the stock sold at l40. lii other words
the Street assumed that the sugar
schedule, as iu.lly adopted, hal added
| e 10 l11 600 To tI,n upl, nt ~,
stock,
For three years ths sugar trust has
legislated for itself, and has been able tt
tax the country for its own benefit, Its
agents in congress being restrained
only by fears of their constituents
What the sugar trust has done in {
large way has been done in smaller
way by other benpfciaries Of this tariff
bill. The public interests have not beer
consulted by the publ;c's representatives
Every tax imposed by tits bill is in ait
of a private enterprise, and the rate il
nearly every case has been dictated b,
the beneficiary. The price Of nearly
/. every article in common use is increased
: by the act, except the products Of thu
, farmer. who cannot be benefited by {
tariff tax. But the old ruse on the far
mer has been attempted, and while the
. government permits him to be dcspollct
by the manufacturers of cotton ties
cotton bagging, and every other articl
that he must use, it offers him th
worthless gift OF tax on the product
!, that he sells in England. The pretence
. has been that this log rolling scheme O.
public plunder has had for Its object the
raising of revenue. But this protenc,
/, has now been abandoned, and even Nj
:. Dingley confesses that the prediction o
,, increased income to be derived from tn
measure, which he made on introducing
it, were untrue, while he now searchp
for excuses to explain the looked-for de
ficiency Of the current year. That tn
first effort of this congress in dealing
with the revenues should have been t
= = equalize receipts and expenditures is be
= yond dispute. That this result shoul
> have been sought through retrenchmen
in expenditure will not be denied by in
telligent men who have in mind onl
the best interests OF the government
That, in the absence of the will or th
courage to ccoEnmize. taxes sloul
: have been levied that would certainl
: increase revenues, follows inoyl,abl
But this congress has insisted on col
thinning extrayagant appropriations, an
has voted down nearly every REASONABLE
proposition that has been made to i;
y crease revenues. The session has bee
8 devoted to increasing tho profits of pr
y vate citizens who are suspected OF p0
sossing corrup; influence in Washing
ton, and it matters not, so far as the in
mediate interests Of tho country a1d Il
IL ~, ~ 49,, D,p,, on ~ m,