Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-03-23
TELEGRAPHIC.
THE TARIFF BILL.
REASON WHY IT SHOULD NOT PASS
4, VIII Compel Con'umers OF this
Country 10 Pay Higher Prices
for Manufactured Goods.

WARRINGTON. March 22.-Mr. Bal.
lev OF Texas presented to the House
tonight the minority report on the
tariff bill. The report was signed by
ali the Democratic members Of the
ways and means committee, and gives
the grounds OF their opposition to the
bill. 1t ssyt:
This bill was framed with the
avowed purpose Of protecting the
manufacturers OF the United States
AGAINST foreign competition, and 1t ia
nerfectly obvious that IL II accom-
pl,shes that purposes 1t must result In
compelling the consumers OF this coun.
try 10 nay more for their manufactured
ooods. aud for this reason we think
Il should not pass. We rest our oppo.
sition upln the broad principle that
Congress was invested with the power
of taxation as means OF collecting
from each citizen his fair proportion
toward the support Of the government,
and that 1t Ia gross perveTsion OF that
sovereign power to employ it as a
means OF enabling favored classes to
levy unjust charges upon the great
body Of the people. .
The report says the dieapproval oil
the bounty system ns applied to the
sugar industry has been 80 pronounced
that the committee dared not insert 1t
in the bin, yet In the opinion OF the
signere, the payment OF bounties 10
preferable to the tariff tax, as being
more direct and simple.
The report continues:
III <.ft h N.a ~.
to think that taxation can be made a
blessing, and that the support OF the
government, instead OF being burden
upon the Taxpayers, can be made to
entich them. Ii this opinion 10 well
founded, then all the stIuggles for
freedom W hich hsvs revolved around
the question OF taxation have pro-
ceedeu upon false theory, aud the
American ooloniste. when they deter
mined that they would not submit 10
taxation without representation In
dulged in mistaken Zeal for liberty.
The report goes on TO argue that that
bill, by providing an excess OF
revenue, encourages extravagance in
expenditures in order TO uissipate the
accumulation.
would be cause enough for COM
plaipt II the burden were the only
result OF the extIavagancs, bur In n
free government extravngance brings
tendencies Of the most pernicious
character, 1t not only teaches the pep
ple to look to the government for the
promotion Of all kinds OF enterprises,
whether for pleasure or for profit, but
II makes them impatient against
public servants who believe that
moneys are trust fund to be Jealous
ly guarded.
President Jackson barely overstated
the danger Of u surplus when he de-
clared 1t was more dangerous than O
strong army; and yet, dangerous as .
surplus lie, IL 10 not 30 dangerous al
the extrsvagancs that 10 resorted to II
order to prevent its accumulation.
II the system OF unnecessary taxa
ton is indeiensible because Of tn,
extravsganoe which 1t encourages, 4
ia etill more 80 on account OF tn,
trusts which 1t fosters and promotes
1t ia net more certain that protection
encourages extravEgance than that 1
breeds unlaw fultcombiDati1ns OF CAPT
tai. Indeed protection Is justified upot
the avOwed theory that competition
should be restricted.
The majority of she committee seen
to forget that the same wall which
shuts the foreigner out shuts US A.
Ead that regulations TO prevent IN,
foreigners from trading with us mus
at the same time prevent us iron
trading with the foreigner.
Treating OF the bill on labor the re
port says:
"The report Of the committee oil
ways and means Is singularly shen
upon the old pre,ext that these higl
tariffs nre imposed Tor the benefit Q
American labor; and the silencs may
be taken ne conceding the Democratic
contention that the intelligence an,
skill OF the American factory opera
tives are all the protection which h
needs or desires.'
The report ooncludes:
We are unable to offer n sutttitut