The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-04-07
TARIFF DEBATE BEGINS.
discussion Of the Dingiey Bill Opens
in the House.
SYNOPSIS OF MINORITY REPORT


sition-.-Republicans Predict an Addh
tional Inc ucome-..DeInocratB Declare the
Schedules Would Enrich the FeE.
WASHINGTON, D. C. (Special). The grear
tariff contest OF 1897, which everybody be-
Nsyes will be memorable one. began Ill the
House ofRepresentatives of Monday. Although
The time appointed was two hours earlier
than that at which the daily slttinSs usually
begin. there was pretty full attendance OF
members and the galleries were filled with
interested spectators. The audience con-
timed to increase in size during tho two
Aours and more conLemed by the clerks in
raiing the bill
Representative Shsrman, of New York
had the honor Of presiding as Chairman OF
tbe Committee Of the Whole, when the de-
bate On the DlnGley bill was opened.
The opening OF the debate was delayed
NOR than two hours by the full reading OF
the bill Of 162 pages, and this, OF course. had
q depressing effect. The Republican lead
ers insisted on this to avoid the charges that
the bill was never read In full In the House,
thing which happened In the cases OF botn
the Mckinley and Wilson bills. Only four
speeches were made at the day session. Mr..
Dngley, Chairman Of the Ways I,tlc ana Means
Committee, opening for the majority.
Dir. Din.ley began by referring TO the
Government deficiency, which, he said. had
nearly all been caused by falling of OF
revenue from duties on imports, and not by
decline OF revenue from internal taxes. In
revising the tariff, he said, the committee
hna endeavored to discard mere theories
md had addressed themselves to the framing
Of practical remedy, at least IN part,
ior the ills which have for so many
months overshadowed the country.
free list the Treasury lost S2l .O00, 900 rev.
enue and the farmers S3o, ,00J per year.
and that this country had not been able to
Increase its exports OF manufactures OF wool.
The new schedule, he said, would aid the
grower. increase manufactures and ultimate
E increase the revenue.
Mr. Wheeler, who replied for tho D,mo-
srats, said the theory OF the Democratic par
ty was that the way to give employment to
American labor WAS to find purchasers Tor
the products OF farms and factories, and that
she way to do that was to open the markets
Of the world to those products. The bill he
declared, had been framed in secret star
chamber by eleven Republicans, and was
largely framed from petitions presented to
shat body Of eleven men by the agents OF the
protected interests Of the country. Many
paragraphs in the bill we're in the exact
language OF those petitions.
Mr. Hopkins, Republican member OF tne
Committee on Ways ard Means, defended the
bill, which, he declared. was in accordance
With the almost universal demand ofthe peo-
PIE for tariff legislation.
Mr., Bell, Of Colorado, spoke as Populist
h antagonism to the bill. The Popul1sts, ne
said, believed no tariff bill was fair which
did not carry with 1t graduated Income tax
which would provide that the wealth OF the
country should pay something for hs own
support. ~,
TAYLOR, of Indiana, spoke in opposition to
the bill, and Mr.. Greene, Populist, OF Ne
braska, made a general political speech
around the question, "How are the people
% buy the products Of idle mills which are
TO be started by the Dingiey bill, when they
cannot buy what the mills now open pro-
duce?"
The views OF the minority of the Commit.
tee on Ways and Means upon the tariff bill
we're then presented to the House by Rep
sesentatve Bailey. Among other things, the
report says:
''This bill was framed with the avowed
purpose Of protecting the manufacturers OF
the United States against foreign competition,
and it is perfectly obvious that If 1t accom-
plishes that purpose it must result In COM
pelling the consumers Of this country to pay
more tor their manufactured goods, and for
this reason We think 1t should not pass.
1--WE rest our opposition upon the broad
principle that Congress was invested with
she power of taxation, as q means OF collect
ing from each citizen his fair proportion to-
yard the support Of the Government, and
that it Is gross perversion Of that sovereign
power toiemploy 1t as means OF enabling
3ayored classes TO levy unjust charges upon
the great body Of the people. We deny the
night OF Congress to make or enforce any re-
gnlation which requires one man to give any
part OF his honest earnings toward encourage
ing the enterprise or increasing the fortune
OF another.
"Our principal contention is that the bill,
II passed. will bring more revenue than the
Nation requires, which the people will con-
tribute, and encourage extravaganza.
'slf the system Of unnecessary taxation Is
fndefensible because Of the extravaganza
which it encourages, 1t Is still more 80 on
account Of the trusts which it fosters and
promotes. 1t was not more certain that
protection encourages extravaganza than 1t
Is that 1t .reeds unlawful combinations OF
al