The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-04-29
ONGRESSMAN DINGLEY ON THE
REFORM CLUB SPEECHES.



Nothing could be clearer than that
she pledges of the party made It's first
duty to provide sufficient revenue TO car
~ on the government without borrow
Ing ID time of peace, and, in the ADJUST
ment OF duties on imports to that end to
encourage industries of the United
Sgates stricken by unfair competition.
II the Republican party should fail at
the beginning of it's lease of power to do
these things it could be justly held to
have proved faithless to it's pledges.
As to the responsibility which rests
upon the party to preserve sound cur
rercy, rest assured there will be no fall
ure. Indeed, the triumph of the party
In November last was an assurance
wnlch has been accepted by the CONNER
ofal world that sound currency would
be preserved.
No one knows better than the gentle
men who are critioisinR the Republican
party that it such legislation should
Do taken up today in the present condit-
ION OF the Senate, no favorable results
could be obtained, and the agitation
which would arise from long and fruit
less debate in the Senate, would exert an
Injurious influence on the business OF
the country and would endanger the
success OF the legislation to provide reve-
nue. to carry on the governments.
AS to former Chairman Wilson's criti-
cisms of the proposed tariff measure, 1t
seems to mo that 1t would have been
FAR more oreditable for him to have pre-
served silence after the dismal failure
OF the bill which bears his name, either
to provide revenue for the Government
or to maintain the industries Of the
country. Mr.. Wilson'S criticism of the
proposed tariff measure is simply repe-
titlon OF the FREQ trade assaults on pro-
lection which were SO rife from 1890 to
1893, and which bore fruit in the act OF
1924, which nobody rises to defend.
MIR. Wilson's assumption that pro-
faction Is simply fayoritism to some in
dustries and discrimination against 9TH
ers is in fact just Indictment of the
protects certain industries by giving
them duties equivalent to the difference
OF the cost of production here and
abroad, while it places on the free list
certain other industries requiring equal
protection.
But the proposed tariff measure is
not of this character. 1t applies equal
wherever they may be carried on, In
which the cost OF production and distri-
button here is greater than the cost of
production and distribution abroad,
mainly M account of the higher rata of
wages here. The object of protection,
as gentlemen who are disposed to treat
it with candor admit, is not to extend
favor to any industry, as such, but to
place production and distribution in
this country on the basis of American
rather than European wages.
lit Is astonishing that not single
speaker at this so-oalled reform meeting
took any notice of the fact that for fonr
years the revenue of this government
has been insufficient to- meet expendi-
lures to the extent of over $500, 600, 900
or $4,000, 900 annually. Every one of
the speakers ignored the fact that we
have been borrowing this amount OF
money to pay current expenses, and that
there is vital necessity that an end
should be out to this deficiency and such
a revision or the tariff made as to pro-
vide adequate revenue to carry on the
Government.
1.-THE simple facts of the situation are
the extent of nearly SIS, O0O, 600 annually
in order to meet the expenses of the
Governments, which have been no more
in this past two years than they were in
1891 and 1892, when we had sufficient
revenue.
'As our loss of revenue has been al
most entirely on the customs sids, adj
ditional receipts must be sought where
they have fallen of, mainly from du-
ties on imports. To this end the tariff
must be revised.
The simple Issue Is. in such revision,
shall the duties be adjusted SO, on the
whole. to encourage production and
manufactures here for our own markets,
or encourage production and manufacture
abroadep