The times., 1897-03-23
THE MINORITY REPORT.
Reasons Why the Democrats OF
pose the Dingley Bill.

pose the Dingley Bill.
| The Views OF the minority of the Com
nittee on Ways and Means upon the tariff
bill were presented TO the House last even
ing by Representative Bailey, the leader
OF the Democracy. 1t reads as follows:
This bill Was framed with the ayoWed
purpose of protecting the manufacturers
OF the United States against foreign COM
petition, aud it is perfectly obvious that
if it accoInplisf,es that purpose it must re-
suit in compelling the consumers OF this
country to pay more for their manlfac-
tured goods; and for this reason we think
it should not pass. We rest our opposition
upon tile broad principle that Congress
was invested with the power OF taxation
as 81 means of collecting from each
citizen his fair proportion toward the
support CT the Government, and that it is
u gross perverson OF that sovereign power
to employ it as a means OF enabling ia
vored classes to levy unjust charges upon
the great body OF the people. We believe
that after contributing his proper share
towardthe maintenance OF the Government
every citizen Of this republic is entitled 10
he can honestly earn; and we deny the
right of Congress to make or enforce any
regulation which requires one man to
give any part or bis honest earnings tow ard
encouraging tie enterprise or increasing
the fortune of another
No man, however blind he may be, would
defend a SYSTEM OF tax alton under which
the Government first collected the money
and afterward distributed it among it's ia
vorftes. 1t is true that the tariff act OF
1890 ventured to this extent in dealing z
with the sugar growers, bItthe disapprovdl
of that policy was SO overwhelming and so
bitter that the advocates have been forced
to abandon it, and they have not dared to
incorporate an provision for direct bounty Y
inthc present bill We are unable, however.
to perceive any difference in prin ciple be-
tween alaw which requires the Government
tocoliect tire money and distributed among
the protected industries and law which
enables estheseiRdustries to collect the money
from the people. There may be some dif-
ference / n the method OF making the collec
ton and in the cost of doing so, but there
Is no difference whatever IN the principle
involved. If the Government has the right
to levy taxes upon the people for the pur-
pose OF inducing men to establish nnprUflU
able industries or Industries which can only
be made profitable by compelling the con-
sutners OF the United States to pay ex-
orbitant prices for their products, then the
bounty system is more direct and less
complex way OF attaining that end, and at
least has the advantage OF directness and
simplicity
think that taxation can he made bless
ing, and that the support OF the Govern
ment instead of being a burden upon tax
payers, can be made to enrich them. IF
this opinion is well founded. then all the
struggles for freedom which have revOlved
around the question OF taxation have pro-
ceedcd upon a false theory and the Ameri-
can colonists when they determined that
they would not submit 10 taxation without
representation indulged n mistaken zeal
for liberty. The patriotic resolve OF our
forefathers not to use goods upon which
Great Britain had laid an import duty was
wrong if the argument for protection is
right, because, according to that argu-
ment. the British importers were really
paying the tax over which the American
colonists went to war. There cannot be
found in the wide range OF economic
literature and authority. with the few and
rare exceptions which only serve To
emphasize the general concurrence, who
does not treat taxation, direct or indirect,
as a burden; and when we remember that
q protective tariff not only collects more
for the Government than is needed for its
economical administrad on, but that 1t
also enables favored classes to collect
more than the Government itself, the in
Justice becomes so clear and enormous
that it would be "a reflection upon the
Intelligence OF the American people To
suppose that it can escape their swift and
decisive condemnation.
1t follows as a matter OF course that a
bill based upon a vicious principle must
be injurious in its effects, and perhaps no
effect could be more peruiGiuus than the
extrava gancei which the bill encourages.
The tabulated statement embraced in the
committee shows that the bill is expected
to raise S113, ,00e,0 900 more revenue than
was collected i'll customs during the last
fiscal year: and yet. as is shown by the
same report, the difference between the
Govern ment receipts and disbursements
during that year was only S25, ,o0a 600. It
is we'll known that the importations last
year were smaller than usual, owing to the
general depression that existed in all
circles: but even supposing that importa-
tions hereafter can be kept at level with
the fmnortati0ns Of 1896. the bill will
collect from the people more than S9e,-
100000 annually. above the requirements
of our present eXtravagant and wasteful
appropriations.
1t may be, however. that the majority
should not be arraigned for their open en-
Guuragement of extravaganza: because it
cannot be surprising that gentlemen who
think that taxes are not a burden should
feel that money derived from taxation
ought To be iavishly spent. Nothing could
better illustrate the vice Of the protective
system than the fact that there flows
from il az direct consequence the habit
OF treating the ex penditure of public money
as q benefit rather than as a burden to
tie people It would be cause enough
for complaint if the burden were the only
result of the extravaganza; but in free
government extravaganza breeds ten
denotes of the most pernicious character.
1t not only teaches the people to look to
the government for the promotion OF ali
kinds of enterprises, whether for pleasure
or for profit. but it makes them impatient
against public servants who believe in
economy. and who believe that public
moneys are d trust fund to be jealously
guarded.
An oyerflowing treasury is a constant
temptation to enter upon expenditures that
corrupt both the public mind and the pub
lies servants Under a system of high 4