The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1897-07-26
A GOOD RADIANCE

SoHSIeSS has duJOuTHeu,. anu 10 the
satisfaction of the good people of the
country. 1t was called together osten-
sibly to provide the means of meeting
the public expenditures, but the act it
has passed, in all probability, will yield
more revenue to the trusts than to the
government.
The theory Of raising revenue by i'm
posing high duties upon luxuries, has
been discarded, and on the whole the law
enacted puts higher duties upon the
necesse..-- i:s~-+ i~------- L. -;,oa
|1S70. 1t affords such advantages to
manufacturers that by combination they
will be able to monopolize the markets of
the nation. The principle of imposing
duties only high enough to make up the
difference in the cost of production in
this and in competing countries has not
been respected, though it is principle
which the majority party in congress
has advocated. Such duties equahze
conditions, and are an assurance against
monopoly, either foreign or domestic.
Duties in regard to many items are such
as will tend to reduce rather than in
crease revenue, for every intelligent per-
son knows that revenue may be reduced
quite as effectively by putting duties too
high as we'll as too low Nor are many
of the duties necessary to the adequate
protection of American labor, and as
they could not have been imposed for
revenue merely, nor for protection to
labor the object must have been to give
advantages to trusts.
The session has lasted more than four
months, and no congress ever did SO little
work in the same length Of time. The
house Representative has spent three
quarters of it's time in absolute idieness.
The majority has been a machine,
manipulated or coerced by a single
mind, and in disregard of the public in
terests. There have been no commit
tees except on ways and means, rules,
accounts and enrolled bills, they being
such committees as were necessary to do
the work which had been programmed.
The rules set apart times when the
non privileged committees are called on
for reports and for their consideration.
The appointment Of committees gener-
ally would have shorn the speaker
and his committee on rules of much
of their power. Bills would have
been introduced and their consid-
Grafton pressed before the commit
tees. Members would have become
general benefit or in which constit-
uencies have special interest. Under
such circumstances it would have been
difficult to make members take the
had been named they could have pre-
pared work for the regular session
which would have contributed to it,
early termination. If the history Of
congress, and parliaments, and legis
latures were ransacked nothing woult
be found to parallel tine action Of tn,
house of representatives during the ses
sion just ended, for unblushing disre
i caro- OIL the pupilc lHteIeslS UT lOr III
tyranny of it's presiding officer 1t ha
not been a deliberative body, but an or
ganized force without Individual voli
ton.
The senate has behaved with more re
spect to the public interests and ha
shown a better disposition in regard t
general legislation, but it has been in
@rangle over the demands of the trusts
Many senators evinced desire to rem
der the best possible service, but moth
ing received attention from the lowe
branch except what the programists la
out for it. The character of the revenu
] law would not have been known to tn