Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1897-07-15
A PRoTEcTIoNlsT's VERDICT.

Senator Henry M. Teller, of Colorado, is
Protectionist- and ranked among the
country's ablest Republican statesmen until
he broke away from his party on account
of the silver question. During the closing
debate on the Tariff bill in the Senate on
Wednesday he pronounced it the worst
measure of the kind that was ever passed.
Trusts, combines and syndicates, he said,
had altogether too much to do with its con-
struction. The Republicans could not go
to the country and say that it was an inn
perfect and ineffective bill because they did
not have working majority in the Senate.
According to his count there were tifty-one
votes in the Senate that would be cast for
protective bill. If they have been com.
PEELED" said Mr.. Teller, /" to listen to trusts
and corporations and to hunt for votes, they
knew where they could get votes for any
decent measure that would afford protec-
ton to American labor. They rather lis
tened, | am afraid, to the voice of the trusts
and syndicates than to those who have
always been Protectionists, but who have
not always agreed with them on other SUBJ
iucts." These remarks clearly show that
the Republican party is responsible for the
bill as whole and in all its details and
must stand or fall before the people on its
results. In a subsequent interview the
Colorado Senator said -
The measure passed to-day is the most
outrageous one ever given to the people of
this country. do not believe that in all
the history of legislation among the nations
of the world there was ever such an un-
scientific bill enacted into law If the
people of the United States fully under
stood the enormity of this act they wonld
rise in protest against it. 1t is a travesty
upon the principle of protection and adds
in every way to the already heavy burdens
of the consumer. The tariff bill as passed
has not only taken care of all the large
trusts, but there was no trust SO small but
what was afforded protection if it had a
representative here to assert its claims. 1t
is measure designed exclusively for the
benefit of corporations, with little regard
for revenue and none for the people. Why
not have been paid by the consumer. The
reason is that an election is approaching in
Ohio. and the cry went up that if beer is
taxed, the State will be lost to the Repub-
licans. Why was not tea taxed Because
protests wonld be entered against it and
votes lost in the next election. The Re-
publican party has reversed itself since the
Tariff bill of 1880 was passed. when it de-
clared that the necessaries of life should
not be oyertaxed and that sugar was
necessary used by all classes Now they
do not. hesitate to put sugar beyond the
reach of the poor man. Even the Senate
according to my figures, has increased the
sugar tax as fixed by the House seven and
half cents per hundred pounds. I feel
ashamed of having voted for the bill to.
day, but determined that the Republic
cans we're entitled to have the measure
arranged to suit themselves, and now the
responsibility must rest with them.
would have gladly supported reasonable
protective tariff, but this bill is framed in
the interest of only very small class "