The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-03-07

r. 0,
our manufactures placed on an equality
| with these of Great Blitain and other man
| ufaeturing nations 10 admit raw nlateria
10 free entry. A tax upon raw material IL
| calculated 10 increase the cost OF produc-
| ton by the profits of the importer on tho
/ tax on tho raw material, and the profits
| of the manufacturer on his outlay for that
/ tax, and the Importers profit thereon
| and of tine merchants through whom ii
passes to the consumer, interfering with
| the manufacturers enjoyment Of both the
home and the foreign markets on the same
| advantageous terms of the manufacturers
| OF other nations who obtain raw material
| free of duty. A single example illustrates
| the case Great Britain admits wool a
| raw material, free OF duty, and the United
| States imposes upon 1t u duty of 30 per
| cent. This enables the English manu-
facture to interfere with the American
| manufacturer in the American markets aud
| to exclude him from the foreign markets.
| 1t does more 1t surrenders the markets
az the countries producing the raw ma
terial 10 the nations who take it free of
| duty
| This is the language of democratic sec
rotary of the treasury more than forty
years age and it was concurred in by the
| president There were some democrats who
were too weak for the strong food com
mended to them and congress did not put
all the materials of manufacture on the
| free list as they We're urged TO 40, but they
| did add some 200 articles to that list and
largely reduced all others. The democratic
| party in National convention in 1856 said
| the time had come tor the people OF the
| United States to declare themselves in ia
| yor OF progressive free trade throughout
the world and they boldly launched the
! ship of state and started it in that drec-
! ton.
But soon the civil war came on, the
| democratic PARTY went out of power and the
| republicans came in, and reversed the
movement and our taxes have been getting
| higher and higher and the prices of our
farm products have been getting lower and
lower, More and more Of our people have
been thrown out of employment and great
wealth has been plling up and increasing
in the hands of few favorites until the
republic reels and staggers under its pow
criul and corruptng influences
After the war and the reconstruction Pc
riod the democratic party again appeared
upon the field and began the fight for pro
gressive free trade They again demand
ed that the materials of manufacture
should be exempt from taxation in order
to reduce the taxes on the finished goods
to the people. open markets for farm pro-
ducts, and permit American labor to have
employment.
In 1871 the democratic State convention
of New York declared that raw materials
should be exempt from taxation. In 1887
they repeated the same declaration In 1854
the National democratic convention ar
raigned the republican party for subject
Ing our manufacturers to "a hopeless COM
petition with manufacturing nations not
one OF which taxes raw material.
In 1883 q democratic house of represent
atiyes passed bill putting wool and other
raw material on the free list and largely
reducing the duties On finished goods and
the National democratic convention OF thai
year said; This convention hereby in
dorses and recommends the early passage
OF the bill for the reduction of the revenue
now pending in the house of representa-
tives;" aud the State convention OF Texas
at Fort Worth in Mny, 1888, said: "We
commend our democratic senator's and
members of congress from Texas in their
earnest efforts to reduce tax burdens, aud
that we inaorse tho tariff bill reported by
the committee on ways and means COM
monty known as the Mills tariff bill' and
that the convention heartily indorses the
course OF Hon. Roger @. Mills as chair |
man of the Ways and means committee In |
congress aud that our delegates to the St. /
Louis convention are instructed To vote for
him for vice president Of the United States |
on the democratic ticket"
In 1892 the democratic State conventions |
in Pennsylvania, Indiana. Illinois, Cali |
foinia and other States declared that the |
raw materials OF manufacture should be |
put on the free list, and the National dem |
ocratic convention of 1892 denounced the
Mckinley law and said: I'VE indorse the
efforts made by the democrats OF the pres
ent congress to modify Its most oppressive
features In the direction of free raw mate
rails end cheaper manufactured goods 2
and the democratic convention OF Texas q,
that year Endorsed the time honoredY
princiries declared in the Natioaal plat
form.
These are some OF the utterances OF the
democratic party IN its National and State
conventions Its legislation has been In
harmony with these declarations. In the
Forty-ninth congress William r. Morn-
sen. chairman OF the COMMITTEES OF ways
and means reported TO the house biz
putting wool ana ether raw materials on
the free list and largely reducing duties on
ill imports but It was defeated BY a few
tender-iooted democrats who left their par
" and went TO the republicans That bill
wa supported by every democrat from
In 1892 democrat house passed bin