Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1909-03-24
THE TARIFF BILL.

and means committee, occupied the en-
tire session Of she House again yesterday
10 explaining aud defending the pro-
visions o! the tariff bill.
Mr. CLARK, the minority lssder, bsre'
ly bad begun bis remarks in reply when
q suggestion from him that he would
prefer to address the body when 1t vss
not 60 tired led Mr.. Payne TO say that
be did not desire 10 be unreasonable and
on his nquest Mr. Clark Suspended un-
I'll today and the House sdj iurned.
When Mr.. CLARK arose today to lead
of for The minority 10 the tariff debate
he was greeted with 8 storm of applause
on the democratic side.
Mr.. CLARK said in substance:
This Is no time for an academic dis-
cussion OF the tariff. Every tariff theory
ever Matched in the brain Of man has
been discussed repeatedly In this coun-
try with thoroughness and splendid
ability. Since john G Carlisle made
his first mssterful tsr.f speech 10 the
House, some thirty years sgo, we have
had an almost continuous tariff debate
10 this country. 1t may we'll be doubted
whether any member on the committee
of ways aud means could make better
academic speech on the subject now than
be has made In the past. So firmly am
| convinced OF this, that / told Mr..
Chairman Payne last Friday that, so
fer as | am concerned, would cheer
fully waive all general debate, II we
could be assured that we would have
ample time for amendment aud debate
under the FIVE minute rule Of the entire
bill section by section.
1.-THE minority members have no de-
sire to waste one moment, but We do de-
sire o thorough consideration and a
chance to amend 1t wherever We think
1t would be improved by amendment
and my judgment Is 1t could be greatly
! improved by amendment in many re-
spects.
"The tariff is tsx. The tariff Is q
tax paid by the consumers. Nobody
with any reputation for veracity or In
tellipence to lose will deny either VI
these two propositions. II be does deny
them he will be COMPOUNDED by high pro-
tective advocates whose evidence makes
up almost exclusively the report Of the
ways and means committee. Nest Of
| the witnesses wanted an increase OF the
Dingley rates or wanted those fates
held in statu quo. Only two or three
manufacturers asked for reduction of
rates on articles which they manufac-
sured. One admitted that the tariff on
tin. plate should be reduced from IA cents
| pound to l cent and Mr.. CLAUS Spreck-
les, one of the largest independent re-
Rners, said that the tariff on all sugars
shonld be removed.
"Mr. Miles, secretary OF the National
Manufacturers Association, advocated
reductions but within forenight he re-
turned aud took back all be had said
about taking The iariff of leather and
the products Of leather but he struck to
free hides for dear life.
1.-THE reasons shy the ultimate con-
sunsr,' as he is felicitously denominated
by the gentleman from Illinois, Mr..
| B lulell, did not sppeSr sre. First that
10 the beginning tue public looked upon
the hearings as slupsndous confidence
game. Second, while that feeling wore
Of TO some extent after Chairman Payne
invited sll who he'd opinions to express
to coms forward, scarcely one represeu
talive of the great body of ultimate con-
sumers appeared, because each ODE felt
that the possibility Of having his tariff
burden substantially reduced was so re-
mote, that be did not think It worth
travelling expenses, hotel bills, neglect
OF business and loss of time. That sp.
plies to the WelI-to-do ultimate con-
sumer.-
A treasury deficit that may reach
$3.50, 900, 900 Is the sad predicament to
which the much wanted Dingley bill has
brought US. There are only three ways
koown among men by which deficiency
may be cured Firs., cut down expenses;
second, increase tsxes; third, issue
bonds. Really TO issue bonds is no
remedy at all. That simply postpones
the evil day; for they must be paid,
principle and interest, at least. Taxes
should mover be increased wherever 1t is
possible tn avoid it. Cutting down ap-
preparations without stinling the govern.
ment Ia any of its proper functions, is
the most proper remedy for deficiency;
but our republican brethren seem utterly
incapable of cutting down appropria-
tons. SO the committee on ways and
means was under compulslon to some
how incftase the revenue 6y about $780,.
900, 900 per spDum." He criticised the
republican mSjoriIy Of the ways and
means committee for not permitting the
democratic members 10 have 3 part in
framing the tariff bill,
at Is, or should be, he said, wholly
q question OF raising certain amount Of
revenue for customs duties 10 q manner
the most equitable which the combined
wisdom and patriotism Of Congress could
devise. In the present SIa.e Of affairs
every approximately prohibitive rate
ought TO be cut TO q revenue basis.
There are many q them in the Diuglsy
bill, large portion OF which are retained
in the Payne bill. For example. the
Dingley rate on steel rails is 1874 q
ton, which everybody knows Is pracLI-
cally prOhibitiVe. That was cut In two.
But the truth Is that 10 Practice ihe
Payne rate Of 1892 per ton on steel
rails will prove just as prohibitive as
the Dingley rats Of 81 a. Aodfew